tweeky

I thought it was interesting to hear that the Packers started all 22 original starters from training camp last night.
The Saints are starting 6 of the original 11, and now 5 of the original 11 with Jones out.
Over 1/2 our starters are out! And we were supposed to be a middle of the pack defense to start with.
Take out Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, and John Lynch and the Bucs would look just as bad as we do. (Don't even try to argue it).

I'll bet you a 6-pack of your favorite beer there isn't one team in the NFL that’s lost 5 of their original 11 starters on defense.
There probably isn't one that’s lost 4. So don't give me any Peter King crap about "this is the NFL, its called depth". One or two key players and I'd agree its no excuse, but 1/2 of the defense? Give it a rest you fat overpaid under-informed loser!
Our depth on defense isn't even expansion team quality as of right now.

I think its unfair and shortsighted to pile on this defense considering all the devastating injuries we've had to KEY players on this unit.
But I'm sure some of you will. :mad:

The offense, now that’s fair game! ;)

BillyCarpenter1

Tweeky --

You are right to a degree. I feel that Venturi isn\'t the best or maybe not even a good D coordinator, but it\'s really unfair to him to criticize so much considering the players that are out. On the other hand, these players that are in on defense now are professional atheletes and should be playing better than they are. Venturi and the players have to be held accountable for playing at least average, which they aren\'t by any stretch of the imagination.

I don\'t have the answer for the defense, but something has to be changed. At this point i would be willing to blitz 75% of the time just to see if it helped. It\'s broke and it needs fixed. If it\'s not fixed this offense cannot be expected to out score every team.

FWtex

Tweeky, I got my stick in hand right next to you. I have been saying this same thing since the Tampa game last year. The defense has played well enough to win games at the end of last year. The team would be at least 2-2 right now if the offense would have shown up for at least one game. Its all on the offense and I have been saying it for a long time.

This may be a strectch, but if the offense would not be making the defense play so much of the game maybe there would not be so many injuries on the defense. Think about it.

FWtex

Billy, if you blitz 75% of the plays with the players left on defense you will have a track meet instead of a football game.

This defense cannot cover for the offense, it was suppose to be the other way around.

tweeky

I also wonder if all the injuries may have a lot to do with the horrible turf at the dome.
We have great turf at practice, then play on green concrete on Sundays.

I also saw a report that showed a change in playing surface can increase injuries in the 1st year of use.
Of course those are only statistics and we know statistics aren\'t worth much.

BillyCarpenter1

I\'m not saying it will work. What I am saying is something has to change scheme wise on the defense. True, the offense needs to carry the defense more, but it cannot make up for all the points the defense is giving up. If you think so then we disagree!!

blake6900

BillyCarpenter1 said: \"At this point i would be willing to blitz 75% of the time just to see if it helped.\"

Yeah, and then you\'d have the 49er defense. Unfortunately you looking at it from the perspective that all the other teams have a QB like Aaron Brooks that\'s unable to read the blitz and react accordingly. They don\'t...and while blitzing 75% of the time might work in the short term adjustments would easily be made to counterract it.

The problems with the defense are really quite simple. The Saints really didn\'t have the injuries last year on defense that they do now yet that group was awful as well. Before last year Venturi said the defense was too complicated and needed to be simplified. That didn\'t work. Before this year Venturi said the same thing. And that\'s not working either. How much simpler can a defensive scheme be than the Saints\' current scheme of eight in the box and Jones playing center field. Answer: not much.

The main problem is the coaching staff is a lousy judge of personnel. They go out and get players that don\'t fit into their scheme. Jones is an adequate safety but he doesn\'t fit well. New England didn\'t use that scheme when he was there and they sure didn\'t use it against the Rams in the Super Bowl when Jones made a name for himself. That\'s one example.

Here\'s another: They get Orlando Ruff to supplant Darrin Smith and start at middle linebacker. They talk him up, \"He\'d be a starter at San Diego if it wasn\'t for Donnie Edwards and Junior Seau\", and what happens? He\'s sitting on the bench behind the guy he was supposed to replace. Another brilliant move.

Here\'s another example: Jay Bellamy was a strong safety at Seattle. What do the Saints do? They bring him here and make him the starting free safety...and a slow one at that.

Great coaches all do one thing that Haslett and Co. just don\'t understand. Most players don\'t have global talent, that is, they don\'t do everything well. A smart coach puts players in a position to excel. The Saints plug players in and then find out too late that their strengths don\'t fit the scheme. That\'s either stubborn or stupid but either way it\'s always unsuccessful. And before we place all the blame on Loomis let\'s remember that each one of these players was hailed as the right missing piece of the Saints\' defense by Jim Haslett.

The above is true of every successful coach and GM. Jim Finks knew it. Bill Parcells knows it. So does Bill Walsh. And the list goes on and on. Until the Saints\' understand this concept they are doomed to mediocrity...or worse.

FWtex

Billy, How many times has the offense made the defense come out on the field with the ball in saints territory? I am done with this argument with you. let me know when you understand the game.

BillyCarpenter1

FWtex -- If you think that the offense can play well enough to hide the FACT that our defense is playing like sh!t then one of us has a real problem. They can help, but the defense has got to try something different. Whether that be blitzing more or whatever!!!

TheOriginalSwampdog

55 points. Nuff said.