TonyMax

Let me speak up.
Well first of all lets talk about leadership. Leadership first starts from head coaching period. No if ands about it. Second of all you don't have to be "vocal" to be a leader. That just has to depend on your personality. I believe in leading by example period. You can talk all the talk you want but if you can't walk that talk it's garbage. Aaron proved that he is the leader of this team by improving his statitistics. His completion percentage, qb rating, and TD to INT ratio improved from 2002 to 2003. Leaders step up and improve where improvement is needed. Brooks may need to improve on his fumbling and that's about it. But I don't think that he can help it much when you have your number one receiver (Joe Horn) dropping passes sometimes, your tight end (Ernie Conwell) dropping passes and who may not be able to run after the catch any more like he did when he was with the Rams, and your most dangerous weapon (Donte Stallworth) missing more than half of the seaon with injuries. Should we talk about the defense? Naaa we know this defense has been horrible for the last few years. So when the Saints GM and head coach decides to put together a defense that can actually stop teams from moving the ball up and down the field all game maybe you critics will stop pointing to Aaron Brooks' supposedly lack of leadership as to why the Saints fail every year.

I have a few questions... So who's going to be the leader on defense? Who's going to be the number one cornerback now that they let Dale Carter go? Who's going to start at Middle linebacker? Will Sullivan come up with more than just one sack? And please tell me who really believes that the Saints can win a super bowl with Ashely Ambrose starting at cornerback? Will this team improve it's run defense?

If you ask me this team has too many questions marks on the defensive side of the ball to be questioning Aaron Brooks leadership skills.


[Edited on 7/7/2004 by TonyMax]

saintsfan1313

Now, for the most part I agree with TonyMax. The defense was horrible, our reciever corps aren\'t what they are supposed to be, but there are many other things that lead to people pointing the finger at Brooks.

Don\'t get me wrong, I like Brooks, I think he can become the great quarterback that we want him to be. I think the one thing that has frustrated us all is his \"lack of focus\". First, it was his \"oh well\" smile that he always sports after an INT or fumble. Now its good for a quarterback not to get too down on himself and go on a downward spiral. However, many would like to see him take it a little more seriously when he gives the ball up. Now as for the fumbles he had this season. Now I understand quarterbacks are gunna get hit, and drop the ball. But the cadence fumbles, the center to quarterback fumbles, the drop back to pass and the ball is missing fumbles. That is lack of focus.

And as for throwing the blame everywhere else for our past 2 seasons, a \"leader\" would know that he is at a disadvantage with a sub-par defense and receiving corp and step up the play. Not just shrug it off and say \"who cares, everyone is playing like #$@% anyway\" He should step up, talk to everyone and get everyone to take it a lil more serious. Including himself. Or we might not see him in Black and Gold next year.

is this all really happening????

GumboBC

Just so I get how some folks interpret some things. Let me go over them:

1. Fumbling = lack of concentration.
2. Throwing only 8 Ints. = No concentration required.
3. Smiling = don’t really care.
4. Getting mad = good.
5. Leader = wins
6. Not leader = losses


Now, I’ve got all the answers:

1. Brooks needs to think about not fumbling the ball on every snap.
2. Brooks needs to not smile and get pissed off every time he makes a mistake.
3. Leadership: Brooks needs to inspire his receivers to stop dropping the ball and the rest of the offense to stop making those annoying penalties.


[Edited on 7/7/2004 by GumboBC]

Puddinhead

Let\'s see....the cavalier \"what, me worry\" Aaron Brooks, 14 fumbles in 16 games in 2003. The highly focused, very emotional Jake Delhomme, 15 fumbles in 16 games.

Hmmmm....no, I guess that\'s not it. LOL

GumboBC

Jake just holds the ball too long. Soon as he learns to read defenses, I\'m sure that will change...LOL.

WhoDat

AAAHHHH. Haven\'t had one of these in a while. Fun, fun. LMAO.

This is one of my favorite arguments. Holes on defense = AB is a good leader. People need to realize the difference b/w those two ideas.

Get it straight:
1. Saying Aaron Brooks has problems does NOT translate into HE IS THE PROBLEM. There\'s a difference. Horn has problems too, so does Deuce. Anyone here suggesting their perfect? If you aren\'t then I guess that means you think Deuce is THE problem right?

2. Problems with the defense does not make AB a good quarterback. It makes him better or good in comparison to our terrible defense. If I say that a mushroom smells better than dog crap that doesn\'t mean a mushroom smells good.

[Edited on 7/7/2004 by WhoDat]

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

GumboBC

I know better than to get too deep in this discussion ... so I won\'t.

But, let me just say this.

What this team needs is a defense. Once we get that, Brooks is good enough to get us to the Promised Land. Smiling and all.

I know when the game is on the line that Brooks comes through as well as anyone. I know this \'cause I\'ve seen him do it SO many times.

Brooks not only has the ability to \"manage\" the game but Brooks has the ability to \"take over\" the game. But, just because he can doesn\'t mean he\'s suppose to win every game for us.



Brooks = Perfect? Nope.



[Edited on 7/7/2004 by GumboBC]

Puddinhead

If you say a mushroom smells better than dog crap......





.....I\'m asking what you\'re doing sniffing dog crap????? LOL

WhoDat

I was talking to Billy! KIDDING! He\'s the only guy I can sling one of those at and know he won\'t take it personally.

Puddinhead

Let me say this.....

In 2001, Brooks\' first full season as a starter, he threw 26 TDs and 22 INTs. Everyone said \"That\'s pretty good for a first year starter...but he really has to cut down on the interceptions and raise that 76.4 QB Rating to be considered a really good NFL starter.\"

The following year, 2002, Brooks threw 27 TDs (setting a single season team record) and 15 INTs...cutting his INT total by a third. He raised his QB Rating to 80.1. Everyone said \"That\'s not bad...but to REALLY be considered a good NFL QB he has to do something about getting that 53.6 Comp. Pct. up somewhere near 60%...and above all, stop smiling.\"

In 2003, Brooks throws 24 TDs and only 8 INTs, cutting the previous year\'s INT total by almost half and marking a whopping 63% drop from 2001, and registers a 59.1 Comp. Pct. Now everyone says \"I don\'t care about the INTs and Pct....he kills way too many drives with his fumbles, and it\'s obvious he\'s not a leader because he\'s constantly laughing on the sidelines after something goes wrong!\" Of course, I watched every away game on TV and every home game in person from my seats on the visitor\'s sideline, facing the Saints\' bench across the field, and I didn\'t see the laughing and cutting up that occured a couple of times in years past...but maybe I don\'t pay close enough attention.

More likely, I think, is that Aaron Brooks has, for whatever reason, become the favorite \"whipping boy\" for many Saints fans, fitting the role usually held by a cornerback in the past, like Johnnie Poe or Dave Waymer. Some folks need one particular player to focus their ire on when things go wrong, and seem almost unwilling to entertain the idea that the same group that might \"win as a team\" can also \"lose as a team\".