Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

If you asked 10 Saints fans after the 2003 season, you'd probably get either 9 or 10 who would buy into the "national" perception that once again the Saints had swooned in December despite a 2-2 record in that month. If you took the question a little further and asked which player was most responsible for this, I'm guessing that at least 8 of the 10 would answer "Aaron Brooks...he always falters when it's most important."

Why do you think these fans have that opinion? Last year, when unlike in 2002 Brooks wasn't playing with a ruptured tendon in his shoulder, he finished out the year with 200+ passes without an interception, and some of his best play of the season. In contrast, a player who we all think of as our steadiest and most reliable, Deuce McAllister, had a pretty rough ending to his year. As Pat Kirwin at NFL.com pointed out:

Deuce McAllister is one of the better running backs in the NFL but down the stretch last year he managed only 248 yards rushing in 79 attempts with no touchdowns over the last four games. Did he run out of gas? He can't afford a fall off like that again in 2004.

No one blames McAllister's lack of production down the stretch for the Saints' failure to make the playoffs again (and I don't think they should), and yet it seems hardly anyone has any qualms about laying that failure at the feet of Aaron Brooks, who actually played some of his best ball at the end of the season last year.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Some may actually forget that defenses keyed on Mc Alister 100% of the time . No longer do opposing defenses spy for the once famous broken play running style of Brooks for 10 to 15 yards .The only question left to ask is \" Deuce left or Deuce right ?\".. ;)

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Defenses NEVER used a \"spy\" technique against the Saints....and frankly, even if they did, it would actually do more to strengthen the rushing defense rather than to weaken it, as it would involve a LB reading \"run\" first, then, rather than dropping into coverage hanging at the line of scrimmage to watch for a QB run. And that just didn\'t happen even in 2000 when Brooks ran more because he hadn\'t had a training camp and didn\'t check down efficiently on all plays yet. The threat from the Saints is now and has been for several years from McAllister rushing or Brooks throwing, not from Brooks running with the ball. And frankly, he\'s a much better passer than he is a runner, anyway. I don\'t think he\'s nearly as fluid, fast, or natural a runner as most fans seem to think, and is better suited to sit in the pocket and use his accurate arm.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

I\'ll throw Deuce a bone here, even though I\'m one of the few who think he has faltered down the stretch and could benefit from a slighly better training regime.

His FB (T-rex) and his back-up FB (Conwell) were both out for most of those games.
Our O-line was banged up and playing out of position for most of those games.
We played some really good run defenses.

Deuce is a warrior who gives it his all, but he also seems above criticism. On an 8-8 team nobody gets a free pass. He is our best weapon no doubt. But I do find it annoying that there appears to be a double standard when it comes to Brooks/McAllister critiques.

I think Deuce will start taking better care of his body, and will eventually become the best Saint RB of all time. But he needs to step it up every bit as much as Brooks does.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

There are a lot of ways to attack the Deuce Slo-Down argument.
Most have already been said.
But let\'s take a closer look at the final four games.

Week 14: vs. TB LOSS
Deuce 22 car. 69 yds. for some a decent output against the Bucs defense.
I don\'t think the TB defense was as good as year\'s in the past, but they were still tough in \'04.
Excuses: TB playing for pride and to stay alive in the Play-off hunt. Though it was a longshot you have to compile that with the fact we owened them 3 straight times. These two factors tell me they were amped to shut down Deuce, since he was a major factor in those wins.
Also, In my loose recolection of the game... We weer running away early. AB was on fire, then Joe Horn dropped that TD pass. From that point the team and season deflated.
Football is a game of hi\'s and lo\'s ... Momentum. In week 14, I say we lost momentum and couldn\'t recover. Not solely Deuce\'s problem

Week 15: Vs. NYG WIN
Deuce 15 car. 80 yds.
I was at the game Deuce playued well. But the Saints didn\'t need him that night. AB and Joe Horn owned the Giants secondary. But to be fair, I must point out the game\'s first TD was off a Deuce play fake.
When the offense works, it works and Deuce doesn\'t need to carry the load.

Week 16: at JAX LOSS
Deuce 21 car. 50 yds.
On paper I would agree this was poor outing. But since I have a Pro-Deuce slant I shall continue with excuses.
We threw the ball 38 times that day... The reason we couldn\'t run... Maybe O-line, maybe play calling. No first downs were gained on the ground that day. JAX controlled the line of scrimmage.
And we were behind. 17-10 at half, JAX had control...
Part of the fault lies in the Defense that day, they gave up 11 first downs rushing.
Deuce didn\'t help, fumbling 2 times, but...
Remember, Luck or not.... We should have been at least tied in that game. 20-20
CARNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wek 17: Vs. DAL WIN
Deuce 21 car. 49 yds.
Throw away game. It meant nothing and it showed, sloppy play on both sides.
Deuce didn\'t do anything.

No I know the one glaring faactor in all this is Deuce had no Td\'s down the stretch...
So he had 8 Td\'s in 12 games.
If there is one solution to see Deuce not fade my only advice is don\'t rely on him so much early in the season.
But that\'s not going to happen.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Here is what the Texan scouting had to say :

When the Saints have the ball…
QB Aaron Brooks success depends upon the performance of RB Deuce McAllister. Brooks has proven that he can’t carry the Saints\' offense by himself. The Texans will need to concentrate on stopping McAllister, forcing the inconsistent Brooks to win the game with his arm. He managed only 274 yards and 10 points in week 1 when he was forced to throw 47 times.

http://www.houstonprofootball.com/preview/week02.html

Falcons :

\"Our focus was on stopping Deuce,\" said Atlanta linebacker Keith Brooking. \"He ran all over us in the last game. The offence is predicated on him, so we tried to stop him and make Brooks beat us. We did a pretty good job of hitting him and contained him pretty well until the overtime runs.\"

Brooks really scares no one in the league . In fact they play to dare him to try and beat their defenses .

Do not take my word for it , the opposition speak loudly and clearly enough ...... ;)


[Edited on 20/7/2004 by saintz08]

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Hmmmmm....I\'m guessing if these were the Texan and Falcon scouting reports from before the first time their teams met the Saints this season, then it explains a lot as far as the records the two teams ended up with...LOL Brooks\' numbers after the Texans game and the first Falcon game: 41/57, 72%, 541 yds, 5 TD, 0 INT. Even if you throw in the second Atlanta game when McAllister was running wild, the numbers were 62/94, 66%, 769 yds, 5 TD, 2 INT. It might be instructive to focus more on how ineffective these two teams were at actually stopping Brooks rather than listening to their somewhat inaccurate self-assessments. LOL

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Like burning the Falcons secondary was any great challenge .... ;)

Let\'s see who did it :

Carter - 268 yds - soon to be replaced
Ramsey - 356 yds - replaced
Johnson - 192 yds - soon to be replaced
Delhomme- 168 yds - 1st year starter
Ferrotte - 239 yds- back to the bench
Bulger - 352 yds - 1st year starter
Brooks - 352 yds
McNabb - 312 yds
Collins - 202 yds - replaced
Brooks - 228 yds - with the defense keying on Deuce .
Volek - 117 yds - back to the bench
Banks - 100 yds - back to the bench
Delhomme - 153 yds - 1st year starter
Manning - 290 yds
Johnson - 346 yds - soon to be replaced
Leftwich - 167 yds - 1st year starter ....

Looks like Saintfan with a blind squirrel front line could have thrown for 150 yards against the Falcons .... ;)

[Edited on 20/7/2004 by saintz08]

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

So basically only 1 QB threw for more yards than Brooks did against the falcons. Ramsey by 4 yards.
Kinda looks to me the make-Brooks-beat-ya-plan failed miserably.
Hmmm...
Yup, I guess you have a point 08. Don\'t know what it is but i\'m sure you have one.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

If Jake-e-poo can do it then so can I! ;)

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Well let\'s look at that .... ;)

Game 1


New Orleans 45
Atlanta 17

NO: A. Brooks (23-30, 352)

Game 2

Atlanta 20
New Orleans 23

NO: A. Brooks (21-37, 228)

\"Our focus was on stopping Deuce,\" said Atlanta linebacker Keith Brooking. \"He ran all over us in the last game. The offence is predicated on him, so we tried to stop him and make Brooks beat us. We did a pretty good job of hitting him and contained him pretty well until the overtime runs.\"

With the focus on Deuce , Brooks looks more like :

Ferrotte - 239 yds- back to the bench ........ ;)




[Edited on 21/7/2004 by saintz08]

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

McCarthy\'s game plan had as much to do with our late season showing as much as anything. Opposing defenses don\'t have to worry about as many areas of concern with the Saints and it\'s not because of any one player, it\'s the system that fails us.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

McCarthy\'s system was bad all year, imo, and did not contribute to any swwon other than the 2003 swoon.

Who\'s to say that they didn\'t key on Deuce in the first game? Keith Brooking didn\'t. All he said was they were trying to key on Deuce during the second game and had done ok until overtime.

I, like most or all of you, watched both games. I can tell you this...Brooks was on fire during the first game and it had little to do with Deuce. We should all be well enough aware that Brooks is a streaky player. When he\'s hot, he\'s one of the best. When he\'s not so hot, he can be a bum regardless of Deuce\'s success in the game.

The question I have for most Delhomme fans is...how much credit should he be given for plays where he just throws the ball up for grabs and is lucky enough to have his receiver come down with it? I truly believe he got away with junk like that last year more than any QB in NFL history. It seemed like half his TD highlights were desperation passes.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

...tossed up in the air down the middle of the field...you\'re right on. So you acknowledge it! Up \'til now I think me an Danno are the only other two people that noticed it...more likely tho that we\'re the only ones (on this board anyway) willing to say it. ;)

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

It was the entire team. If everyone starts treating them as a team maybe they will play more like one when they need to. No one gets off on this one, everyone needs to step up more and play up to the money and fan support they receive.

You are only as fast as your slowest man. So maybe Haz is right trying to keep the superstars to a minimum, keeping the roster as consistent as possible and actually make the Saint\'s a Professional Football TEAM. There not many of those around.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

For the fun of it , a player like Duece can make a safety bite on play action all day long .Take an average defense , add a heavy dose of Duece paranoia and those play action fakes can open lanes wide enough to drive a Mack truck through .Put a linebacker mirror on Duece and make those other player work for their glory not off of another player glory ...... ;)

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Is anyone remembering that the Falcons\' D was the WORST in the league?! They were among the worst in yards per game (381), total passing yards (3800), points per game (26.4), rushing yards per game (144).

OF COURSE Brooks would succeed against that D! Anyone could beat them!

Bragging about Brooks puttting up monster numbers against the Falcons would be like me bragging about beating a one-legged cripple in a 100 meter dash!

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Strangely enough, Hokie Gajan was just saying this week that he can\'t understand how any offensive player wouldn\'t love to play in McCarthy\'s system because it\'s just about one of the best he\'s ever seen at spreading the ball around and putting it in the hands of the back, WRs, and TEs in places where they can best perform. Of course, what\'s an ex-player and scout\'s opinion worth compared to a fan\'s....... ;)

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Yeah...in much the same way Delhomme rode Stephen Davis to the Superbowl eh...only Davis prolly scored a few TD\'s in the last 4 games.

[Edited on 23/7/2004 by saintfan]

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

You just haven\'t been around long enough to see whats really going on. There are a few posters here that would still hate Brooks even if he won a superbowl, cured cancer, and invented an inexpensive method of cloning and mass producing Jennifer Lopez without vocal cords.

Nobody is saying Brooks is awesome because he ripped Atlanta, but he doesn\'t suck just because he ripped Atlanta.

Its frustrating that this was a another really good topic hi-jacked into the 47th Zillion Brooks debate. Probably the one player who\'s play didn\'t drop off last year was Brooks, yet we\'re debating him again.

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

The same amount Montana was given when he was smart enough to throw it high to Dwight Clark in the end Zone to win the game .

Delhomme throws it up and his receiver makes a play on it . At least the receiver does not have to run into the grand stands to get it ..... ;)

Never under estimate the value of a ball thrown to where a player has the ability to make some sort of play on it . They call it \" The Catch \" .....

Whose play dropped off at season's end?
 

Joe Montana is considered by many to have been the best quarterback to ever play football. Throwing that ball to Dwight Clark where only Clark had the opporitunity to catch it was a spectacular end to one of the most impressive and memorable drives in NFL history.

Jake Delhomme is no Joe Montana. It\'s hard not to like the guy but to compare those bombs thrown at a 75 degree angle in to a mob of players to The Catch is silly.

They call it \"The Prayer\".