TheOak

Exactly. Ant opposing Defenses know all of this.

I could be Completely wrong because I am going off memory... I think I remember GW's defenses hoping around the field as much as possible before the snap. Presently i think we line up and stay that way.. QB's no longer have to guess much.

Danno

Its certainly predictable. Way too many times the 1st defender to hit Ingram is almost always a yard or two in our own backfield.

SaintsBro

When he comes into the game, it always is that same one play, up the middle, smacking into Bushrod or DeLa Puente. And for some reason when he is in there in the backfield, it looks like a completely different team out there than the Saints we're used to. He's not integrated into the existing offense at all -- it's this weird thing where everybody on the team stops what they're doing, and says to defense, OKAY, NOW WE'RE LINING UP TO DO THE INGRAM PLAY. And then they go back to looking like the Saints again, as soon as he jogs off.

It's actually a momentum killer! I think it's part of the mystery of the 3-and-outs and why they're happening. It's the entirely predictable playcalling. At first I thought they might be trying to lull defenses to sleep with Ingram, and saving some of the screens and splashy Ingram plays for later in the year, division games and so forth... but with our record, that time has already come and gone -- if they have something up their sleeve with him, they need to do it NOW.

Mardigras9

PT gets hit just as early, he just breaks tackles more consistantly.

Shoe.

Maybe its time for a dose of Ivory.

That dude just PUNISHES people when he hits them, in a way I've never seen Ingram manage to do.

Now, Ivory also hurts himself more, so take that how you will.

AlaskaSaints

I like you Shoe. Any friend of Ivory is a friend of mine.

;-]]

I want so badly for Ingram to have a breakout year, but I just don't think he's got it in him.

In the future, get the guy who DIDN'T get the Heisman. He's always a better player.

Alaska

SaintsBro

I don't have time to do it, it's probably not really worth actually figuring it out, but I would LOVE to revisit the playcalling of Ingram's first six games, when Payton was calling the plays for him. Were they all inside runs up the middle, or was Sean Payton doing different things with him, in the games leading up to Payton's injury in Tampa Bay? I really can't remember, but it would be interesting to look back and see. Is this what Payton really had in mind?

I do remember seeing this familiar up-the-middle thing happening, late in the year last year. But it was Pierre Thomas who really busted out and took over the Lions game in the playoffs, as I recall.

But Ingram's numbers for this THIS year compared to last year are just pathetic. Something's wrong and it's not Grubbs, because Grubbs is grading so high.

I am watching this Youtube video right now of "Mark Ingram Highlights" from Alabama, and he is running all over the place -- inside, outside, screens, sideline around the ends, passes over the middle, catching the ball and reversing direction to the total opposite side of the field... It looks nothing like what we are getting from him here.

TheOak

Good point SaintsBro... A light bulb just went off..

You can never have too many runningbacks... Correct.

You CAN have too many niche running backs... Apparently using a different back as a tool for a specific play tells the defense who is coming at them with what.

Boutte

I'm one of those people who usually says something to the effect of "The coaches know a lot more than us so quit acting like you're qualified to criticize." In this case though I think we're right. Give the guy the same chance the other backs get. At this point he might as well have a target on jersey instead of a number.

(And I'm by no means one of his fans.)

AlaskaSaints

If only coaches read fanboards...

Every week, someone on this board hits it DEAD ON. Not the same person every time, but someone is always right on.

Alaska