SaintsBro

Well...sorry for the tl;dr here

but I have been kinda watching how people this year are saying up in New England, there's this whole thing going on up there this year, like OMG THE PATRIOTS ARE SUDDENLY A RUNNING TEAM, LOOK AT THE PATRIOTS RUN THE BALL, JUST WHEN THE WHOLE LEAGUE GOES "PASS HAPPY" THE PATRIOTS START RUNNING THE ROCK AGAIN, THE GENIUS OF BELLICHICK, HE'S DONE IT AGAIN, etc. etc. Like this is a story line that is about to happen, or is happening.

And I find myself wondering if Payton might have had something like that in mind, up his sleeve, when he re-upped Pierre's contract and brought Ingram and then Grubbs in. As an evolution to Payton's game, or the NEXT thing the Saints were gonna do, once Drew was locked in long-term and had broken every passing record in sight.

Like, once people adjusted their defenses to our ABSURDLY PROLIFIC passing attack, Payton was gonna hit them with the change up -- suddenly the Saints morph and become a power running team, heavy running, with the ever-present threat of pass...change it up over a period of years so that we don't disappear like the Greatest Show On Turf did, once people figured their passing game out they were finished.

But then I feel like maybe Payton didn't get to implement this idea before he left, so he just sorta tabled the whole thing until next year. I dunno, this is all just a pet theory of mine.

Because Payton and Bellichick are extremely similar mentally, the whole chess match part of it, and they have the same approach to innovations in the game (for example, they seem to have simultaneously invented the concept of the freakishly tall and super human tight end, at the same exact moment). They think alike. And Bellichick is running all over these defenses that are freaked out about Brady and the Patriots passing attack right now.

It just seems so weird to me when Ingram is in there, the same damn play over and over and over. It looks like a completely different TEAM, when Ingram comes in, and then it turns back into the Saints again when he comes out. I can't quite believe that THAT is what Payton had in mind. Maybe it was what he wanted, but it just seems so unfinished or work-in-progress to me. I dunno.

Something in my gut makes me think this is related to Payton not being here. Like the team was about to morph into something different this year, but is now frozen in late last year's playbook.

9thWardDesire

EXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXACTLY!!!!

Mardigras9

Did you guys see the breakdown of %'s of run plays on first through fourth downs during the game? PREDICTABLE MUCH?

saintsfan1976

Had three key calls go our way as well.

You could argue they had more impact than the run game.

MatthewT

Usually, for whatever reason, the running stat that counts the most is attempts. This stat pretty much holds true most of the time.

Examples of this seasons rushing attempts:

Week 1 - Redskins 43 Saints 10
Week 2 - Panthers 41 Saints 27
Week 3 - Chiefs 45 Saints 19
Week 4 - Packers 25 Saints 19
Week 5 - Saints 21 Chargers 18

Doesn't always work out that the team with the most rushing attempts wins the game, but historically, it is a very decent indicator.

burningmetal

I wasn't impressed at all with the running game, but I do agree with other posters that you still have to run often enough to give reasonable doubt in the opposing defense's mind. The play calling was so lopsided in the first few games, it was a joke.

jeanpierre

I'm going to let you in on the secret to Sean Payton's Genius...


Mutiple, multiple formations with multiple, multiple plays and reads out of those formations eliminate the oppositions' defenses from anticipating what the Saints will do - that's the big advantage...

Problem is that we haven't had as much success with the run and playaction pass because our current tackles can't run block worth a schiott to open up those 8-20 yard gash runs so we haven't had balanced play calling...

TheOak

That is not a function of Run = Winning, its a function of leading = running to burn clock and maintain possession.

normally