Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

Drew Brees: B (3.00) A statistically good game for Brees, though by his standard you may consider it average. He was 26 of 35 for 357 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. He was fortunate not to be intercepted another time and he under threw a couple of deep balls to Stills that could've blown the game wide open. He saw a good deal of pressure and handled it well and even scrambled for 4 yards once making a good decision. It definitely wasn't his best day but he did enough to win the game.

Mark Ingram: D- (0.67) A horrible performance by the Saints' back. He had 9 carries for 11 yards. He was stuffed for a 4th and inches run but again, I blame that on the blocking. Otherwise, he tried way too often to bounce runs to the outside a la Reggie Bush, minus the moves and speed. He did not hit the hole with authority, nor did he make decisive cuts. One of his worst performances as a Saint.

Darren Sproles: B (3.00) I was surprised how much the Saints leaned on Sproles in the running game, despite the lack of effectiveness it provided. He had 22 yards on 8 carries, most of which came in between the tackles. He was also completely neutralized on returns with a kickoff for 23 yards and 4 punts for a measly 7 yards. The impact he made in the passing game was instrumental, though, as he gave the Saints a nice balance of security underneath, explosiveness downfield and chain moving ability. 6 cathes for 88 yards and the Saints needed every bit. That one catch down the sideline in particular was crazy good.

Pierre Thomas: B- (2.67) PT cruiser gave a steady, quiet and workmanlike performance for the team, but it wasn't his best game either. He was, by far, the best runner in between the tackles but that's not saying much. He had 9 carries for 43 yards and 4 catches for 16 yards.

Jed Collins: C- (1.67) When your primary job is to spring the run game and they get 78 yards on 29 attempts, that's not good. Collins did have some ok blocks and I blame this mostly on the initial push by the line, but Collins wasn't special by any means.

Marques Colston: B (3.00) He was covered well and struggled to get much separation for most of the game. To me he didn't seem to move at 100% with the foot injury. The main play he made was an absurd 31 yard touchdown catch in tight coverage. He did move the chains and absorb huge hits, though. He had 5 catches for 68 yards and the touchdown. On the interception, it was a 50-50 ball that he should have had but Robert Alford ripped it away from him. That play was Brees trusting Colston in a tight window against a smaller corner where despite tight coverage he usually comes away with the ball, disappointing not to see him win that battle there. Still, the touchdown was a major play in the game. It also put him alone as the receiver with the most touchdowns in franchise history.

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Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

29 rushing attempts, wow. When was the last time that happened?

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

Overall, low marks across the board offensively.
Brees underthrowing Stills those two times and 1-3 in the red zone speaks volumes for the offense yesterday.
Which is still all good since the defense played well enough to compensate.

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

It is amazing that 357 yards and 2 TDs is a "rusty" game from Brees. Can't wait until this offense gets in sync.

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

Brees wan't to far off from his normal self. The big disappointment came from the running game. 29 running plays and we didn't get 100 yds is rough. Ingram looked awful and the only effective back we had running was PT.

Ingram needs to step up and in a hurry. If he continues to have these poor performances he'll see the bench after week 4 and Robinson will prove once again why you don't draft running backs.

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

Our offense always struggles if our defense is doing well.

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

The offense was offensive. :wink:

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

I attribute the underthrows to simple sync. His deep ball to Colston was spot on...think he just needs some small adjustments ... actually they both do. They are just starting the chemistry experiment :)

Re: Saints vs. Falcons 2013 Player Grades: Offense
 

It was not the prettiest game. If it was a girl at a bar I would not have taken it home - but it is a win & that is what really counts.