Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Hmmmm...good points. I just remember the losing. Retracted. Apologies.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Could be.

NE game he was often looking at 2 places, Jimmy Graham or down field for a big play and neither was there most of the game.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Daanng! That's really philosophical, SM, :mrgreen:

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

No problem.

I had no intention of being harsh.

Welcome to the forum!

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

If I remember correctly, Pete Carmichael didn't start calling plays until Sean broke his knee in 2011 and that was only until Sean returned to the field. Then he was the only man in 2012. As far as for 2012 there was some seriously questionable play calling going on, search these forums..

Who called the plays that led us to a Super Bowl and won it? Sean Payton

You didnt like the play calling at the end of the game? What would you do with no Graham and no Sproles at the end of the game?

Let the man do his job... he has earned the right to be human once in a while.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Carmichael called the plays all through 2011 after the Tampa game. 2012 our offense was #2 in the league. Not discrediting Payton at all, but after the Tampa game Payton said he was rusty and might turn the play calling over.

Payton has had great calls in the past; its unfathomable that he has been so good. Although there seems to be some disconnect this year. We have so much talent at WR but our WRs as a group are statistically among the worst in the league right now. There could be many reasons for this but I don't have the answers.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Again, people are claiming they didn't care for Payton's play calling in the last 3 minutes....

What do you do when Graham and Sproles are out? Those two players open up the majority of our play book by just being on the field.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Payton called the plays exactly like I would have. The defense was
pounding Brady, was making stops, and I wanted to run the clock out.
I called for 2 straight runs to run out clock, and naked bootleg would
have been exactly what I would have called. We won with Bobby on
the exact play in San Francisco in 1987.

Normally, I like Payton's wide open style, but this game seemed to call
for conservative call. 9 times out of 10, its right.

I'm sure the percentages, and correct calls were obvious from your armchair.
Just as you would have called the onsides kick in the super bowl.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

As far as the loss being on Brees:

After re-watching the game twice there are 4 passes which stand out.

1. Drew's incomplete pass intended for Toon at the 1 yard line. This was uncharacteristically poor from Brees as Toon was wide open and Bress had plenty of time to throw. He puts this ball on point and its a TD rather than a FG.

2. Drew's incomplete pass intended for Sproles. Sproles runs a great wheel route up the sideline and gets wide open (only person that would have stopped the TD was the safety 15yds away). Drew was under pressure and overthrows his target. I believe if Sproles caught the ball he goes in for a TD.

3. Drew throws to Jimmy when 3 defenders are with in 5 yds of him. They played inside, over the top and man coverage on Graham during this play but Drew tried to force it at mid-field. Jimmy turns into the defender on this play and managed to prevent the INT (great job jimmy).

4. Drew's INT. This seems obvious but is worth mentioning. There was almost a delay of game, Drew tries to take a TO (should have gotten it) but the ball is snapped and he looks flustered from the onset of the play. Drew gets almost no pressure on the play and throws a prayer up to Jimmy. The ball was to tall for even Jimmy Graham to handle and we have ourselves an INT. What really stands out was the down and distance 3rd and 12; a low percentage conversion down and distance, made worse by the field position.

Brees was uncharacteristically inaccurate. It's unlikely we see him perform so poorly again this season and I hope he explores other options aside from Jimmy and Sproles. Colston and Moore/Stills need to become more dangerous or risk becoming 1 dimensional.

Brees and Payton know more about football than I could imagine and I am sure they will make adjustments coming out of the bye week.

Season prediction holding strong at 13-3

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Remember the old saying about passing: When you pass the ball, three things can happen and two of them are bad!