Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

I think your right with the ego assumption.
Anytime Brees has a 47% completion rating you know something has gone wrong. Has Brees ever had that low of a percentage?

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

I love this board but Halo's right. You'd think that the Saints were 1-4 like the Falcons and even if they were, we should see some better banter. Many of the discussions lately are weak and people want to blame a team game on one person or the refs that were so obviously paid off :rolleyes:.

I still love this team and have since they were 1-15 in 1981. We are lucky to have one of the best Head Coach/Quarterback combos in the NFL. Enjoy it, people!:bng:

Edit: By the way, the Saints are tied with the best record in the NFC. They are on track to end up with the #1 or #2 seed. Perspective...

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Recent low completion percentage games are:
(Year; Game number %age)
2013:2 56.5%, Tampa
2012:13 56.0%; Atlanta
2012:8 52.4%;
2012:3 55.6%;
2012:1 46.2%
Drew Brees: Game Logs at NFL.com
Question. Were any of these also ego driven?

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Well I have said for a long time that the loss to Atlanta last year was "ego-driven" because of the streak. The Falcons knew that Brees and Carmichael were gonna go for the TD pass, whenever possible, and they did a really great job of taking it away from him, and keeping the passing game in front of them. The Falcons had a "whatever you do, don't give up the big passing play" mentality on defense. The more the game went on, the more desperate Brees got, and next thing you know it was the badly forced two minute drive to end the half, and then it turned into interception city in the second half.

I don't think in the Graham case yesterday it was "ego." I think it was just, dependency --the thing has *always* worked before, and they had gotten a little too reliant on going to him.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Ego driven or not the only game we won on that list was this year against Tampa. Brees has a bad game and we lose (typically). It has been a great start to the season and being 5-1 at this point is better than I thought (4-2). We have an easy shot at the #2 seed, and we'll fight for #1.

One thing is for sure, had the NE game been played in the DOME we walk away with an easy win.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

You don't hear a peep out of them while we're winning and they're getting their butts handed to them weekly. We lose one game and here they come. That's ok. 3 1/2. That's how many games y'all are behind us. How's the view from down there?

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

The game was lost 2:33 left to go in the game.

You don't give Brady to chances to win the game with only a 1 point lead. You get the first down... you take a shot at the end zone and go up by 8. Hell you could even go for two and make damn sure they couldn't beat you with a 8 point TD.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Learn a wise lesson from the fig tree, Grasshopper.

It takes an army to lose a battle. One warrior does not fail.
Do not become as the Texan fan, with their foolish tongues.

For they curse one warrior, who is then replaced by another,
who immediately throws a pick 6.

They rejoice when their own leader is wounded.
Karma has visited their house.

Remain wise & courageous.

BOOOOOOOOZH! (gong)

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

You know, I haven't heard Payton or Drew open their mouths about this game.

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!

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

This was a terrible pass too.
http://boutte.smugmug.com/Other/My-S...my%20drop2.gif

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

If he keeps both hands on the ball extended out, that's a TD!

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

I would like to see some quick slants.

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

hmm maybe this is a team sport therefore it's a team loss?

I dunno

Re: Loss to pats on Payton and Brees
 

Sorry, bud, but a missed field goal at the buzzer is not a team loss. LOL

NO catches but four two-handed drops by the leading receiver is not a team loss, it's intimidation.

Four interceptions is not a team loss.

There are many instances, but maybe we should play until no one loses? That seems to be the way this world is heading.

A man has to man-up when he fails. That is what a man does.

Alaska