Saintaintso

Saints l Patriots l
----------- -------------
20 26 First Downs
131 141 Rushing Yards ( Net )
2 1 Turnovers
28:09 31:51 T.O.P

These above are the Key Statistics in the Game. Now While I do think there were some very objectionable calls the stat line above shows we should've lost that game , even if we could've escaped with a W. If I were told that we were going to turn the Ball over Twice the second time at the NE 20 already trailing in the 4th , Jimmy was going to go without a single grab , and the Patriots were going to rush for 141 I would've thought we'd gotten massacred. .

However , we fully expected to win that and were in Prime Position to do so.
Now Let us evaluate what the stats don't say.

The Saints may be hurting right now , but If that's what it takes for them to lose ( Facing an Elite QB Coming off of a Loss , On The Road , All Calls Favoring the Opposition , A Miracle TD in the Closing Seconds ) Then I like our Chances for the Remainder of the Season well into the Playoffs. I projected us to Go 14-2 With A loss to New England. It's not necessarily that I think lowly of the opposition , but this is the ONLY game we play all season where we face a Quarterback that is on Bree's Level. In a Quarterback Driven league the most telling advantages lie within whose got the better Player under center. How many clutch Superbowl winning quarterbacks are we facing for the rest of the year ? None.

The Positives

Kenny Stills is a Weapon , Seriously
Offensive Line Was Dominant
Defense Held more than it's own against one of the Three Best QB's ever.

We'll be Just fine , In fact it's hard not to argue that this loss will make us better. SP is up right now tinkering. Guaranteed.


I do however have a Bold Prediction. There will be a Rematch of this game. If
Brady gets his offense together , they are a force to be reckoned with. If anyone's forgotten Brady OWNs Manning.

You Can't Say Impossible without first saying Im Possible ...

TheOak

Rational perspective... There is a concept.

I think everyone is getting a little too granular... Sure we all hoped and expected to win, so did they... Hopes, dreams, and expectations do not a victory make... If it did, see the Falcons record.

What you had was 2 Hall of Fame Coaches, 2 Hall of Fame QBs, and two defenses that were not allowing over 18 AVE points per game this season.

In the end something had to give and it did, on both sides.

Both QBs played like crap.
Both Defenses got burnt a few times.
Both coaches out thought them selves.

Like it or not there were 2 keys to this loss for us.

- Payton allowing Jimmy Graham to be shut down with zero receptions even after Talib was out of the game.

- Greer allowing his WR to get the step on him and get to the back of the endzone... I will add there is no excuse for single coverage in this situation.


Frankly we allowed NE to dictate too much on both sides of the ball..

jeanpierre

The only reason why Brady has been more successful is that he's had the better supporting cast for years (and that includes having a defense)...

Make no mistake, it'll be the Broncos or the Chiefs if Manning blinks...

Manning is the best quarterback on the planet...

Saintaintso

I think it switches depending on the plays lol ... One Play I'll think My god Nobody is as precise as brees , then Peyton throws for 7 Tds back and forth between Rodgers Brees Brady and Manning ( The Cool One )

hagan714

Rational Perspective?

ok we all said this was the start of the games that will define us.

I knew the pats would lay out the blue print to slow our offense down and how teams need to attack our defense.

now if the pats had not had so many dropped passes in the game we would not be so upset. they would have blown us out of the water by the end of the third quarter.

what i learned from the game is our RB fit the style we run. Ingram does not fit the style. get what you can for him or get some OL help that makes his style of running work.

Drew needs to develop chemistry with these young asap. that or lance needs to get back on the field asap. take colston and grahm out of the game and with lance on the side lines drew becomes tentative.

Defense? Not sure who is to blame in this one. DL look flat coming out of gate and played some of the worse gap play i have seen in a long time.

The secondary was slow to react and played soft for most of the game.

so in the end the pats have put out the blue print in how to slow the saints down on offense.

neutralizing rob's defense was not so hard. like i said the pats offense stopped themselves more than the saints defense did. our defense can not hang with the elite qb's in the league. now what can we do correct it?


two weeks. two weeks for defensive and offensive coaches to study what the pats did to us.

we are exposed.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

SloMotion

I'm willing to give credit where credit is due ... if there's one H/C on the planet that could coach up his team enough to beat an undefeated NO Saints team, it would be Bill Belichick ... and if there's one QB on the planet that could carry that game plan out, plus beat you with one minute left on the clock, it would be Tom Brady.

It just happens sometimes, you ain't playing Brady/Belichick every week ... now there's some perspective, .

triman

Got to give Pats D props . Thought we played not to lose on offense on the last two drives. WR production was poor. Might be time to invest in some WR talent

SloMotion

"Winning streaks are meant to end ... otherwise they'd call 'em "records" ~ SloMotion

TheOak

Wins and losses do not really matter until after the 16th game is over and they are tallied.

Until that time they are only good for false hopes, shattered dreams, argument points, and power rankings.

LBCutta

Keep in mind the Pats played an intense no huddle 90% of the game. Im sure our D was dog tired