JOESAM2002

I found this on ProFootball Weekly.

Saints head coach Jim Haslett on his team’s performance in a 38-31 loss to the Vikings in which his defense gave up 605 yards of total offense: “If you want to use the word we stunk on defense and we played probably good enough on offense but we still had opportunities to score more points. But we left them on the field.�

I'd have to agree.

JOESAM2002

Here\'s the interview this quote came from. Ya\'ll need to read this.


Haslett says Saints defense \'stunk\'


By LES EAST
Special to The Advocate


Associated Press photo
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper completed 26 of 37 passes for 425 yards and five touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome Sunday night.
METAIRIE -- New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett said Monday that his defense \"stunk\" in a 38-31 loss to Minnesota on Sunday, but he still believes in his reeling team.
The loss to the Vikings, in which New Orleans surrendered the most yards in its 570-game regular-season history (605), was the Saints\' third straight and dropped their record to 2-4. The first two losses in the streak were against previously winless teams.

\"I believe in the players,\" Haslett said at his weekly news conference. \"I believe if we stick together and do the things we\'re supposed to do we can get this turned around.\"

The Saints went to the playoffs and got their first post-season victory in Haslett\'s first season in 2000. They haven\'t made the playoffs since and after winning 17 of their first 28 games under Haslett (61 percent), they have won just 19 of their last 42 (45 percent).

If New Orleans is to turn things around, beginning with this week\'s game at Oakland, it must do significantly better defensively.

Against the Vikings, the Saints gave up nine pass completions of 20 or more yards and six running plays of 10 or more yards. Those 15 plays gained a combined 404 yards, an average of 27 yards per play.

\"You try to take away the big plays with that team,\" Haslett said. \"We didn\'t play well on defense, period.

They are really good on offense, but that didn\'t have anything to do with the way we played on defense. We could have done a better job of defending the pass and the run.

\"I wasn\'t happy with anything. Certain individuals played well -- (end) Charles Grant, (tackle) Brian Young and (safety) Jay Bellamy. Then it\'s few and far between after that.\"

New Orleans has dropped to last in the NFL in yards allowed per game (414) and points allowed per game (27.5).

\"On defense we didn\'t play well enough in any area to win the game,\" Haslett said. \"If you want to use a word, we stunk on defense.\"

Haslett said newly acquired cornerback Mike McKenzie, who had just three days of practice before starting Sunday, was benched in the middle of the game because he made several mistakes.

\"He\'s struggling,\" Haslett said. \"He got beat on the touchdown by Randy (Moss). He screwed up a couple of coverages and you could just tell he wasn\'t really comfortable with everything that was going on and we just felt like we couldn\'t afford mistakes like the big one he had. We took him out to make him relax a little bit and try to settle him down.\"

Haslett said he understood why defensive coordinator Rick Venturi was visibly angered on the sideline after several defensive breakdowns.

\"Rick put them in position to make plays and we just didn\'t make them,\" Haslett said. \"That\'s upsetting. Just do the things you\'re supposed to do and everything will be fine.\"

Haslett said the players have enough talent to make plays because he\'s seen them do it. He was asked who\'s at fault when capable players continually fail to make plays.

\"Ultimately,\" he said, \"it comes back to coaching.\"

Haslett was asked if the Saints should have spent more money on defensive free agents. The team still has nearly all of the $11 million it had under the cap during the summer.

\"I don\'t handle the cap,\" Haslett said. \"I don\'t do anything with the cap. So you\'re talking to the wrong guy on that.\"

Haslett responded to a follow-up question by saying, \"I\'m not going to touch that.\"

Last week, General Manager Mickey Loomis said the team wasn\'t performing up to expectations and if its performance doesn\'t improve, changes will be made.

Defensive end Darren Howard underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a piece of meniscus from his knee, which was injured against St. Louis on Sept. 26. He is expected to miss Sunday\'s game and return after next week\'s bye.

Cornerback Ashley Ambrose sustained a slightly torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee and is doubtful for this week.

Wide receiver Talman Gardner, who has missed the last three games because of a high ankle sprain, ran Monday and will be re-evaluated Wednesday. Linebacker Derrick Rodgers (bruised sternum), running back Aaron Stecker (quad contusion) and wide receiver Donté Stallworth (rib contusion) are day to day.

Defensive end Willie Whitehead was eligible to be removed from the Physically Unable to Perform List beginning Monday. Haslett said he and the coaches would discuss when to start practicing him. Once he\'s activated the team has 21 days to decide whether to put him on the active roster, put him on injured reserve or release him.

Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and be thought an idiot, than to open it and remove all doubt!!!!!

"Every time you think, you weaken the nation!" Moe Howard...The Three Stooges.

WhoDat

Wow. You think they intend(ed) to spend that money on Deuce? Assuming that they actually do release Horn, Howard, and Sully that number should be pretty huge. Can\'t be all Deuce can it? Man - that just seems like total mismanagement given the glaring needs on D.

BrooksMustGo

A little finger pointing Jim? Or just some CYA for the end of the season?

fact-o-bake

I feel the same gatorman. I\'d bet my kid\'s allowance Donte\' does not play at all, but I hope I\'m wrong.