Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Here is a little reality check for all fans.

Offensive
Line
Drew Brees - Protection
Armstead 1 Ht, 1 Hu
Grubbs 2 Hu
Evans 1 Hu
Strief 1 Ht, 1 Hu
Watson 1 Sk, 1 Hu

Run Blocking
Watson and Grubs both had a bad day over all

Receiving
Jimmy Graham Great and bad
13 targets / 10 catches/ 118 yards/ 2 TDs
*Note - Some of you need to realize the circumstances surrounding some items. Jimmy Graham had 0 Dropped passes but is credited with allowing 1 Interception. Blame Drew all you want, PFF recognizes that the ball went right through Grahams hands, then caught by Gipson. Just like Cooks is credited with the bobbled pass that was intercepted by Alford.

A total of 1 dropped pass all game is a vast improvement over last week.

Drew Brees - Went 27/36 for 237 yards and 2 TDs

Rushing
Ingram had a stellar game - 11 for 83 (7.5 YPC) 1 TD

Our ground game is solid - 27 for 174 (6.4YPC) 1 TD (Should be more rushing TDs)

Defensive
I will get the good out of the way because there is so little
Only 4 Missed Tackles this game. Monumental leap.

Junior Gallett - 1 Sk, 1 Qb Hit
Cam Jordan - 1 QB Ht, 4 QB Hu, 2 Batted Passes
Corey White - Lead team in Solo Tackles with 8 (Vaccaro, Lofton, Hicks had 6 a piece)

The bad:
Jenkins - -2.0 run stop
Robinson - 2 penalties, 5 receptions, 38 yards 1 TD
Lewis - 5 Rec 64 yards
--------------

My comments:
On Robinson
- Yes everyone played bad, he is the only one that falls into the 'thats the norm' catagory, everyone else has earned some sort of pass on a bad play or even a string of bad plays. Robin is not only stringing bad plays but bad games and bad seasons together. It is cumulative.
- For me it isn't his play. When Lewis gives up a reception I dont get the feeling he is completely lost. White doesn't look like he is chasing bubbles.

There is no more defense of Robinson. Robinson has looked the same under Williams, as he did Spagnuolo, as he is now under Ryan. There was a brief moment when he cut his dreads that he looked ok but that was a handful of games and is not enough to offset seasons. If the best retort you can muster to defend Patrick Robinson is to briefly go into how everyone else is playing you may want to rethink your strategy. Defensive backfields like offensive lines require some synchronization and they cover for each other at a time of need. With good conscience and no doubt I will say that Patrick Robinson is causing some of the problems for the other players, they are trying to compensate and that is putting them out of position as well.

On Graham
Jimmy is catching, and breaking tackles. He is doing all of the things people have beat on him about and for that I am very happy. He is a very important piece of our offense.

I did notice one thing yesterday... On one of his TDs in the endzone he reached up with both hands and he has stone hands some times. Meaning if you watch closely his catches look like basketball shots that beat the rim a few times before they go in. For me that was a concern but I dismissed it because he caught it... Later a ball goes right through his hands and is INT.


Finally... Let some things go so you don't look foolish.
1. Ingram is running well whether you like it or not. He also isnt going to get 72 carries a game so let that go as well.

2. Drew has yet to throw any of his stupid right to a defender interceptions this season. He is being credited with 2 but at best if you are honest he has two 1/2s equaling 1.

3. Most teams take a few weeks into the season to pull their act together. The panicking and 8-8 comments look really foolish. Seattle lost to San Diego, Atlanta lost to Cincinnati, Tampa Bay lost to St Louis, San Francisco lost to Chicago... If you are a fantasy owner you fully understand how the first 2-3 weeks is no indication of the rest of the season.

We are 0-2 and have played absolutely inconsistent and sh1tty ball. That said, they are both away games and the grand total of our losses is by 5 points and we are averaging 29 points/game.

If you are looking at our offense don't look too hard, at the end of the day defense doesn't win championships, and neither does running or passing. What wins is scoring more than you allow and one of these two squads is preforming historically bad. That is where I would point my finger. I have identified better seasons.
Ave/Points per game Scored
2014 - 29
2013 - 25.9
2012 - 28.8
2011 - 34.2
2010 - 24
2009 - 31.9

Ave/points per game allowed
2014 - 31.5
2013 - 19
2012 - 28.4
2011 - 21.2
2010 - 19.2
2009 - 21.3

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

I am ok where the O is right now there is room for improvement but that D has got to make some ground BIGTIME>

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Great write up Oak!

It doesn't look good so far but we should wait to judge this team until 4 games into the season. I feel 4 games in you should have a clear vision of what every team is capable of.

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

And that is always the fair assessment period. As fans we fully intend to be fair before the season starts but we have trouble holding the panic back..

I know people do not like ambiguous grades that aren't linked to imperial data but I have a few Team grades and while some look suspect some are spot the frick on.

Offense
Overall 4th in NFL +11.2
Passing 14th in NFL -1.4
Pass Blocking 11th in NFL +2.8
Rushing 8th in NFL +1.4
Run Blocking 2nd in NFL +8.8
Penalties 14th in NFL -0.4

Defense
Overall 28th in NFL -18.5
Run Def 19th in NFL -1.9
Pass Rush 21st in NFL -2.5
Pass Coverage DFL in NFL -14.5
Penalties 13 in NFL +0.4

Special Teams
1st in NFL +10.0

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Great stuff Oak.

My 2 cents

White-Looks like NB is his spot. He's playing better than everyone expected, and I think he's our highest rated DB on the team
Lewis-Disappointing, but as you suggested will likely play better
Vaccaro-Is he even on the team? This was supposed to be un upgrade over Harper?
Byrd-Did Malcolm Jenkins actually leave?
Bush- Where is he?
Pass Rush-I just don't see it in the grades. It doesn't even look close to as good as last year.
O-Line-I don't understand how some of us can point to it as a weakness. We have a top 10 unit and people still claim we suck.
Ingram- The Ingram bashers can suck it.
Colston-What happened? He played but not one reception? He must have been hurt, there's no other viable explanation. Anyone got his snap counts?

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Robinson does not "get" the defense, clearly. It's not a question of not being able to cover his guy, I think half the time the problem is he does not know what he is supposed to be doing. Regardless, he needs to NOT be on the field whenever possible. The optimism for him was based in half a season 3 years ago and last preseason. It's no longer enough to ignore his issues. I have to believe this was the last straw for him with the coaches as well.

White is at worst a decent #2 corner, yes ideally he would be the nickel and he is very good in that role, but this is not ideal. We need to be getting SJB groomed to play the outside corner.

Honestly the defensive scheme to me is more worrisome than the personnel. Can anybody explain why we have changed to this passive zone defense. It seems like we have taken every single thing that made this defense good last year and said "OK now let's do the exact opposite." It makes no sense. Maybe this is why people said that Ryan isn't that great a DC.

I don't have much of a problem with the offense. Yes, they had problems getting it going early on, but that happens on the road.

The main problem is we aren't playing smart situational football. We saw some signs of improvement in that aspect at the end of the first half and start of the second, where the defense came up with two stops and the offense 2 TD's. Then both units fell apart at the end, like we expected the Browns to roll over and lie down because we're the Saints dammit and we're supposed to win. Veteran team, should never happen.

I still can't get over the fact we had them on their own 6-yard-line. That is going to give me bad dreams all week.

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Ill go down the list and try to give more on each item
Colston Snap Counts - 42 / Targets 0
Pass Rush - We are getting close but no banana. A few comparisons Cam Jordan 2013 QB Hu 50 (9 already this season). Batted passes 4 all 2013 (3 already this season).. He is a 1/2 step from greatness. The sacks and Hits are absent from everyone. Junior needs to get his chit together because as a tandem they drive QBs into each other. I cant help but think their 2013 play was noted by other teams and their QBs are stepping up and releasing quicker to offset.
Bush - 5 total snap counts this season
Byrd- What is a safeties job? Covering sh1tty CB play. I have to give Byrd/Vaccaro a pass on having to do his job and keep a 3rd eye on who ever Lewis or Robinson are covering.
Lewis - He looks about a 1/2 step off his timing. A 1/2 step in this league for a CB is huge and the difference between burnt and INT.
White - Hits like a Mack truck. Has a few boneheaded penalties but if he can control things a hair more he will be fine.

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Spagnuolo tried exactly the same zone defense with exactly the same outcome and end opinion of his coaching ability.

Even with Robinson on the field we can play man one hell of a lot better than zone. That last pass was Robinson getting lost and found him self on Lewis's man, or Robinson got it right and Lewis didnt cross over to his receiver... Either way, if we were playing man we would have had 1/2 a chance to play the ball and not open up a track meet.

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

On the plays where Brees is getting hit, he's holding on the ball too long. He looks pretty indecisive which is leading him to be off target. We've missed on a few key passing plays these past two games. Honestly when people are saying it's the lines fault, I really just don't see it. It's only natural you give a few hurries or a sack here and there, but they've been doing a pretty good job overall.

I agree that it is no longer time to give Robinson anymore free passes(it's probably overdue as is) but the alternative options has been just as bad. He was relieved during the game as the starting corner during the game and was still struggling in the nickel. White and Lewis were still getting beat consistently as well. They're just bad overall. Hopefully we can turn it around.

I'm looking forward to our first home game. I think we'll see a dramatic difference from everyone next game.

You should make this a weekly thread Oak. Good thread.

Re: Week 2 NO/Cle grades (reality check)
 

Don't discount the fact that Brees is slowly going downhill because of age.