Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

In my article the other day in which I took a specific look at several of the speculations being given by fans and observers of the Saints for the (alleged) “decline” for QB Drew Brees, one that I purposely left off of that list until this morning’s coffee was the fact that the Saints WR’s so far have been nothing short of TERRIBLE. When a rookie is your leading WR and your only “deep threat” is your back-up TE, you officially are terrible. Alert the authorities and call out the search party — because these guys are M.I.A. (missing in action) in 2014.

BAD RECEPTION: Saints WR's are M.I.A. in 2014

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Colston, Morgan, Stills, Meachem

They've all done next to nothing all season

Colston looks completely lost and not confident at all, plus he's having a real problem both catching and not fumbling
Stills - looks completely scared going to make a catch
Meachem - he's always been big one week and absent the next, brees under threw him a couple times but he's still done nothing
Morgan and Toon - one needed to step up for playing time and neither has

If toon can't get active on game day ahead of this sorry group, then he isn't going to contribute to our team at all

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Brew's absence through training camp with the oblique injury is showing up so far during the season. The timing is just a bit off between Drew and the WRs. Those timing issues lead to WR's getting exposed to big hits and we're seeing some alligator arms on some pass attempts. I know I've seen Stills and Colston do this a few times. I hope that's all it is.

The Bye Week should get that timing back, hopefully. It's only "Onwards & Upwards" from there when the timing is fixed...right?

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Used to be it didn't matter who you threw it to because they were all going to catch it -- except Meach -- who will always get a pass from me because of that INT takeaway in 2009 against the Redskins. What I wouldn't give to see him do that just one more time. Now that is exemplary play. Passion for winning!!

Yes, the coordination between Brees and the receivers is off. But also, there has been:

1) Marshmallow hands
2) Failure to get separation and mental errors
3) Failure to actually get down the field in time ( read: slow as molasses)
4) Failure to fight for the fricken' ball
5) Good secondaries

And, Drew Brees has been less accurate this year ( notice I AM NOT SAYING he sucks ).

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Noted. We've discussed this at length, I reckon.

Honestly I think the accuracy issue has many factors. The missed time in camp, the 26th-ranked pass protecting O-line, the Golden Oblique, the WR's not fighting for the ball/getting separation/having marsh mellow hands, etc.

Let's hope this Bye Week fixes all ills so we don't have to revisit the ugliness of debating whether or not Drew is in decline.

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

A 4th round pick, IR'd for a year and still on the team in his 3rd year is hardly what I'd call a "bust of EPIC proportions". Sensationalize much?

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Also, I've seen Meachem blow past his man 4 times this season only to have Drew throw it too short and its broken up.

One more yard on those 4 throws and Meachem may be having his best season ever.

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

This is by far the best group Brees has ever been able to throw to...

Please name another year where Drew had this many options... we are loaded. Its either Drews timing is off because of camp or he has lost some arm strength.

None of that matters though. Offensively if we dont turn the ball over we could be just as good as 2011. Stop throwing picks Drew.

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Agreed.

I think its mostly Drews inability to set his feet and step up into the pocket and launch the deep ball. I don't think his arm strength has declined at all and I wish I could find that article that mentioned arm-strength is the last thing to go on aging QB's.

He doesn't have an all-world Carl Nicks at LG, or the all-world Jahri Evans from a few years ago providing that comfy pocket up front. Our O-line went from all-world pass protection to mediocre at best.

I also think that because of our defensive struggles that Drew feels he has to make something happen on every possession. This must be the reason for some of the dumbest throws I've ever seen Drew make. Arm strength has nothing to do with the dumb throws.

Re: Saints WR's Are M.I.A. in 2014
 

Drew also doesn't have Lance Moore and Darren Sproles who were able to pick up those short passes when pressured. Those guys were a deterrent for the LB's and DB's and kept them honest. I don't see any current player stepping into those roles.