WillSaints81

Or are we just playing faster defenses in the league now that can get to the qb and Bree can no longer win against that? I looked at Bree hardest games here.

@Atlanta........mostly Ingram's game, which helped Brees some. But sometimes it seemed Bree was off. However it was the falcons.

@Cleveland....Brees didn't struggle once he shrugged off the early rust, however he had to throw to Graham who constantly beat Haden. The drive stalling in the last possession was basically not running the ball continually.

Minnesota.......Believe it or not this team is one of the better secondaries that simply get worn down over the long run because of a bad offense. This was also where we played without Ingram and played a rather sloppy game. However Minnesota had Barr(need more proof SJB can be good? UCLA is another defense school) as well but even in the old days Brees and offense did struggle against strong secondaries(redskins and bills games in 09 are examples).

Dallas.......they have simply been pass rushing the entire season and Cooks got beat a CB who could beat him.

Tampa Bay..........Lovie's defense, a team who was a good defense who had problems on offense. They only play out of synch out of division against seasoned teams like the ravens(I'm betting that was Steve Smith though), but Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, even Green Bay look how they did against them.

Detroit.............They are a top five defense for a reason, they have strong pass rushers and a good secondary along with a good run defense. The only way you beat them is to throw deep and hope the target is not covered or at home where the secondary can be sloppy. We had the misfortune of playing them in Detroit.

Green Bay...struggled early but exploded late against a defense that is one of the worst in the league. What make GB so great is playing in a division with Cutler and Minnesota and having playmakers bail Rodgers out against the likes of NE and Detroit and a versatile RB in Lacy. Is this what we should be like?

Carolina....Three days rest is why we looked as good as we did against them.

SF..........Another disciplined defense, but we tried to beat them and even came back against them. But SF also has no elite receivers that can excel consistently in that system. They have a aging back. the best olines are going to play as good as we did against them.

Cincinatti....A perfect example of a pass rushing team with great secondaries, this has always been Brees' weakness. Yet teams like the pats and colts looked great against them. However colts have a younger oline and Brady simply targeted who the bengals did not focus on....their tightend they got from the bucs. Gronk did the rest. If Graham was healthy could he have played better against them? Cooks was way overmatched.

Baltimore.......We really did not struggle much offensively but then again we did. Baltimore has a disciplined defense though, well coached, and had rest. Also, we started reeling without Cooks.

Pittsburgh.......A team who did not have consistent secondary and when they don't have to focus on just one player they can't stop a offense. Also, maybe our defense should get some credit here holding them most of the game. The colts played great against them as well beyond the first half but steelers put up 40 points on them. They beat teams who can't consistently beat them due to just not having it on offense(bengals, ravens, texans, jaguars, titans, chiefs, panthers). But it depended on the other team's defense as well.

Carolina.....this game where panthers got at least 7 days rest and our oline played bad. But the secondary was flying all over our player and the weakness panthers have, was not our strength because Graham has been hurt.

Chicago........We beat them because they quit. Also, Cutler.

Atlanta...........We have to address this to being without Armstead, the one game we can make an excuse for bad oline being the reason. But Atlanta also wanted to avenge week 1 last season.

Tampa Bay......I think we saw what happened.

Is it really the oline I ask? or do we need to have our playmakers fully healthy? Stills is he really the answer? He does not deal with top corners which is why he looked good at times. Toon? Also exposed against Atlanta and Carolina. Yet looked great against a shaky Pittsburgh. Maybe we still need to get a oline but we better be able to get one more receiver that can help with those crucial situations. I'm leaning towards the fact our oline did not have to play this back in the day as much as they do now.

Next year we actually do not have to worry about this. We have eagles, giants, colts, titans on the schedule and also get a interesting defense in Jacksonville. Dallas we probably want revenge on, however it's Washington I am most concerned about because they have been our one true nightmare in that division. Also Houston, but the way to beat them is running the ball and getting after their offense. It won't be a high scoring game and will be a ugly game we will have to win. Just getting a few more easier games is all we need to help us. But I think against those other defenses, we really will need more than oline.

We made mistakes in a couple of our easier games and then sucked against legit pass rushers.

|Mitch|

According to NFL.com we are the 11th best O-Line, that's sacks given up(30)... 17th in QB hits though(80)...

That's a problem in my eyes...

Drew didn't have the room to step up with the interior of the line struggling so bad...

WillSaints81

Yeah maybe the new olinemen are as fast as the pass rushers now. But you see what's going on with Andrew Luck now? He is winning this game in a slugfest and capitalizing off a qb who simply cannot win when defenses give him what his defense gives opposing qbs(Dalton). Thats what separates an elite qb from a mediocre one. Brees needs that drive to win like Luck.

Danno

Upgrade the interior and we're top 3 again.

dizzle88

Jahri Evans allowed the most QB pressures in the league by an interior lineman, someone posted the tweet a couple weeks ago

Never liked Grubbs, it was purely a signing to make Brees feel better about him costing us Carl Nicks. Three interior guys are our weakness right now.

hagan714

Evens and Grubs are up there in age but not done just yet. putting a young center between the two that is still learning the fine points of the position does not help matters. An UDFA to boot. Not saying hr can not develop just that he has a lot more to learn. the 3 positions have to work as one, pushing and passing of defenders while not opening up gaps. it is a complicated dance of sort. this is what i have noticed with the 3 positions. they are out of sync.

can the saints afford to wait and play free agency game to rebuild the OL or do they need to start now and start with drafting players? combination of both is need not only because of age but because of cap issues.

so yes the OL is an issue. the defense will never get us back to a super bowl.

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

Rugby Saint II

The Saints biggest problems are on the offensive line.

Jack Vegas

Goodwin was washed up from day one, it seems. Lelito would've been a much better option and the line as a whole played much better with him in there. Evans IMO has been worn down by his chronic back issues.

halloween 65

To much pressure up the middle all season,yes fix the line and then you have your answer.

nola_swammi

To answer your question, YES. If they're able to replace Evans and Grubs this will be a great off season