yasoon

With all due respect, I am amazed at some of the views of McCarthy.

The playaction call at the end of the Carolina game should have shown you all something......he should have had his coaching license revoked for that one. I don't care if we score a TD on that play, you run it into the line and let the clock run. Best case, Carolina gets the ball with 10-15 seconds. Terrible.

Has there been a worse 1st drive team in the history of the NFL than the 2004 Saints? I would say not many, if any have been as bad. Also, the worst 1st Qtr offense in football. Who do you put that on if not the OC? He looks at tape all week and comes up with a plan that will set the tone early. He set the tone all right.

Offense vs. Defense:

Yes, bad Defense can take you out of your gameplan Offensively. But....bad offense early in the game keeps the D on the field and gives the other teams more chances to put up numbers. It's a snowball effect. There were many games this year where an answering score from our O could have calmed the storm but we just gave the ball right back and the game got away early.

How many times did AB play fake before the run was established? The TD to Horn in the last game was our best play fake of the year. Why? We established Deuce and then hit em with the deep ball. I said it all year. We finally did it and it worked. One game earlier in the year we ran 12 playfakes (i counted) before Deuce had run for 12 yards. These are basic principals of good football, not rocket surgery.

Third and 2. What does Mike do without fail? He empties the backfield and passes. This happened probably 85% of the time. I understand a pass on 3rd and short, but most of the time you leave Deuce back there and work a playfake and/or mix in a power run. That keeps them guessing. If I know what is coming every time I gotta believe that a guy who gets paid to break down tape knows what is coming. That goalline pitch to Donte a couple of weeks ago in 3rd and short was AWFUL.

Mike routinely keeps Brooks in the pocket with a sub par pass protect and a happy footed QB. More rollouts and moving the pocket would be great.....Brooks probably rolled out (planned) ten times all year. Keeping him in the pocket just encourages him to throw off the back foot when there is pressure.

Inability to execute a plan. Boy, after 16 games, we really got those TEs involved huh guys? Glad Mike laid that out for us. Going to a no fullback set with a RB who likes to have a fullback? Finger on the pulse, baby. (They worked the FB back in over time realizing how stupid they had been...that should happen in camp not the regular season.)

No deep balls. How many times did a team with our speed truly go deep this year? Our QB has a big arm and tends to be erratic on the line drive passes. So, what do we do? Run the 7-15 yard slants. Give Brooks a chance to screw up. Most of our catches are followed by hard hits (partially Brooks fault), but you have to look at who is calling these plays. This team should air it out 3 times a game. Good things can happen. You loosen up the D, you get penalties called....or you catch long balls. Nope, we went for the Montana/Brady offense where your QB is counted on to be precise and make quick decisions in the short passing game.


No huddle? Brooks has been shown to do well late in games and in the 2 minute offense. Do we ever go no huddle to put pressure on other teams? Uhhhh....no. Never. Just a thought, but I bet it would work.

Running plays. Our running plays are as bland as any you'll see. I'm not saying that they should be overly complicated...we certainly don't have Denver's old O line. But, if you watch some of the different things that other teams do in the power running game, you'll realize how bland ours is. Deuce had no gaping holes this year. Our line could be better, I know. But...Deuce left/right and Deuce toss left/right. There it is.

I personally would like to see both Coordinators go. All three of our major coaches are 1st timers. Haslett would be alot better with better guys in these positions. Are those guys out there? Don't know. But praising Mike for our firepower is like putting a guy in a Ferrarri and praising him for driving fast. Look at the inconsistency. That's the problem. We didn't post any big scores this year and last year was boosted by blowouts against bad teams.

Look at our scores this year and tell me our Offense didn't underachieve for most of the year. With Baltimore's D, we were probably 10-6....I get that. But, we knew going in that we didn't have their D. A better OC would have gotten alot more out of this offense. I am totally convinced.

I hope he goes to the Dolphins...that would be awesome to play them next year and watch him call plays for that horrible Offense.

shadowdrinker

Yeah..it is kinda bad..I mean..as you may allready know..most teams script the first 15 or so plays, long before the game starts...then they run them in practice..and get them as polished as possible..while also smoothing out any wrinkles in other plays..etc etc..the point is..is we performed so poorly on nearly every single first drive of every game this year...and yes,..we did...and this was supposed to be our most effective football?..

The plays were run and designed to do certain things to certain defenses...not only did we fail to produce points..or even many first downs...we just flat out looked horrible...almost special olympics like...and this is what they write up plans to do?..and the sad thing is..it happened nearly every week...how can anyone make an excuse for that kind of performance?...I\'m sure if there is a way..Hasslet will find it..and..we are stuck for the remainder of this organizations tenure with Jim...Don\'t fool yourself..and don\'t let them fool you either..Bensons lack of enthusiasm...and limp wristed tactics all point to Los Angeles

saintswhodi

I am all for voting McCarthy off the island as well. Hope he leaves for another team. Changing a dynamic offense in the offseason did it for me. Venturi just has to be gone.

FireVenturi

WURD

WhoDat

Yasoon - great post. I can\'t really argue any of your points. All I can say is that this year is the first in 5 that the offense has truly been a problem. Every unit is eventually going to have a down year. You\'re absolutely right, they need to play better, but canning the guy for being out of the top 10 in offense (or top 11) once just seems kind of harsh.

Moreover, if McCarthy goes and Venturi stays, what are the odds this team goes better than 8-8 next season? I say one in a million. Seriously, it takes more than an offseason to properly install a new offense. Given the boneheads on this team, especially at the QB position, it could take years before these guys start to get it. How does a 28th ranked defense and a 22nd ranked offense sound? Pretty f---ing terrible to me.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

SoFlaSaintsFan

I am all for voting McCarthy off the island as well. Hope he leaves for another team. Changing a dynamic offense in the offseason did it for me. Venturi just has to be gone.

I also agree.

kevinn1972

I gotta disagree with you Whodat. Our offense has been good in years past, but our personnel this year wasn\'t turned over. We should have gotten better on offense because with the stability in our offensive personnel timing and communication should have improved. Not having a fullback starting was driving me, and I\'m willing to bet, 99% of Saints fans up the wall. And the crap performance every game on the first possession of the game? Teams have a full week to prepare for that first possession and if that was the best the Saints could do it points to pisspoor coaching, preparation, and decision making. We need new blood and enthusiasm in the OC position.

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch, and your arms be too short to scratch.

WhoDat

We need new blood at EVERY coaching position. If Benson is willing to extend Haslett\'s contract, and Venturi\'s (B/C that\'s the offer on the table - Haslett and all of his coaches) then do you really have faith that we\'ll go get a premier OC candidate?

Imagine Venturi coaching the offense too.... yikes.

My point isn\'t that McCarthy necessarily deserves to stay, though I don\'t know if his transgressions are worthy of a firing either. My point is, of the big three, Haslett, Venturi, and McCarthy, I feel McCarthy is most deserving of an invitation back... but they all probably deserve a one-way ticket out.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

BrooksMustGo

Hate to say it, but after his stint as interim head coach, I don\'t see Venturi getting the axe.

He might get moved in the front office, but he\'s with the organization as long as Benson has it.

RDOX

I don\'t think that moving Venturi to either the FO or to a position coach would be a bad move. Venturi\'s problem is that he has developed a system to be run by geniuses and what he has is idiots. As LB coach, he wasn\'t bad. As a talent evaluator he may definitely beat Baby Mule( I almost could).

But, McCarthy has to go. And hopefully he takes Leon with him. As for a new QB, I\'d take Kitna and draft a up and comer to back him up while learning the system. Bouman hits to trail or the # 3 guy with Bouman as the holder. Mainly, and foremost. GET RID OF LEON.