GumboBC

For as long as I've been watching football ... I've always found one thing to be true!!

Bad offensive lines cause good QBs to struggle.

For 2 VERY LONG YEARS I've been complaing and complaining about our offensive line.

I watched last year as Brooks regularly had instant pressure in his face directly after the snap. And that started from preseason and lasted until the end of the season.

But that problem started way before last year. In 2003 Brooks had very little time to throw the ball. I complained and complained about it back in 2003. But Deuce rushed for over 1600 yds and most folks pointed to that to say our offensive line was good. That was hardly the case when it came to pass blocking.

Brooks has been bashed on a regular basis for not being consistent and not getting us to the playoffs. With our offensive line getting a free pass ... for the most part.

Thankfully Haslett noticed what I've been saying all along. Our offensive line sucks. And has sucked for quite sometime.

This year our offensive line appears to be absolutely dominant.

And that could be dangerous to the Brooks' bashers!!

I'm speaking about the guys who have blamed Brooks for almost every problem.

This year Brooks is probably going to have a lot of time to sit back and survey the field. Kinda like Jake Delhomme had the year when he went to the super bowl. And we saw how Jake struggled last year when he didn't have time!!

I've been waiting to see Brooks behind a good offensive line. And with a healthy Deuce McAllister. Brooks has never had a good pass-blocking offensive line and a good running game at the same time. Not since 2000 anyway!!

I got my wish this year. Jerome Mayberry and Jammal Brown are now with the Saints.

I think Brooks is going to have his best season this year and I think he'll be in the probowl.

Somebody is going to be eating crow this year. Maybe that'll be me. But, I'm feeling pretty confident.





[Edited on 25/4/2005 by GumboBC]

frankeefrank

Hope so, Hope so

4saintspirit

I do no think Brooks bashers will be unhappy if he plays like a pro bowler -- but to say it was always his offensive line is incorrect also -- Brooks has problems with reading defenses -- has poor (but improving) footwork and often holds on to the ball way too long. I will agree that the line should translate to AB improvement --- how much remains to be seen

GumboBC

Can\'t read defenses? Okay.

Holds the ball too long? Okay.

Poor footwork? Okay.

I\'ll give you all of that.

But Brooks has improved every year he\'s been in the NFL. Except for last year. And our offensive line was so terrible I beleive it caused much of his troubles.

Brooks was voted to the pro bowl as an alternate in 2003. Last year some people think Brooks regressed. But the only thing I saw get worse was our offensive line and our 26th ranked rushing attack.

Will people be happy with Brooks if he goes to the probowl? Some will. Some wont\'.

4saintspirit

I agree -- he has improved especially in his INT ratio -- I am just waiting for him to play to his physical potential. If he has the time he will definitely better -- but one thing that would really make him a fan favorite is to play with more passion earlier in the game

saintswhodi

Wow. 2004 Carolina Panthers 16 16 533 310 58.2 3886 7.29 63 29 15 33/246 60 8 87.3

Almost 3900 yards(more than Brooks ever), 29 Tds(more than Brooks ever, 15 INTs(which beats Brooks every year but 2003), and a passer rating 1.5 points lower than Brooks best EVER, and Jake we all saw how JAKE struggled last year? Wow.

yasoon

I would be wrong if I said the line took care of business last year, but you are oversimplifying the equation here.

Brooks tends to feel the pressure before it gets there. (Not bashing him...this could be a product of the pressure being pretty consistent.)

You are foregetting about the Brooks shuffle where he spins around (only to lose any speed he had going his way) and runs INTO the pressure. Brooks does not have a very good pocket presence and if you argue against that, you are just not allowing yourself to be objective.

If you can find a copy of the Tampa game at Tampa, watch it all the way through objectively. Brooks was horrible in that game and he created opportunities for the D to make sacks. He ran backwards and held the ball too long. I\'m not saying the line is blameless, but the QB has to realize the realities of his situation and adjust.

I would love to see video of him stepping into a throw in the face of pressure....you just won\'t see it happen. Oh, and on 3 step drops, the line isn\'t much of a factor unless there is a crazy blitz. Ab routinely turns 3 step drops into 6 step drops with a loopty loo, do si do get sacked or sky one over the bench. That, my friend, is a man not executing the pass play.

I gave AB the benefit of the doubt for 3 years and the \'04 season did it for me. I\'m over his game. I used to overlook games like the Cincy game where he threw a bonehead pick in the enzone or the play-in game against carolina in \'02 where the offense shut down every time they crossed the 50.

I\'m done with AB. I don\'t think his head is in the right place and I think he is beyond reproach among this staff. I was glad to see Mike go, but disappointed to see another guy put in who has been in AB\'s ear all along.

If AB is better this year, the line may be a factor. I don\'t disagree with that. However, I think Adrian will be a bigger factor because Brooks tends to bask in his own perceived greatness. AB might look at this guy and see a younger and possibly hungrier version of himself. He has grown comfy and complacent. He can no longer say \"I\'m long, lean and athletic, with a cannon arm\". There\'s another guy who can make the same claim now. He\'s gonna have to show some consistency or he can get on gettin on to another city who will boo him even more.

I don\'t dislike AB. There are certainly much bigger Aholes in the league. But...you cannot deny that this team has missed some chances because of his (and other\'s) play. I listen to Tom Brady\'s comments and they are always right on with regard to team success and getting behind a QB to get it done. AB just never puts it on himself when he does bad and when he does good he\'s like \"see, i told you i was great\". It\'s tired and I don\'t see his worldview shifting behind a better o line. He\'s still gonna call himself a victim because the boo birds have called in the past.

AB needs accountability...something he\'s never had. I would love to see him do well....it just makes it that much worse when he comes out 2 weeks later and looks like a rookie. If he comes out and leads us to 10-6 and we make a playoff run.....I will cheer for him mightily. But....I\'m tired of watching him make stupid plays...period.

Zulu--King

AB dosent have any passion. He\'s a cyborg, and it dosen\'t matter to him if it\'s 2nd and, 1 or 4th and 15. Bulger gets the same flack, and even Brady used to. Passion dosen\'t help the WRs catch, either. The reactions AB shows on the field are just that, for show. He\'s just tired of people whining about his passion. I don\'t now how people buying a ticket means they have the right to change a man\'s psyche. AB was the same way all his life, until last season.

I agree with BC on the other counts, exept AB reading Ds. The TP said he reads Ds better than Jake. Vick, Pepper, Uncle Brett and McNabb will make it very hard for any other QB to go to the Pro Bowl

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yasoon

Yeah...the Panthers had it made last year didn\'t they? No injury concerns at all. Any struggles they had could be pinned right on Jake\'s head

Jake didn\'t throw very well against us in the last game, but that team showed alot of heart to post the record they did. That\'s just a bad reference.

WhoDat

Offensive line = New and exciting excuses for why AB is still inconsistent come November and on.

AB might play better - but I thought he was at his best when plays break down? Isn\'t that what all the scouts say? I dunno what he\'ll do, but I\'d put money down that he\'ll continue to be inconsistent. When he is, I wonder what the new excuse will be.

Like I said, every year AB finds a new and exciting way to F up - Backpeddling, INTs, fumbling, backwards/underhanded passes.... and every year certain people blame it on the line, wrs, rbs, tes.... but not Brooks. I doubt that will change.

\"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.\"