NOpants | for Saints fans

Can you believe this 2010 rollercoaster is almost over…already?  I mean it’s NFL week 13, it’s December. And so far we’ve seen some lows: Garrett’s wide lefts, the infestation of the injury bug, The Cleveland steamer, The 16 picks by #9. The Falcons in first place. Not exactly things we saw coming in August. However, in that black cloud does lie a gold lining. So this holiday season, a time to give thanks, curse Veterans traffic, eat when you’re not hungry, and drink egg nog daquiri from a wine glass, I will list the things the 2010 Saints have made me thankful for:

I am thankful that Malcolm Jenkins is a thief. Thanksgiving Day, Malcolm Jenkins theft was easily the play of the year and the type of plays that make a season special.

I am thankful Bengals defensive lineman Pat Sims doesn’t know how to play football. Sims was quoted as saying, “Even if the man do move, it shouldn’t be no offside. But people mess up.”  Indeed, Pat.

I am thankful Chris Ivory has a point to prove. Ivory finished last week’s game with 117 yards and 2 TD’s . This guy is a tough customer, he runs angry and will continue to get touches along with the great Pierre and sidekick, Reggie Bush.

I am thankful Robert Meachem likes to go deep. 3 catches, 110 yards, 1 huge touchdown against Cincy. Big Meach is back.

I am thankful Sedrick Ellis knows who Pee-Wee Herman is.

I am thankful Tracy Porter knows where your gonna throw the ball before you do.

I am thankful the 2010 SI Sportsman of the Year, Drew Brees, redefines the word ‘Awesome’.

I am thankful for the Yin Yang Twins. Yep, I know it was so 2009,  but will that song ever not make you stand up and..well, you know?

I am thankful I am not a Vikings fan.

I am thankful I am not a Cowboys fan.

I am thankful for 9-3. The only shame there is… we only got truly outplayed in one of them.

I am thankful the dream of another Super Bowl run is alive.

4 weeks left, now everybody raise your egg nog daquiri, give thanks and have a toast…here’s to finishing strong.

*Good-Bad-Ugly returns for the STL game, stay tuned.

The second worst part of the football season, besides preseason, for a beer-guzzling, Saints junkie like you has to be the bye week. I mean your team is off…everyone else gets to play and you have to suffer through another monotonous, mind-numbing week where the weather is getting colder and work is that much more of a drag. SportCenter , given the lack of Saints highlights, is now substituted for Real Housewives or a mid 90′s comedy watered down by the USA channel.

If your lucky, you’ll be hungover on bye-week Sunday and can sleep all day amidst half-emptied Powerades and Rally’s remnants. If not, maybe church in the morning? A trip to Bed Bath? Who knows? There is literally a whole day of nothing to do…I mean, besides watch the rest of the NFL have fun.

 But, Who dat say they wanna do that?

It is something that we plan events around the Saints, isn’t it?. Like, some of my friends organized a paintball trip, some others planned a birthday party, another girl I know got married… all of which figuring that bye week Sunday would be the perfect time to do something fun and meaningful without missing a minute of our Black and Gold. I guess that’s just the way we do it here.

My dad would say, “Itsa beautiful thing.”

Here at the halfway point in the 2010 season, the Saints stand at 6 wins 3 losses, 2nd in the NFC South, which is eh, good not great.  Here are ten observations for the second half of the season:

1. The Saints defense will finish in the Top 5. And this unit will send 3 or 4 players to the Pro Bowl. This defense doesn’t create a lot of turnovers like last year but they don’t allow many points, especially through the air. Credit Gregg Williams, who despite not having elite talent in the front 7 still gets the most of his players.

2. Reggie Bush’s presence will translate into more points and more wins. The Saints will be kicking less field goals when they get into opposing teams territory just by him being there. As long as he stays healthy, 3 points plays will be turning into 6 point plays. Also, punt returns become much more exciting.

3. This whole Pierre Thomas injury thing has become mind-boggling not only to Saints fans but to the player himself. He is the second most important offensive player in my opinion. The quicker he gets back the better, trust me. Worst case, he doesn’t come back for the regular season, Chris Ivory has to play above his current talent level for the Saints to be legitimate in the post season. Mediocre running games only get you so far in this league.

4. In the second half, look for this offense to roll. I think the bye came at the right time. Drew Brees and the wide outs (especially Colston) are rounding into shape, Reggie Bush is expected to return which will bode well for our tight ends and despite the less than stellar play of the offensive line, they still remain elite and are smart enough and capable enough to turn it up a notch for the second half of the season. I have confidence in this group.

5. Darren Sharper’s presence will result in more turnovers. I’m not saying he, specifically, will be snatching 10 interceptions but the secondary as a whole will be better with him. Malcolm Jenkins had been excellent filling in for him. If quarterbacks think they are gonna throw all over us, they are entering a world of pain. QB’s have to think twice before firing passes into tight spots.  The secondary is extremely deep and with Porter, Greer, Harper, Sharper, and Jenkins…that’s a lot of talent.

6. Right now, the Falcons are at the top of the South by pure luck…yeah, I said it. They fell into a win against us at home in week 3, won a fluke-y game against the 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, who are a better team, laid an egg against them last Thursday. Now, my bold prediction is this: Two days after Christmas, the Saints play the Falcons in Atlanta on Monday Night Football…the winner of that game wins the division crown.

7. The Saints need to get more pressure from the left side of the defensive line. Alex Brown was supposed to be an upgrade over Charles Grant and Bobby McCray, he has been pretty quiet this year with 18 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 passes defensed. The Saints should bring more linebacker pressure or more rotating defensive ends from his side to get to the quarterback. The Saints do not have many sacks this year, even though their defense is number 3 in the entire NFL.

8.  If Garrett Hartley makes a 29 yard field goal against the Falcons and John Carney makes a 29-yarder against Cardinals, the “experts” would be calling us the best team in the NFL because we’d more than likely have only 1 loss and would be atop the South, but no sense in dwelling, right? Right, Hartley? I mean… right? Garrett has to be perfect, every time, from here on out.

9.  Here’s the situation:

 Falcons remaining schedule: @ St. Louis, Green Bay at home, @ Tampa Bay, @ Carolina,  @ Seattle, Saints at home, Carolina at home.

Saints remaining schedule: Seattle at home, @ Dallas, @ Cincinatti, St. Louis at home, @ Baltimore, @ Atlanta, Tampa Bay at home.

10. My final, final bold prediction: Falcons lose to Green Bay, drop a close one to Tampa Bay who plays hungry, Saints beat them in Atlanta before a disappointed crowd and finish the season at 11-5 and a wild card spot. Saints go on a roll, hushing the doubters as the offense and defense are on point and Sean Payton chews on the same dried out, flavor-less, recycled piece of Juicy Fruit for 3 weeks. We then lose in a decent game to Baltimore in Baltimore and finish the season 12-4 for our second division title. I said 12-4 before the season, I’m sticking to it.

 The New Orleans Saints will have a first round-bye. What ever will we do that day?

What we witnessed last Sunday in the Superdome was scary. It was a travel back in time to Billy Joe’s and Jason David’s, Aaron Brooks’s and Dale Carter’s. It was a bad re-run from years ago that you are forced to watch with your jaw clenched, head in hands, and stomach turning. Open scene: The Saints sputtering about for 3 and half quarters, some no-name linebacker from the other team walking into the end zone for a touchdown, our quarterback walking slowly to the sideline head down, the Saints scrambling in the waning minutes trailing by two scores settling for over-the-middle four yard passes as time ticks, ticks, ticks down, another turnover, the Boo Birds. End scene.

Yes, we’d seen this movie before, but we paid our dues, right?. We wouldn’t have to see that old horror flick again. Didn’t we even have a funeral for this team, this team that had passed away to its final rest less than a year ago? Maybe its voodoo, or who-doo, or some other mystical New Orleans… “thing” that has awoken that old, dead, putrid curse; that has unlocked the tomb and released that bad gris-gris back into our house. Whatever it is, it’s not too late to get rid of it.  But make no mistake, time is a-tickin’ and what better day than October 31st to exorcise the gris-gris.

The Good:

N/A

*Honorable mention goes to Garrett Hartley…he didn’t miss.

The Bad:

The offensive line

Horrendous job. Probably the worst performance this unit has ever had. Last year, this group was regarded as the best in the league, this year… not so much. Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks are committing penalties like they’re going out of style. Jermon Bushrod and Jon Stinchcomb have played mediocre at best thus far. Drew Brees was fooled by the Browns defense who stood up guys at the line of scrimmage and threw a myriad of different looks at our offense. No one ever got in a rhythm and the Browns linebackers (especially former Saint Scott Fujita) had a field day. To quote Simon Cowell, “Absolutely dreadful.”

The running game

Never got going and was abandoned too quickly. 58 total yards on 18 carries. Teams with those rushing numbers usually indicate a team that spent most of the day playing from behind, which was exactly the case. By the way, let’s calm down with the Chris Ivory for MVP talk.

Saints special teams

Special teams blocking has been half-hearted and uninspiring. Browns defenders were allowed free reign at Saints returner Courtney Roby rarely allowing even decent field position. Lance Moore fumbled on a punt return that was luckily scooped up by tight end Jimmy Graham. Also, credit Cleveland on the fake punt just before the end of the first half.  Punter Reggie Hodges ran untouched for a 68-yard gain. The Saints were asleep at the wheel all day.  

The Ugly:

Saints pressure:

Oh yeah, there wasn’t much. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy only threw for 74 yards yet was sacked only once. The Saints should’ve mauled the rookie who was making his 2nd ever NFL start. This is not the havoc-wreaking defense of a year ago.

Drew Brees:

Never thought I’d say this, but Brees played terribly against the Browns and has not been himself all season. He finished the game with 4 interceptions, 2 of which went for touchdowns. Brees forced way too many passes to receivers that weren’t open. This is indicative of a team that is pressing too hard and has become one-dimensional. Brees is an excellent quarterback but he couldn’t win this one alone. The line struggled, the run game struggled, the Saints never led, and the offense bumbled up the field. Poor, poor showing all around.

Sunday night is Halloween. The Saints can make a statement on this night as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. Scream loud enough and hopefully together we can rid our team of what’s plaguing them. 

This game can be season defining.  Hopefully, it’s a special treat. And not just one big trick.

Through 5 weeks the New Orleans Saints weren’t exactly the top vote-getters for 2010 Prom Queen. The once popular, good-looking, football stars from 2009 had gotten old and out of shape. They were the guy from high school that’s still at the local pub in his Class of 96 letter man jacket paying for his Pabst in quarters and bringing up the “old days”.  The 27-year old at the sock hop.  They were the Matthew McConaughey and Uncle Rico of football.  They said these Saints were living in yesteryear and in no way would they repeat last year’s success.  Judging by a 3-2 record, unimpressive wins, and two Aints-like losses, it was almost hard to disagree.

Through 5 weeks, the trend was to write articles about how the Saints should hit the Panic button, to vehemently profess that the sputtering offense was a product of smarter defenses, that the Atlanta Falcons had not only caught up to, but lapped the Saints in the race for the NFC South, that last year… was a fluke. One could peruse NFL-related websites, forums, and blogs and find that the belief was the Saints are a .500 team, the Bucs were the rising stars, the Falcons were the class, and the Cowboys could still make the playoffs.

My, what a week can do.

The Good:

Chris Ivory

OK, let me say this. Ivory had a phenomenal game. He dominated the Bucs front 7. Made it look like a video game, just simple up the gut hand-offs all day. Ivory averaged over 10 yards per carry and on 15 carries amassed 158 yards. No Saints rookie had put up those kind of numbers since Ricky Williams over 10 years ago. BUT, I’m not completely sold on Ivory yet. If he can run with that type of power against the likes of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Baltimore, he could get the highly-touted ”Baby Deuce” moniker. If he can hold on to the ball consistently and string together a few more strong performances, he will be the missing element from the Saints rushing attack. When PT and Reggie get back and Chris Ivory running wild, the Saints should find themselves back in the top-8 in rushing. Still, great performance by this undrafted rookie.

The Saints offensive line

Without this unit, Ivory could not have had the kind of day he did. The inside blocking by guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans was magnificent. Also, right tackle Jon Stinchcomb consistently sealed his side of the line of scrimmage allowing Saints runners to get outside for good yardage. Drew Brees had all day to throw and the Saints wound up with 31 points. Finally, the type of performance this group is capable of.  Solid work.

Drew Brees

Back to his old self, Drew finished with 263 yards passing and 3 touchdowns, with one fluke interception that was tipped by a linebacker. We got to see the return of the deep ball which works hand in hand with the run. It keeps the defense honest and no offense can do it better. Brees hit Lance Moore and Robert Meachem on 42 and 41 yard touchdown passes. This is exactly the confidence boost the offense needed.

Saints defensive backs

The starting group of: Jabari Greer, Patrick Robinson, Malcolm Jenkins, and Roman Harper did an excellent job.  Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman had trouble finding anything deep or even mid-range. The d-backs combined for 19 total tackles, 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. This was why the Saints have drafted two defensive backs in two years, they now have young, quality depth at the position with Darren Sharper, Tracy Porter, and Randall Gay all out with injuries.

The Bad:

Not really much you can say here. The Saints dominated on both sides of the ball. Tampa Bay couldn’t run, couldn’t pass, and couldn’t stop Chris Ivory and Drew Brees. The Bucs were far outmatched by an elite team that, at least for now, hushed the naysayers.

The Ugly:

Garrett Hartley

This is the fourth time in six weeks, he is in the Ugly category. Honestly, call me what you will but I was hoping he’d be cut two days ago. I know Payton has confidence in him, I know he kicked us to heaven last year, but I also know that you can’t miss 29-yarders in the NFL, just can’t happen. How many does he have to miss to lose his job? Or, what game does he have to lose before the Who Dats are at his house with torches and pitchforks?  This could be interesting.

This Sunday, we’re back in the Dome against the lowly Cleveland Browns. This should be a walk through in preparation for the Halloween game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I expect the Saints to again score 30 and I fully expect the new trend to continue.

3 interceptions, 1 fumble, 4 trips to the red-zone, (only 1 successful), 60 yards in penalties, another missed field goal and another notch in the L column.

 I’ve already rattled on about how the Saints haven’t yet played to their potential, how injuries have decimated the roster, and how no team in the NFC has played truly great football so far. Through 5 weeks, one can only conjure up so many excuses for the less than stellar performance we’ve seen from this team.

The Saints , meanwhile, have already given us the oh-so repetitive, “No time to panic” and “We’ll get this corrected” spiel. The old “Don’t worry about Garrett” and “Our offense will be fine” routine. All of which, as a fan you need to hear so that you can, hopefully, forgo the Ambien and Dixie to sleep at night.

The kicking woes continue, a Saints running back has fumbled in three straight games, Drew Brees has been less than perfect, and the Saints have failed to score 24 points in a game so far. (Last year, at this time they were averaging 36). The Saints have eek-ed out wins against two of the NFL’s worst teams (49ers, Panthers) and one that’s on their way (Vikings). I don’t believe, that when fully healthy, there is a better team out there. I trust in Sean Payton. But right now, this team is mediocre, they are not healthy, and Payton hasn’t yet shown the aggressive play-calling that got the Saints 13 straight W’s and a ring. By November, we should see a different team, or should I say the old team. This is a mere bump in the road, all’s not lost, we’ll be okay, wait till Sharper is back. Right?

Eh, maybe just a half an Ambien tonight.

The Good:

Jabari Greer

Greer has shown to be, clearly, the Saints best cover corner and the best player in the banged up secondary. Greer doesn’t have top-end speed but he is a technician and can blanket a receiver. A few times, he was beaten by All-Pro Larry Fitzgerald, but who doesn’t? Greer finished with 5 tackles, 1 pass defensed, and an interception.

Marques Colston

The Saints #1 receiver has been library quiet all year. Sunday against Arizona, Colston made some tough catches against a good cornerback in Arizona’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Colston hauled in 7 receptions for 97 yards on 12 targets. It was clear Brees wanted to get the 6’4 Colston more involved. Though he didn’t record a touchdown, hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.

The Bad:

Ladell Betts

Betts is not an NFL starter. Period. He failed to catch a Drew Brees pass over the middle which bounced off of his hand like concrete and into the hands of Arizona linebacker Paris Lenon, which led to a score. Then, he coughed the ball up in the fourth quarter, which was also returned for a touchdown. 14 free points.  Pitiful.

Saints red-zone offense

This is an area where Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas are important…but should not be required. The Saints have big recievers and a great pass-catching fullback that should generate them points in the red-zone every time. Against the Cardinals woeful defense, the Saints could only net 1 TD in 4 tries. That’s not what a #1 offense does.

Drew Brees

Brees’ face said it all the entire game. Even when he had time in the pocket, the Cardinals had great downfield coverage. Brees was forced into more checkdowns than he wanted and the windows to throw to his primary recievers were getting smaller and smaller. Uncharacteristically, Brees under threw and over threw. He finished with 2 touchdowns and 3 killer interceptions on an extremely frustrating day.

Saints Kick Return Coverage

The Saints allowed 3 kick returns for a total of 116 yards. Thats a 38.7 yards per return average, which gave the Cardinals great field position. Although the Cardinals failed to put together a drive that resulted in a “legitimate” offensive touchdown, they got down to the red-zone fairly easily;  the Saints have to cover better. That’s just poor technique and sloppiness.

The Ugly:

Coaching

With around 9 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Coach Payton calls a timeout. He then follows that timeout with a 1-yard run by Ladell Betts. He then calls a second timeout and follows that up with, uh-huh!, a 1-yard run by Betts. That’s 2 of your 3 allotted timeouts wasted for 2 yards. Unbelieveable and a stupifying blunder by Sean Payton that, as I said, cost them later on. What a fail.

Secondly, Payton’s decision to punt on 4th and 2 with about 5 and half minutes to play and down 10 points was a terrible call. It’s conceding defeat, it’s a Jim Haslett call, and it’s when I knew it was over. That’s called playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win.  The Saints offense should easily convert a 4th and 2 and keep driving with a decent amount of time left. With 3:25 left to play, after an Arizona punt, the Saints needed 2 possessions and 10 points with 1 timeout…not gonna happen, didn’t happen.  Another coaching error that good teams don’t make.

After Payton burned those two timeouts for no apparent reason and the Saints offense once again stalled in the red-zone, the Saints brought on the kicking unit to tie the game with a routine 29-yard field goal, and out walks number 3…

John Carney

Wide left. Thank you very much, have a seat.

Right now, our Saints are sinners. They are guilty of the sins of turnovers, red-zone deficiency, inept offense, and butter fingers. They are guilty of the sins of wide lefts and third-place in an okay-at-best division. Our Saints need absolution.  Hopefully the trinity of  The Tampa Bay Bucs, The Cleveland Browns, and Father Time can provide them that.