Seriously, what happened to us. This is just sad. We had so much talent and intensity on our team in the first three quarters of the past two years, just to piss it away at the end of the seasons and now all season. We have spent big money on a quarterback that lost his skills and has NEVER appeared to take the game seriously. Our already subpar defense is decimated and it doesn’t appear that we are going to be a winning team soon. What’s new though?
I feel bad for you tonight, that’s for sure. It looks awful, but they just ran into one heck of a buzzsaw in this game.
These Saints remind me a little of the early-90s Eagles with Randall Cunningham. But you’re right, they do have talent, and they’re not a poorly coached team, so I bet they turn it around, perhaps even this season.
Yea, I watched the first half of that depressing, sad game. I saw some things I hadn’t seen in a few years.
First, outright wussing out. Haslett called the classic Mora play…“We’re down by thirty points…send out the field goal unit!” I can’t think of another coach–save that old goat Dan Reeves–that would wuss out in such spectacular fashion. I’m sure there’s 2 or 3, but my point remains.
Second, the defense that can’t tackle. This always seems to be a New Orleans problem, but jesus, did it ever hit home tonight.
Third, the gutting of a bunch of defensive starters without adequate replacements. Yea, it was bad last year, but it’s even worse this year. They were playing like the early 1990s Saints, not a team that went to the playoffs a few years ago.
Fourth, isn’t it time to admit that Benson is one of the worst owners in the league? Yea, Mike Brown is worse, but still. Benson thinks he’s going to get a new stadium fielding THAT bunch of morons?
Fifth, they’ve got a pretty good offense, which no one seems to know how to use. I can call plays better than that. Give it to Deuce. Give it to Deuce. Give it to Deuce. Play Action Throw. Easy.
“would the woman who left her 11 kids at the superdome please come pick them up,they are beating the Saints 42 - 0”.
I spent 10 years going to N.O. regularly and I never figured Aints fans out, the team has ALWAYS sucked ass, but the dome always sells out and Aints fans are the most INTENSE people I have ever seen, they are nutso about the Aints, it’s always about “next year”.
how Saints fans “keep the faith” escapes me but bless 'em!
unclviny
As a Colts fan, I was delighted:D
Lord, what is it about NFL OC’s that they can’t hit on this exceedingly simple gameplan? I’m a Dolphins fan and damned if I don’t hate watching their games on TV because by the fourth quarter I’m standing up screaming at it on every first down “PLAY ACTION YOU IDIOTS! FAKE THE RUN!” They just run on first down on every… single… series. Argh. Now you’ve got me all frustrated just thinking about it. The only person that seems to have mastered the concept of “establish the run, then utilize play action as a weapon” is Mike Shanahan.
No one wants to run anymore! They run three times, it gets stuffed (because they always run on first down), then they decide to air it out 50 times. Even the most rookie Madden 2004 player can tell you that the point of running is NOT to gain yards in the first quarter, it’s to make the defense beg for mercy, and then you can rip them to shreds in the fourth quarter.
And it’s these teams with great backs doing it! Wasn’t it just last week that Marshall Faulk had something like 9 carries? I realize the running game isn’t sexy, but jesus, if you’re paying a ton of money for an RB, then use him.
And without running, you can’t set up the play action that no one uses…
Well, to be fair, they were 10-6 in 2000. 
Okay, so they’ve had 7-9 seasons since, but still. That’s not too awful. The problem is that unlike the Arizona Cardinals, the Saints show hope from time to time.
This is really my main NFL pet peeve. You’re totally right – either it’s the Rams and Marshall Faulk, once the most explosive player in the entire game, getting a dozen touches every week and then watching his qb toss bombs all over the place, or it’s the Dolphins, running Ricky 40 times and just hoping he outlasts the Buffalo defense. Sure, he wore them down by the 4th quarter which allowed him to break some nice runs, but wouldn’t it have been even better to exploit that advantage by letting Fiedler and Chambers air it out a little? Gah.
Really, I don’t get it. What do you think we’d have to do to get jobs as offensive coordinators in the NFL? We’re probably underqualified if idiocy is an actual prerequisite…
Simple decisions such as when to ‘run more’ or ‘pass more’ kill coordinators.
The other killer is ‘running back by commitee’.
The Saints have a talented RB who can break one. Obviously, while good RBs average 4+ yards per carry, it doesn’t mean every carry is around 4 yards. It means you might have to rattle of a numer of 1,2 and 3-yarders before you bust a 30 yarder, or a long TD run.
Like a set-up pitch in baseball, pounding the run is a great setup for passing, even when the run is mediocre. Plus Offensive Linemen love to wear down their opposition before going back on their heels all day.
The Saints have QB and coach who were overrated for a while.
As a Colts fan, I can sympathize with anybody having a bad start. Indy had several years that started off badly. By Yiminy, though, I sure do appreciate the Saints’ decision to be Colt fodder this year. A history of goatdom has us looking up for the moment when it starts raining pianos and safes. The Saints’ time will come, probably…eventually.
What’s with those paper bags? Why would anyone pay that much ticket money to diss his own team?
Honestly, I don’t see how we could do much WORSE than some of the BS I see. Four wide on 4th and goal. Draw play on 3rd and 16. Etc. Etc.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, can you explain that to me? Draw play on 3rd and long is rote now. W T F ?
I have no idea. I think coaches are so scared of doing ANYTHING that may, possibly, be construed as risky that they start setting up the punt on second down. “So we’ll try and throw it, probably miss or get sacked, then we want to try and get in the center, so the punter doesn’t have to angle it much.” So whence has come this strain of wussified coaches?
Incidentally, the MNF game between the Packers-Bears proved our point. Ahman Green ripped off several HUGE runs and the entire Bears D seemed to be collectively shocked. Like “Holy CRAP! They’re running the ball! Is this some kind of crazy new offense?” I could understand it before the first 50 yard touchdown run, but not after the second.
But then, I’d let QBs call their own plays. In fact, if I was going to put in an offense and had a bright, good QB–say a Peyton Manning or a Brett Favre, I’d put in the old Bills-style No Huddle, let the man on the field call his plays. It’d be so unexpected, it’d have to win a few games.
On 3rd and long, the defense, having paid no attention in recent years, is supposed to have at least 14 and preferably more like 20 players in the secondary or at least 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. A draw play “surprises” the defense with a run play.
Nevermind that even in this hypothetical defensive arrangement you still have to break at least 18 tackles in 6 yards, there’s NOBODY downfield to block that quickly.
You do have to give the Packers credit for excellent run-blocking (and particularly their receivers for very good blocking downfield, always a crucial ingredient in breaking a long run), and the Bears credit for atrocious tackling, but you are definitely right. The Bears defense just looked woefully underprepared – my partner in prognostication mrchan was telling me yesterday morning he thought Favre would tear them apart, while I personally was leaning more towards Green having a field day. Turns out we were both right. Hard to say if you blame the coaching or the personnel, though? You probably watched more of the game than I did.
iampunha-It’s even WORSE, if that’s possible, now that most teams no longer have a good blocking fullback on the roster. I could semi-understand if you had a Sam Gash to get down the field and knock someone out.
WhiteLightning-Oh, their run blocking was good, and their recievers made some dynamite blocks. I’m not taking away from that. But the Bears seemed convinced that they could shut Favre down and then that would be it. Running seemed to catch them totally off-guard. I only caught the first half. I don’t have the patience to watch horribly one-sided games anymore.
You’d think with all the crap about football that I talk, I’d be doing better than last place in my fantasy league.
HA! I’m in last in the SDMB league too!
Oh, wait. Are we supposed to have the fewest points in that one? 