Well Dat sucked.
Let's see: reckless quarterbacking, bad coaching, poor time management. Miscommunication. Failure to execute. Sounds like a summary of an LSU win but wait, it's the story of a New Orleans Saints loss.
In a game against an awful opponent, Sean Payton's team once again played up to the level of its competition proving that they could play every bit as terrible as the Arizona Cardinals and then some.
The Cardinal is passerine bird, more commonly known as a songbird, but the ones in the University of Phoenix Stadium proved to be more like raptors forcing four turnovers, which in the end decided the contest.
Sure it's only the 5th game of the season. Sure the Saints have a lot of players hurt. And yes it was very loud in the stadium. But in these past five games I've seen a sputtering offense that has had to rely on a defense playing above their talent.
This is the same kind of play their fans have been subjected to five weeks in a row. I'll become an optimist when I see a different Black and Gold team take the field.
Apparently the boys in Vegas had the Saints sized up just right.
Against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, the Saints racked up a total of 358 yards of offense. And the Cardinals D had the distinction of picking Brees off three times and recovering a Ladell Betts fumble. Considering he was starting the first game of his professional career, rookie quarterback Max Hall performed adequately, completing 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards and one interception.
The one good thing that came out of the game for the Saints was their defense's performance against the run. The Saints held the Cardinals to a grand total of 41 yards on the ground, the area one would have thought Arizona would have victimized the Saints the most.
Special teams coverage was poor as well. Cardinals kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling (what is it with these law firm named players?) had two big returns, one for 60 yards and another for 50 yards.
The defense cannot be blamed for this one as it was the offense that committed suicide by shooting themselves with a gatling gun. The aforementioned three INTs and fumble, the missed field goal, the dropped passes, bad communication on the field, bad clock management and settling for field goals...pardon...field goal attempts in lieu of touchdowns.
And the sad irony is that the Saints had a shot to come back in the final minute of the game thanks to an Arizona mistake. But the Cardinals never really suffered for their errors.
Next Sunday the NFC South's "third team" Black and Gold could dig themselves even deeper when they face divisional rival Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium.
A loss there would give the Saints their second loss in the division and would make snatching a wild card bid their most likely entree into the playoffs.
The S.S. Two Dat is taking on water quick. The Saints need to figure out soon what is holding them back. Judging by the close margins they have managed to eke out wins by, it appears their opponents have.
Note of Recognition: Saints Fans
The Black and Gold faithful showed up in numbers and to their credit stayed to the bitter end of a miserable game at time when being present at University of Phoenix Stadium was like being in the middle of a prison riot in the wrong uniform. Kudos to the Saints fans who made the trip and stood by the team until Brees took the knee.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Week Five Preview: Saints @ Cardinals
The Black and Gold could not have made it to the soft quarter of their schedule (at least relatively speaking) at a better time as the roster looks like a MASH unit.
Reserve safety and Super Bowl on-side kick hero Chris Reis is out for the season.
Starting cornerback and Super Bowl INT hero Tracy Porter is out for two to four weeks with a knee injury.
Running back Reggie Bush is going to be out for several more games and starting running back Pierre Thomas did not practice on Thursday, nursing an ankle injury. Also not practicing was starting defensive end Will Smith, who may not play on Sunday.
While the Arizona Cardinals are 2-2 and are atop the NFC West (Worst?), nobody is projecting them to be in contention for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals two wins came against bottom of the barrel teams: the Oakland Raiders and the Saint Louis Rams and both games were close.
Their losses, however, were spectacular surrendering 41 points to both Atlanta and San Diego.
Their division might as well be determined by a raffle drawing. The winless San Francisco Forty-Niners still have enough space on the schedule to win the division.
The red birds have not known stability this season. After future hall of fame quarterback Kurt Warner retired after the Saints eliminated his team from the playoffs last season, back-up Matt Leinart was expected to step up and be their quarterback of the future.
Unfortunately for both, the future wasn't very long.
The Cardinals organization cut the former first round draft pick before setting their 53-man roster on the eve of regular season play. Rookie quarterback Max Hall will start for the first time in a regular season game on Sunday. Hall threw 14 passes against the San Diego Chargers last weekend, connecting on 8 and was picked off once.
The Arizona offense is ranked 29th in the league in points per game (14.5), 31st in yards (251.5 per game) faring better on the ground with an average of 99 yards per game (18th in the league) but struggling in the air with an average of 152.5 passing yards per game (29th in the NFL).
With their passing game far from set, expect the Cardinals to try to exploit the Saints' 26th ranked run-defense (giving up an average of 138.2 yards on the ground).
The Saints offense SHOULD have a field day against the oft-victimized Arizona defense. Their D is 31st in points allowed (29.5 per game), 29th in overall yards (388 average) proving weaker against the run (154.8 yards per game- 30th in the NFL) than against the pass (233.2 through the air- 23rd in the league).
The bad news for the Saints is that their rushing attack , which hasn't done much this season, is largely riding the pine. The Saints are 30th in the NFL on the ground, rushing for 73.2 yards per game while quarterback Drew Brees's aerial show ranks 5th, throwing for an average of 270.8 yards per game.
Thus far this season, the Saints have won ugly. Even though they're on the road, here is the team's best opportunity to light the board up offensively while their defense will be challenged mostly on the ground.
This game could also be an important milestone for Saints running back Chris Ivory as either the contest that solidifies his standing with the team or the place where chronic fumblitis marks the beginning of the end of his time in a black and gold uniform.
In other words, the Saints shouldn't be winning this game off of John Carney's foot.
What Say the Boys in Vegas?
USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has chalked the Saints as 6.5 favorites. If the Saints cover, it'll mark their largest margin of victory for the season. The low spread could be because of the battered defense and their questionable running game. Also the Saints tend to play at the level of their competition- remember the close shaves against the Washington Redskins and Saint Louis Rams last season? But I'm a believer this week. Give the points. Saints should win by double-digits.
Will the Sun Roof Be Open?
Head coach Sean Payton confidently predicted that the roof at University of Phoenix Stadium will be closed during his Thursday post-practice interview.
Reserve safety and Super Bowl on-side kick hero Chris Reis is out for the season.
Starting cornerback and Super Bowl INT hero Tracy Porter is out for two to four weeks with a knee injury.
Running back Reggie Bush is going to be out for several more games and starting running back Pierre Thomas did not practice on Thursday, nursing an ankle injury. Also not practicing was starting defensive end Will Smith, who may not play on Sunday.
While the Arizona Cardinals are 2-2 and are atop the NFC West (Worst?), nobody is projecting them to be in contention for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Cardinals two wins came against bottom of the barrel teams: the Oakland Raiders and the Saint Louis Rams and both games were close.
Their losses, however, were spectacular surrendering 41 points to both Atlanta and San Diego.
Their division might as well be determined by a raffle drawing. The winless San Francisco Forty-Niners still have enough space on the schedule to win the division.
The red birds have not known stability this season. After future hall of fame quarterback Kurt Warner retired after the Saints eliminated his team from the playoffs last season, back-up Matt Leinart was expected to step up and be their quarterback of the future.
Unfortunately for both, the future wasn't very long.
The Cardinals organization cut the former first round draft pick before setting their 53-man roster on the eve of regular season play. Rookie quarterback Max Hall will start for the first time in a regular season game on Sunday. Hall threw 14 passes against the San Diego Chargers last weekend, connecting on 8 and was picked off once.
The Arizona offense is ranked 29th in the league in points per game (14.5), 31st in yards (251.5 per game) faring better on the ground with an average of 99 yards per game (18th in the league) but struggling in the air with an average of 152.5 passing yards per game (29th in the NFL).
With their passing game far from set, expect the Cardinals to try to exploit the Saints' 26th ranked run-defense (giving up an average of 138.2 yards on the ground).
The Saints offense SHOULD have a field day against the oft-victimized Arizona defense. Their D is 31st in points allowed (29.5 per game), 29th in overall yards (388 average) proving weaker against the run (154.8 yards per game- 30th in the NFL) than against the pass (233.2 through the air- 23rd in the league).
The bad news for the Saints is that their rushing attack , which hasn't done much this season, is largely riding the pine. The Saints are 30th in the NFL on the ground, rushing for 73.2 yards per game while quarterback Drew Brees's aerial show ranks 5th, throwing for an average of 270.8 yards per game.
Thus far this season, the Saints have won ugly. Even though they're on the road, here is the team's best opportunity to light the board up offensively while their defense will be challenged mostly on the ground.
This game could also be an important milestone for Saints running back Chris Ivory as either the contest that solidifies his standing with the team or the place where chronic fumblitis marks the beginning of the end of his time in a black and gold uniform.
In other words, the Saints shouldn't be winning this game off of John Carney's foot.
What Say the Boys in Vegas?
USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has chalked the Saints as 6.5 favorites. If the Saints cover, it'll mark their largest margin of victory for the season. The low spread could be because of the battered defense and their questionable running game. Also the Saints tend to play at the level of their competition- remember the close shaves against the Washington Redskins and Saint Louis Rams last season? But I'm a believer this week. Give the points. Saints should win by double-digits.
Will the Sun Roof Be Open?
Head coach Sean Payton confidently predicted that the roof at University of Phoenix Stadium will be closed during his Thursday post-practice interview.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Brees Advances to Second on Saints’ All-Time Passing List
Largely lost in the team’s narrow escape from the claws of the Carolina Panthers last Sunday was New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees supplanting former Black and Gold quarterback Aaron Brooks on the franchise’s record books.
Brees was a mere 2 yards shy before the Saints hosted the Panthers.
Brees passed for 275 yards against the Cats, bringing his season passing yards total to 1,131. Brees’s career total in four and one-quarter seasons with the Saints is 19,429.
Brees trails Saints all-time leading passer Archie Manning by 2,305 yards. Assuming Brees remains healthy throughout the season and continues his current pace, number nine should set a new mark before the end of the year.
Not that the 2010 Super Bowl MVP doesn’t already have the distinction of being the Saints’ greatest quarterback ever.
Brees is already the organization’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, a continually increasing record that stands as of this moment at 129.
Brees was a mere 2 yards shy before the Saints hosted the Panthers.
Brees passed for 275 yards against the Cats, bringing his season passing yards total to 1,131. Brees’s career total in four and one-quarter seasons with the Saints is 19,429.
Brees trails Saints all-time leading passer Archie Manning by 2,305 yards. Assuming Brees remains healthy throughout the season and continues his current pace, number nine should set a new mark before the end of the year.
Not that the 2010 Super Bowl MVP doesn’t already have the distinction of being the Saints’ greatest quarterback ever.
Brees is already the organization’s all-time leader in touchdown passes, a continually increasing record that stands as of this moment at 129.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
First Quarter Review: Disappointing Success
Is there such a thing as a bad 3-1 start in the NFL?
After all, the New Orleans Saints have the same record as three other teams at the top of their conference.
The organization has started the first quarter of a season with at least 3 wins on nine other occasions in the 43 years they’ve taken the field.
Yet in those nine quick start seasons, they made the playoffs only three times.
Or put another way, the Saints have had trouble “finishing strong” for most of its history.
And though the Black and Gold has the same record as the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints are staring at red and black tail feathers as the Dirty Birds have temporary ownership of the tiebreaker.
While panning for nuggets of good news, it should be noted that the Saints have managed to win the close ones, the same contests that bedeviled head coach Sean Payton’s squad in the 2008 season.
Unfortunately, they’ve all be close games. Luck has had as much to do with the team’s relative success as their offense, which went from being the league’s most prolific to being as potent as a 90 year old patron of the Chicken Ranch.
The Saints have not beaten the spread in 2010 with their largest margin of victory coming in the NFL kickoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, which was decided by 5 points thanks to kicker Garrett Hartley.
In points scored/allowed, the Saints are a net +7 in which Drew Brees’s offense has scored fewer points than the winless Detroit Lions. The team’s ground game is lacking as well, standing at 30th in rushing yards- in glaring contrast to last season where the team hovered in the neighborhood of the top five in running.
The offense has been bailed out thus far by their stretched-thin defense. The defense has been somewhat stingy in the first four games ranking 13th in points allowed per game (18) and 11th in defending the pass. However, the team continues to struggle against opposing team running backs as the Saints defense has given up an average of 138 per game, ranking them 26th in the NFL.
Those kind of numbers are only going to further encourage opponents to keep the ball on the ground and out of the grasp of the Saints’ ball-thieving secondary.
After a relatively rough start, the Saints will have ample opportunity to finally get the kinks out. The team’s first quarter is amongst the toughest on their schedule until the final quarter; their second quarter is the softest.
Fumbles, dropped passes, missed field goals and subpar pass protection and run blocking need to be addressed and fixed during the second quarter, where the Saints take on the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns before hosting their toughest opponent of the period, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Halloween night.
They say offense wins games and defense wins championships.
Add to that saying, luck wins a wild card berth.
If the defending champions don’t improve their play, the Saints better pack their long johns if they some how make it to the post-season, because they won’t be playing in the rowdy confines of the Louisiana Superdome.
After all, the New Orleans Saints have the same record as three other teams at the top of their conference.
The organization has started the first quarter of a season with at least 3 wins on nine other occasions in the 43 years they’ve taken the field.
Yet in those nine quick start seasons, they made the playoffs only three times.
Or put another way, the Saints have had trouble “finishing strong” for most of its history.
And though the Black and Gold has the same record as the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints are staring at red and black tail feathers as the Dirty Birds have temporary ownership of the tiebreaker.
While panning for nuggets of good news, it should be noted that the Saints have managed to win the close ones, the same contests that bedeviled head coach Sean Payton’s squad in the 2008 season.
Unfortunately, they’ve all be close games. Luck has had as much to do with the team’s relative success as their offense, which went from being the league’s most prolific to being as potent as a 90 year old patron of the Chicken Ranch.
The Saints have not beaten the spread in 2010 with their largest margin of victory coming in the NFL kickoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, which was decided by 5 points thanks to kicker Garrett Hartley.
In points scored/allowed, the Saints are a net +7 in which Drew Brees’s offense has scored fewer points than the winless Detroit Lions. The team’s ground game is lacking as well, standing at 30th in rushing yards- in glaring contrast to last season where the team hovered in the neighborhood of the top five in running.
The offense has been bailed out thus far by their stretched-thin defense. The defense has been somewhat stingy in the first four games ranking 13th in points allowed per game (18) and 11th in defending the pass. However, the team continues to struggle against opposing team running backs as the Saints defense has given up an average of 138 per game, ranking them 26th in the NFL.
Those kind of numbers are only going to further encourage opponents to keep the ball on the ground and out of the grasp of the Saints’ ball-thieving secondary.
After a relatively rough start, the Saints will have ample opportunity to finally get the kinks out. The team’s first quarter is amongst the toughest on their schedule until the final quarter; their second quarter is the softest.
Fumbles, dropped passes, missed field goals and subpar pass protection and run blocking need to be addressed and fixed during the second quarter, where the Saints take on the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns before hosting their toughest opponent of the period, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Halloween night.
They say offense wins games and defense wins championships.
Add to that saying, luck wins a wild card berth.
If the defending champions don’t improve their play, the Saints better pack their long johns if they some how make it to the post-season, because they won’t be playing in the rowdy confines of the Louisiana Superdome.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Week Four Preview: Saints Host the Panthers
As this is election season (my other passion aside from Saints football), this preview is a bit abbreviated….kind of like the Saints’ offense as of late.
Amazingly enough the boys in Vegas had the Saints as a 15 point favorite at one time. USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Black and Gold giving the Panthers 13.5, a sign that the money is moving to Carolina. I would feel a lot more comfortable giving the 15 points, though a shy under two TDs and two extra points might also be a safe proposition.
I know the Panthers are awful and they are in the early stages of rebuilding and they have a quarterback controversy…or something along those lines.
But how about this for a reality check: the New Orleans Saints offense, the turbo-charged big playmakers of the past four seasons, haven’t scored more than 25 points this season and their two wins were by margins of 5 and 3. Granted all three of Carolina’s losses/games played were by 13 points (an unlucky coincidence for soon to be departing head coach John Fox).
The Saints found ways to lose to Atlanta and needed lucky breaks out of the boardgame Mousetrap to slip past the San Francisco Forty-Niners. And while the Saints don’t have a quarterback controversy, they do have a kicker controversy.
The Saints offensive line have not provided quarterback Drew Brees with the protection he needs to launch the ball, his receivers (Lance Moore and Jeremy Shockey excluded) have been suffering with a case of the “Deverys” and the running back corps has been decimated by injuries.
The defense has not had much success stopping the run and have not broken through to opposing quarterbacks regularly.
A winning record might be accomplished through some very ugly wins in this season.
Though the Carolina franchise is only 15 years old, they’ve compiled a winning record against the Saints in 30 contests. Saints head coach Sean Payton has only 2 wins against the Panthers.
Expect the Panthers to test the Saints’ front seven on the ground, though the Saints offensive line should have some success keeping the Panthers off of Brees now that Julius Peppers is in Chicago. Though he had some touches last weekend, including an unfortunate fumble, rookie running back will see a lot of action if only be default. Kicker Garrett Hartley isn’t the only player on the bubble right now and the Saints front office will drop Ivory from the roster before Hartley.
Ivory made the best of the opportunities that fell his way in training camp when players ahead of him went down with season ending injuries. Here’s the undrafted rookie free agent’s chance to parlay those breaks into something.
While the Panthers are desperate for a win, the Saints are desperate not to lose. Dropping another intra-divisional game with the Falcons leading by one would dig a deeper hole for the defending world champions.
However the Panthers could be the softies the Saints could exploit to establish themselves and gain some confidence.
While the Saints should win on Sunday, it could end up being closer than most fans nerves can handle…at least sober.
Amazingly enough the boys in Vegas had the Saints as a 15 point favorite at one time. USA Today oddsmaker Danny Sheridan has the Black and Gold giving the Panthers 13.5, a sign that the money is moving to Carolina. I would feel a lot more comfortable giving the 15 points, though a shy under two TDs and two extra points might also be a safe proposition.
I know the Panthers are awful and they are in the early stages of rebuilding and they have a quarterback controversy…or something along those lines.
But how about this for a reality check: the New Orleans Saints offense, the turbo-charged big playmakers of the past four seasons, haven’t scored more than 25 points this season and their two wins were by margins of 5 and 3. Granted all three of Carolina’s losses/games played were by 13 points (an unlucky coincidence for soon to be departing head coach John Fox).
The Saints found ways to lose to Atlanta and needed lucky breaks out of the boardgame Mousetrap to slip past the San Francisco Forty-Niners. And while the Saints don’t have a quarterback controversy, they do have a kicker controversy.
The Saints offensive line have not provided quarterback Drew Brees with the protection he needs to launch the ball, his receivers (Lance Moore and Jeremy Shockey excluded) have been suffering with a case of the “Deverys” and the running back corps has been decimated by injuries.
The defense has not had much success stopping the run and have not broken through to opposing quarterbacks regularly.
A winning record might be accomplished through some very ugly wins in this season.
Though the Carolina franchise is only 15 years old, they’ve compiled a winning record against the Saints in 30 contests. Saints head coach Sean Payton has only 2 wins against the Panthers.
Expect the Panthers to test the Saints’ front seven on the ground, though the Saints offensive line should have some success keeping the Panthers off of Brees now that Julius Peppers is in Chicago. Though he had some touches last weekend, including an unfortunate fumble, rookie running back will see a lot of action if only be default. Kicker Garrett Hartley isn’t the only player on the bubble right now and the Saints front office will drop Ivory from the roster before Hartley.
Ivory made the best of the opportunities that fell his way in training camp when players ahead of him went down with season ending injuries. Here’s the undrafted rookie free agent’s chance to parlay those breaks into something.
While the Panthers are desperate for a win, the Saints are desperate not to lose. Dropping another intra-divisional game with the Falcons leading by one would dig a deeper hole for the defending world champions.
However the Panthers could be the softies the Saints could exploit to establish themselves and gain some confidence.
While the Saints should win on Sunday, it could end up being closer than most fans nerves can handle…at least sober.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
They Did WHAT?!
The New Orleans Saints brought back to the fold veteran kicker John Carney to shore up the team’s kicking game, though the move came at great cost.
In order to make room for the oldest active player in the league and the player who has scored the third most points in NFL history, the Black and Gold cut wide receiver Adrian Arrington.
Don’t get me wrong; the Saints needed to do something about 2009 hero/2010 57%er Garrett Hartley, who has missed three of his seven field goal attempts this season, most infamously botching what would have been the game winning field goal against NFC South division rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
The state of the Saints' kicking game right now is as questionable as it was after the front office’s unwise decision let go Carney after the 2006 season.
Carney reaffiliated with the Saints at the beginning of the 2009 season to sub for the suspended Hartley but ended up remaining on the active roster for a little while after Hartley was allowed to rejoin the team.
When the Saints decided to keep only one kicker on the roster after Week 12, the Saints retained Carney as a kicking consultant for the remainder of the season.
By bringing in Carney, the Saints showed confidence in Hartley. The other kicker the Saints worked out was ex-Houston Texan Kris Brown. If the Saints were interested in making a long-term move on the position, the team would have not signed a 46 year old and would have instead inked the younger player who is out of work because of a bad 2009 season.
The Carney signing is a quick-fix as he is expected to both mentor Hartley and light a fire under the struggling kicker. He is not a replacement, at least at this time.
As referenced in a previous column, big game heroes aren’t assured of job security with the Saints or for that matter any other team in the league. Sentimentalists might not like this reality, but “what can you do for me this week” trumps “what have you done for me last season” in the NFL.
Hopefully Hartley will resolve in the very near future whatever problems that have plagued his ability to perform at a high level.
While I was glad the team brought back the Notre Dame alumn (who’s been somewhat of a good luck charm for the Saints,) I don’t agree with their decision to cut Arrington to make room for Carney.
Though the Saints are loaded with receivers at the present time (though not necessarily with receivers who have consistently caught the ball- Lance Moore excepted!), Arrington was developing into the high-payoff player many fans felt he would become with some time and coaching.
Arrington had a strong pre-season and is a smart player. I’ll be shocked if he clears waivers, though if he does, the Saints should make a point of putting him back on the 53-roster ASAP. He won't be out on the street long.
The Saints risked losing a player with a big upside in the years to come in exchange for a kicker whose affiliation with the team might not make it past the season’s mid-point. Surely there were less attractive players on the roster to temporarily put out on the market than Arrington.
Hartley’s inconsistent kicking will have done more damage than simply costing the franchise a divisional game if the Saints were to lose Arrington to another team.
In order to make room for the oldest active player in the league and the player who has scored the third most points in NFL history, the Black and Gold cut wide receiver Adrian Arrington.
Don’t get me wrong; the Saints needed to do something about 2009 hero/2010 57%er Garrett Hartley, who has missed three of his seven field goal attempts this season, most infamously botching what would have been the game winning field goal against NFC South division rival Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
The state of the Saints' kicking game right now is as questionable as it was after the front office’s unwise decision let go Carney after the 2006 season.
Carney reaffiliated with the Saints at the beginning of the 2009 season to sub for the suspended Hartley but ended up remaining on the active roster for a little while after Hartley was allowed to rejoin the team.
When the Saints decided to keep only one kicker on the roster after Week 12, the Saints retained Carney as a kicking consultant for the remainder of the season.
By bringing in Carney, the Saints showed confidence in Hartley. The other kicker the Saints worked out was ex-Houston Texan Kris Brown. If the Saints were interested in making a long-term move on the position, the team would have not signed a 46 year old and would have instead inked the younger player who is out of work because of a bad 2009 season.
The Carney signing is a quick-fix as he is expected to both mentor Hartley and light a fire under the struggling kicker. He is not a replacement, at least at this time.
As referenced in a previous column, big game heroes aren’t assured of job security with the Saints or for that matter any other team in the league. Sentimentalists might not like this reality, but “what can you do for me this week” trumps “what have you done for me last season” in the NFL.
Hopefully Hartley will resolve in the very near future whatever problems that have plagued his ability to perform at a high level.
While I was glad the team brought back the Notre Dame alumn (who’s been somewhat of a good luck charm for the Saints,) I don’t agree with their decision to cut Arrington to make room for Carney.
Though the Saints are loaded with receivers at the present time (though not necessarily with receivers who have consistently caught the ball- Lance Moore excepted!), Arrington was developing into the high-payoff player many fans felt he would become with some time and coaching.
Arrington had a strong pre-season and is a smart player. I’ll be shocked if he clears waivers, though if he does, the Saints should make a point of putting him back on the 53-roster ASAP. He won't be out on the street long.
The Saints risked losing a player with a big upside in the years to come in exchange for a kicker whose affiliation with the team might not make it past the season’s mid-point. Surely there were less attractive players on the roster to temporarily put out on the market than Arrington.
Hartley’s inconsistent kicking will have done more damage than simply costing the franchise a divisional game if the Saints were to lose Arrington to another team.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Week Three Review: Two and D'oh
Saints fans now know what Niners fans/gang members felt on Monday.
Despite giving the ball up on an interception and a fumble on plays originating in Atlanta Falcon territory and allowing another turnover on a trick play, the New Orleans Saints still almost pulled it off.
Kicker Garrett Hartley's missed field goal attempt to win the game in overtime still didn't eliminate the team's capacity to win.
The Saints last gasp came when Saints head coach Sean Payton uwisely decided to "ice" Atlanta's kicker, whose first try was blocked. After an Atlanta penalty pushed the Dirty Birds back, kicker Matt Bryant still managed to give his team the win and a lead in the NFC South over the defending World Champions.
While it's easy to single out Hartley for the loss, the defeat was a team effort.
The front-seven struggled to put pressure on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who played like his nickname "Matty Ice", cooly keeping his team in the game and picking on Saints' first round draft pick cornerback Patrick Robinson.
The Saints D also couldn't shut down future Hall of Famer/ tight end Tony Gonzalez, who caught 8 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Even the great Drew Brees had a mixed day, having a completion rate of 78%, 3 passing touchdowns and 365 yards in the air, but also notching his first two interceptions of the 2010 regular season, one of them costing the Saints what could have been a game changing touchdown or...dare I speculate...field goal.
Brees wasn't helped by his offensieve line, which gave up two sacks, and failed to provide him with the protection he needed to execute on his usual high level.
In the first Reggie-less game of the season, the Saints ground attack was abysmal, with the team collecting a mere 43 total yards in the rushing department.
While the Saints could have won this game, one might question whether they should have.
The team have played sloppy and the coaching staff hasn't fared better in play calling or clock management. Credit Atlanta had coach Mike Smith for perfectly working the 1st half time to his team's advantage. While the Saints committed errors and costly penalties, the Falcons were nearly flawless in their performance.
It seems the only Saints players who played at a high level on Sunday were wide receiver Lance Moore, tight end Jeremy Shockey and kick returner/gunner Courtney Roby.
You learn more from a loss than a win. That could be the only nugget from this game. In addition to losing to the hated Dirty Birds, Atlanta is largely in the driver's seat for the division. The Saints won't have a chance to even up the head-to-head series until late in December in the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons have won far more often than they have lost in the past two seasons.
The Saints have not played like champions thus far this season, with the offense sputtering and a close to non-existent rushing game.
And while Hartley will always have a Super Bowl championship ring and will be remembered as the player who hit the blankety-blank fleur-de-lis in the conference title game, the kicker needs to settle down and become consistent quick lest he gets dropped off from more than just people's fantasy football teams.
Just ask ex-Saints Brian Milne and Steve Gleason how far their careers with the team were extended by big game heroics.
Though it's still early in the season and there's a lot of football to be played, fans should be cognizant of how the chase for the first seed in the playoffs lasted until Week 16. Atlanta is a solid team with a smart and patient coach.
The Saints now find themselves in a hole and they need to go into their late season rematch at Atlanta with a two game lead in order to be secure in the divisional standings.
Just like the Saints didn't want to have to travel to Minneapolis for the NFC Championship game last season, the Black and Gold don't want to play for the division in the Georgia Dome.
Otherwise, the team will find itself in the all too familiar position of needing other teams to lend them a hand to nail down a wild card spot.
Despite giving the ball up on an interception and a fumble on plays originating in Atlanta Falcon territory and allowing another turnover on a trick play, the New Orleans Saints still almost pulled it off.
Kicker Garrett Hartley's missed field goal attempt to win the game in overtime still didn't eliminate the team's capacity to win.
The Saints last gasp came when Saints head coach Sean Payton uwisely decided to "ice" Atlanta's kicker, whose first try was blocked. After an Atlanta penalty pushed the Dirty Birds back, kicker Matt Bryant still managed to give his team the win and a lead in the NFC South over the defending World Champions.
While it's easy to single out Hartley for the loss, the defeat was a team effort.
The front-seven struggled to put pressure on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who played like his nickname "Matty Ice", cooly keeping his team in the game and picking on Saints' first round draft pick cornerback Patrick Robinson.
The Saints D also couldn't shut down future Hall of Famer/ tight end Tony Gonzalez, who caught 8 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Even the great Drew Brees had a mixed day, having a completion rate of 78%, 3 passing touchdowns and 365 yards in the air, but also notching his first two interceptions of the 2010 regular season, one of them costing the Saints what could have been a game changing touchdown or...dare I speculate...field goal.
Brees wasn't helped by his offensieve line, which gave up two sacks, and failed to provide him with the protection he needed to execute on his usual high level.
In the first Reggie-less game of the season, the Saints ground attack was abysmal, with the team collecting a mere 43 total yards in the rushing department.
While the Saints could have won this game, one might question whether they should have.
The team have played sloppy and the coaching staff hasn't fared better in play calling or clock management. Credit Atlanta had coach Mike Smith for perfectly working the 1st half time to his team's advantage. While the Saints committed errors and costly penalties, the Falcons were nearly flawless in their performance.
It seems the only Saints players who played at a high level on Sunday were wide receiver Lance Moore, tight end Jeremy Shockey and kick returner/gunner Courtney Roby.
You learn more from a loss than a win. That could be the only nugget from this game. In addition to losing to the hated Dirty Birds, Atlanta is largely in the driver's seat for the division. The Saints won't have a chance to even up the head-to-head series until late in December in the Georgia Dome, where the Falcons have won far more often than they have lost in the past two seasons.
The Saints have not played like champions thus far this season, with the offense sputtering and a close to non-existent rushing game.
And while Hartley will always have a Super Bowl championship ring and will be remembered as the player who hit the blankety-blank fleur-de-lis in the conference title game, the kicker needs to settle down and become consistent quick lest he gets dropped off from more than just people's fantasy football teams.
Just ask ex-Saints Brian Milne and Steve Gleason how far their careers with the team were extended by big game heroics.
Though it's still early in the season and there's a lot of football to be played, fans should be cognizant of how the chase for the first seed in the playoffs lasted until Week 16. Atlanta is a solid team with a smart and patient coach.
The Saints now find themselves in a hole and they need to go into their late season rematch at Atlanta with a two game lead in order to be secure in the divisional standings.
Just like the Saints didn't want to have to travel to Minneapolis for the NFC Championship game last season, the Black and Gold don't want to play for the division in the Georgia Dome.
Otherwise, the team will find itself in the all too familiar position of needing other teams to lend them a hand to nail down a wild card spot.
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