Deja` Vu, Saints?

The New Orleans Saints are 0-3 for the first time since 1997. However, their numbers resemble another Saints team that started 0-3...the 1980 team. Now it's too early to say the 2012 Saints will finish with a 1-15 record or they are as bad as that team, but their numbers are closer the the 1980 team than the 1997 team.

   So far the Saints have 1,132 yards of total offense, 285 yards per game passing and 93 yards per game rushing. After three games, the 1980 team had 929 yards of total offense. They averaged 237 yards passing and 73 yards per game rushing.

   Offensively, the 2012 team is obviously better, but they have three things in common with the 1980 squad so far: a great quarterback, lackluster running game, and mediocre receiver production. For those of you who remember the 1980 team, the 2012 team has far better running backs and Archie Manning would have loved to have a player like Jimmy Graham or Darren Sproles on his team. Another thing both teams have in common was a fairly porous offensive line.  Drew Brees is beginning to learn something Archie knew too well, to have to run for his life before he can even get set. It doesn't happen every play, but it happens enough.

   The 2012 Saints defense allowed 1,432 total yards, 262 yards per game passing and 215 yards per game rushing. After three games the 1980 team allowed 1,093 total yards, 197 yards passing and 167 yards per game rushing.

   At this point, the 2012 defense is worse than the 1980 defense. Granted, the 1980 team didn't have to face RGIII and Cam Newton, but the 2012 defense didn't have to face Walter Payton three games into the season. Oh wait a minute...Jamaal Charles put up Sweetness-like numbers on them. The point is, both defenses made great, if not career, days for some opposing offensive players. The frustrating thing is the 2012 defense has much more talent and is far better in all positions than their 1980 counterparts. Okay, Derland Moore was probably a better defensive tackle and then rookie Dave Waymer was a talented defensive back.

    It's easy to blame the coaches. Dick Nolan was in his last year as head coach of the Saints in 1980, but even though he melted down and quit after game 14, at least the team had a head coach. The 2012 team obviously misses its head coach and probably knew from the outset that Joe Vitt and Aaron Kromer are no Sean Payton. However, no matter who the coach is, if they don't execute or they miss tackles, like the 2012 defense does, then it doesn't matter who the head coach or even defensive coordinator is, because they will lose.

   Now what about the replacement refs? Sure, they have a measure of responsibility and they made some game changing bad calls against the Saints. In fact, there were a lot of bad calls and no calls that should have been flagged over the past three games. However, it's no excuse for not executing the basics of running, blocking, and especially tackling. As Sean Payton would put it, bad refereeing or not, the team is simply not doing its job and responsibility starts at the top.

   So, is this deja` vu? Is the 2012 team is as bad as the 1980 team? Absolutely not! The 1980 team, minus Manning, Moore, and a few others, were a bumbling, fumbling bunch of players who were poorly lead by their coaching staff. Unless the 2012 team collapses, it would be a huge surprise if they finished 1-15.

   So how will they finish? When will the Saints get their first win? How will they do in comparison with the 1980 team?

   The answer? It's still early. The Saints need to take it a game at a time, which to their credit they do, and if the players do their jobs for sixty minutes, they'll win.

Which Saints Team Will Show Up? - Part Deux

September 2, 2011 - Okay, that question was easy to answer.  New Orleans Saints Head coach Sean Payton kept most of his key players on the bench for this, the last preseason game against the Tennessee Titans.  Third string quarterback Sean Canfield started and played the entire game and only one of the starting offense played.  Some of the defensive starters played, but not for long.

So which Saints team showed up?  It was the ugly one.  The Saints played ugly and lost ugly 32-9.  This was the opportunity for the players on the bubble to shine and get themselves noticed.  Well, they got themselves noticed.

The game started off okay.  Canfield drove the offense a little and had to punt.  When Tennessee got the ball, I wondered if the classic Sean Payton Saints defense would show up or the kind of Saints defense Walter Payton used to run all over.  To be honest, Sweetness would have had a field day with this defense.  Granted, it was mostly backups trying to make the team, but if this is your last, best chance to make the team, don’t miss tackles, which several of them did, and don’t provide huge running lanes for Jake Locker to stroll into the end zone.  That run started with, you guessed it, a missed tackle.

The offense wasn’t much better.  They turned the ball over three times, including two interceptions by Canfield.  Even kicker John Kasay missed a field goal and an extra point.  On a positive note, Canfield was 29-39 for 249 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.  His completion percentage, as high as it was, was hampered by drops.  Joicque Bell had a five yard per rush average and may have helped his case.  One thing this game probably did was make it easier to decide who stays and who goes. 

On another note, Saints announcer Jim Henderson noted that in the Sean Payton era, when the Saints lose their last preseason game, they win their season opener.  The only time they won their last preseason game, they lost their season opener.  Let’s hope history repeats itself.

So which Saints team will show up Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers?  Easy…it’s the one that’s much better and much hungrier than the Saints team who played last night. 

Geaux Saints!!!