Week 1: GDT Saints vs Buccaneers

[whodatworm23]

To sum up this defensive performance in a word... Pathetic!

 

Total breakdown at all 3 levels. Line had zero pressure and no gap control. Linebackers were out of position and late to the party for the most part and the secondary... Well you know. For such a massive letdown aganist an inferior diviaional opponet it goes beyond players though. This is also on Dennis Allen. Like Payton said, the staff must determine if they are asking the players to do the right things or if its the right players therr asking to do it.

 

For the last few seasons Craig Robertson has been our best linebacker but the Saints have found new and more expensive ways to replace him with below average talent. We now have 4 1st round picks invested in the defensive line and couldn't sniff the quarterback. 

 

The front office and staff are as much to blame here than anyone.

 

As far as thr players... These guys IMO played like a bunch of dudes who spent the offseason reading press clippings about how great they are and how they were odds on favorites to reach the superbowl. I believe players such as Lattimore, Crawley, Williams and even Jordan were feeling themselves a little too much. Payton even mentioned after the game that "you have yo come to play in this league, what happened last year has no bearing on this season" that statement basically confirms that even the head coach felt his defense were a little to full of them selves. They saw a backup journyman quarterback on a team picked to finish last in the division and simply chalked it up in the win coloum before ever taking the field. It was about as piss poor of a showing in a home opener that a contending team has ever displayed.

[JMG5]

Just wait until we lose to the Browns. That's going to be hilarious.

[whodatworm23]

Dennis Allen continues to try and force feed zone coverages... Robinson and Bell get twisted on a bunch formation playing zone and watch D-Jax burn them for 58 yard TD. 

 

Why C.Robertson isnt starting is beyond me! D.Davis appeared to have Stephone Anthony type issues getting the calls in and defense lined up. Klein is a backup nothing more.

 

Defensive line got handled by a less talented offensive line. Plain and simple, Jordan included. Rankins not playing up to his draft status. Onymatta not playing with any sense of control, everyone else in front 7 virtually non existant.

 

The turnovers on offense didnt help but this was a epic failure on the part of the defense.

 

No discipline

No heart

No swagger

[navysaintsfan]

I'm convincing myself that this games defensive performance was some kind of fluke for a few reasons. What were the key issues:

• Zero pressure from the DLine. Like absolutely none. Cam was getting washed by some no name RT most of the game. AO/Davenport were unseen except for Davenports sh9ould have been no call penalty. No inside push. ZERO gap control. The Bucs OLine had their way with the DLine almost every snap.
• Linebackers looked almost confused on every play. Like they didn't seem aware of what was happening around them. There would be a RB coming through an open lane or a short pass over the middle and it would be almost a full second before their reactions.
• The secondary all looked like this was their very first games, and not in the good way Lattimore and Williams had last season. They were constantly dropping into soft zone coverages and letting WRs run right by them. I watched Evans run clean past Lattimore twice, it was like he fundamentally forgot how to play. PRob and Crawley were absolute no shows. Williams was practically not their. Vonn Bell and Coleman let players by them all game.

So why would this be flukish (I am making new words today)? Because we have seen these players show up. Cam Jordan is an All Pro/Pro Bowl DE and one of the best players in the league. We have seen his consistency. Lattimore is a Pro Bowler who could have been an All Pro, we watched him shut down not just Evans last season, but almost everyone. Marcus Williams could have been a Pro Bowler, dude was all over the field making plays last season. PRob we saw with the Eagles show what he can really do. Crawley was hit or miss last year, but never strictly miss. We have seen this DLine push and get pressure, penetrate, control the gaps, and at their worst...look competent. Same for the LBs.

What we saw yesterday looked like their was a lack of fundamentals, all around. I don't know if it was scheme/play calling of Dennis Allen, but an entire defense doesn't forget how to play ball in one offseason. There is too much talent with these guys. I just don't buy it. Cam Jordan getting blow off the line EVERY PLAY? Nah. I don't know if it was shaking of a rather large amount of rust, this defense getting bit of a big head about themselves, or what. But these boys know how to ball. We saw it last season. There were no impactful losses on the defensive side, only additions. These boys will be back, the ones we know. I am sure of it. Of course I was sure that from the beginning of last season we were going 6-10 at best as well.

[whodatworm23]

I feel its a product of a few things...

 

1. Defensive players coasting: These defensive guys came out completely underestimating Fitzpatrick and his ability and they got exposed. They were unprepared and unmovitated and in the end turned to Drew Brees to save them and it didn't happen.

 

2. Dennis Allen tinkering: Allen tinkered with alot of things in this game. From his usage of zone coverages down to the personal he had on the field. His play calling was shoddy at best and even he (just like his players) underestimated Fitzpatrick. Allen and his defense entered this game like the overconfident bully entering the playground until the bully got smacked early and just didnt want to be on the playground anymore.

 

3. Sean Payton: Yep, sure the offense scored 40 but Payton isnt the OC... Hes the HC and if your defense is that unprepaired for a opening game of the season at home aganist a divisional rival who beat you the last time you meet then im sorry coach, its on you!

[Jlowe22]

So, I heard Lattimore looked like garbage.  Was there any defensive player that actually looked decent individually?  Did Cam Jordan not even have a decent game?

[navysaintsfan]

35 minutes ago, Jlowe22 said:

So, I heard Lattimore looked like garbage.  Was there any defensive player that actually looked decent individually?  Did Cam Jordan not even have a decent game?

Outside of a pass batted at the LOS he was absolutely non-existent. I don't know if he ever got into the backfield at all. This is not an exaggeration.

[Dome]

We got caught snoozing. We had our feet kicked up cause all offseason we heard people on ESPN and NFL network picking us to go deep in the playoffs, win it all, and generally just wreck shop against all but about 3-4 stronger teams in the league. This was a "gimme" so we didn't show up.

[Dome]

1 hour ago, Jlowe22 said:

So, I heard Lattimore looked like garbage.  Was there any defensive player that actually looked decent individually?  Did Cam Jordan not even have a decent game?

I'd say the slump is real, except garbage Lattimore looked like everyone else on the Saints defense so I can't really put that on him specifically. 

[whodatworm23]

19 minutes ago, Dome said:

I'd say the slump is real, except garbage Lattimore looked like everyone else on the Saints defense so I can't really put that on him specifically. 

Even Lattimore said after the game that is was the slap in the face they needed... That it showed guys on the team that we aint on the level we thought we were.

 

That sounds like a player being honest about simply overlooking a team and buying into the hype.

 

This is a young defense.

[Raves]

I stopped watching after the first half.  I did see a few good things from Davenport but it wasn't a consistent/great situation.  The offense was super predictable with one pass after another.  Didn't even try to setup the run for some reason.  Just overall a bad game.

[Jlowe22]

1 hour ago, Raves said:

I stopped watching after the first half.  I did see a few good things from Davenport but it wasn't a consistent/great situation.  The offense was super predictable with one pass after another.  Didn't even try to setup the run for some reason.  Just overall a bad game.

Wait, the offense was bad too?  

[Raves]

Just now, Jlowe22 said:

Wait, the offense was bad too?  

I mean I'm just happy we have receivers and Kamara who can catch.  It was like 45 passes vs 8 runs, didn't even bother trying to continue setting up the run after Gillislee had the fumble returned for a TD.  I mean for what the offense showed it was good, but I don't consider the lack of a running game a good offense since it will allow teams to start sitting back and just looking to pick off passes.

[Jlowe22]

9 minutes ago, Raves said:

I mean I'm just happy we have receivers and Kamara who can catch.  It was like 45 passes vs 8 runs, didn't even bother trying to continue setting up the run after Gillislee had the fumble returned for a TD.  I mean for what the offense showed it was good, but I don't consider the lack of a running game a good offense since it will allow teams to start sitting back and just looking to pick off passes.

Well Ingram isn't around, that was always going to have an effect.   Kamara was never getting 25 carries a game.  I haven't watched the game yet, but I assumed we were doing pretty good with 24 points at the half.  That's a half you should be able to win with.  I don't think even Payton is arrogant enough to completely throw away what we had last year.  Hopefully it was just a fluke game. 

[NS922]

10 minutes ago, Jlowe22 said:

Wait, the offense was bad too?  

The offense was as good as ever. Another classic performance from Brees. It would have been more than enough if our defense didn't make the Bucs offense look even better. It's absurd to hold our offense to any higher standard. Idk how it's even possible to put together such a trash defense over and over again. It would be bad enough if we saw this once or twice before, but how many times have we seen games like this now? How often does any other defense EVER look like this? The offense made a few mistakes, but that's acceptable. What's not acceptable is a defense that forces ONE punt all game against a team playing backups.