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Given how the Panthers were playing this, I don't fault the team for running the ball. But look at the time between plays (higlighted in bold).
New Orleans Saints at 08:03
1-10-NO 24
(8:03) (Shotgun) 34-T.Hightower left tackle to NO 24 for no gain (95-C.Johnson; 20-K.Coleman).
2-10-NO 24
(7:33) (40 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 83-W.Snead to NO 32 for 8 yards (27-R.McClain; 33-T.Boston). PENALTY on CAR-59-L.Kuechly, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at NO 24 - No Play.
1-10-NO 29
(7:13)(clock stopped - penalty) 34-T.Hightower right end to NO 34 for 5 yards (33-T.Boston).
2-5-NO 34
(6:41)(32 seconds) 34-T.Hightower left tackle to NO 37 for 3 yards (95-C.Johnson; 92-V.Butler). Tim Lelito reported as eligible
3-2-NO 37
(6:08))33 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower to NO 41 for 4 yards (58-T.Davis).
1-10-NO 41
(5:38)(30 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas to CAR 48 for 11 yards (26-D.Worley). Penalty on CAR-26-D.Worley, Defensive Holding, declined.
1-10-CAR 48
(5:26)(clock stopped - penalty)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 10-B.Cooks to CAR 45 for 3 yards (24-J.Bradberry; 27-R.McClain).
2-7-CAR 45
(5:04)(22 seconds - no huddle)(No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower pushed ob at CAR 37 for 8 yards (26-D.Worley).
1-10-CAR 37
(4:56)(clock stopped - OB)(Shotgun) 34-T.Hightower right tackle to CAR 33 for 4 yards (27-R.McClain; 59-L.Kuechly). CAR-59-L.Kuechly was injured during the play. He is Out.
2-6-CAR 33
(4:20)(36 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower to CAR 23 for 10 yards (95-C.Johnson; 33-T.Boston).
1-10-CAR 23
(3:55)(25 seconds - no huddle)(No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete deep right to 83-W.Snead (24-J.Bradberry). PENALTY on CAR-98-S.Lotulelei, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 23 - No Play.
1-5-CAR 18
(3:49)(clock stopped - penalty))(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas pushed ob at CAR 9 for 9 yards (58-T.Davis).
1-9-CAR 9
(3:43)(clock stopped - OB)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 83-W.Snead to CAR 3 for 6 yards (55-D.Mayo).
2-3-CAR 3
(3:43) (Shotgun) PENALTY on NO-64-Z.Strief, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 3 - No Play.
2-8-CAR 8
(3:01)(42 seconds runs between Snead's catch at the 6 and the next completed play)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete short left to 89-J.Hill (94-K.Ealy).
3-8-CAR 8
(2:56)(clock stopped inc)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 82-C.Fleener for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
NO 20 CAR 23 Plays: 13 Possession: 5:11
If you take out the clock stoppages, you have nine plays. Two of them were run from the no huddle, but even those took 22 and 25 seconds. For the remaining seven plays, the average time to snap was 34 seconds.
When Carolina got the ball back, there was 2:47 and the Saints had two timeouts. This meant that unless Carolina stopped the clock with incompletions or out-of-bounds, or by penalties, they only needed one third-down conversion to basically milk the clock down below 20 seconds.
If the Saints had sped up by a total of 30 seconds, and that's only a bit more than four seconds on each of those seven plays that we huddled on (using an average time of 34 seconds), the Panthers would have had the ball with at least 3:15 left. With two timeouts and the 2-minute warning, you can still surrender at least one 3rd down conversion and get the ball back down 3 with more than a minute . . . rather than the 16 seconds that we ended up with.
Down 3, a minute is more than ample. You can even use the middle of the field if you can get up and spike it. It's a completely different scenario.
New Orleans Saints at 08:03
1-10-NO 24
(8:03) (Shotgun) 34-T.Hightower left tackle to NO 24 for no gain (95-C.Johnson; 20-K.Coleman).
2-10-NO 24
(7:33) (40 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 83-W.Snead to NO 32 for 8 yards (27-R.McClain; 33-T.Boston). PENALTY on CAR-59-L.Kuechly, Defensive Holding, 5 yards, enforced at NO 24 - No Play.
1-10-NO 29
(7:13)(clock stopped - penalty) 34-T.Hightower right end to NO 34 for 5 yards (33-T.Boston).
2-5-NO 34
(6:41)(32 seconds) 34-T.Hightower left tackle to NO 37 for 3 yards (95-C.Johnson; 92-V.Butler). Tim Lelito reported as eligible
3-2-NO 37
(6:08))33 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower to NO 41 for 4 yards (58-T.Davis).
1-10-NO 41
(5:38)(30 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas to CAR 48 for 11 yards (26-D.Worley). Penalty on CAR-26-D.Worley, Defensive Holding, declined.
1-10-CAR 48
(5:26)(clock stopped - penalty)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 10-B.Cooks to CAR 45 for 3 yards (24-J.Bradberry; 27-R.McClain).
2-7-CAR 45
(5:04)(22 seconds - no huddle)(No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower pushed ob at CAR 37 for 8 yards (26-D.Worley).
1-10-CAR 37
(4:56)(clock stopped - OB)(Shotgun) 34-T.Hightower right tackle to CAR 33 for 4 yards (27-R.McClain; 59-L.Kuechly). CAR-59-L.Kuechly was injured during the play. He is Out.
2-6-CAR 33
(4:20)(36 seconds)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 34-T.Hightower to CAR 23 for 10 yards (95-C.Johnson; 33-T.Boston).
1-10-CAR 23
(3:55)(25 seconds - no huddle)(No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete deep right to 83-W.Snead (24-J.Bradberry). PENALTY on CAR-98-S.Lotulelei, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 23 - No Play.
1-5-CAR 18
(3:49)(clock stopped - penalty))(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 13-M.Thomas pushed ob at CAR 9 for 9 yards (58-T.Davis).
1-9-CAR 9
(3:43)(clock stopped - OB)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 83-W.Snead to CAR 3 for 6 yards (55-D.Mayo).
2-3-CAR 3
(3:43) (Shotgun) PENALTY on NO-64-Z.Strief, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 3 - No Play.
2-8-CAR 8
(3:01)(42 seconds runs between Snead's catch at the 6 and the next completed play)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass incomplete short left to 89-J.Hill (94-K.Ealy).
3-8-CAR 8
(2:56)(clock stopped inc)(Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 82-C.Fleener for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3-W.Lutz extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
NO 20 CAR 23 Plays: 13 Possession: 5:11
If you take out the clock stoppages, you have nine plays. Two of them were run from the no huddle, but even those took 22 and 25 seconds. For the remaining seven plays, the average time to snap was 34 seconds.
When Carolina got the ball back, there was 2:47 and the Saints had two timeouts. This meant that unless Carolina stopped the clock with incompletions or out-of-bounds, or by penalties, they only needed one third-down conversion to basically milk the clock down below 20 seconds.
If the Saints had sped up by a total of 30 seconds, and that's only a bit more than four seconds on each of those seven plays that we huddled on (using an average time of 34 seconds), the Panthers would have had the ball with at least 3:15 left. With two timeouts and the 2-minute warning, you can still surrender at least one 3rd down conversion and get the ball back down 3 with more than a minute . . . rather than the 16 seconds that we ended up with.
Down 3, a minute is more than ample. You can even use the middle of the field if you can get up and spike it. It's a completely different scenario.