Missing TDs
This is one of two drives that may have cost us a Super Bowl. The third down call was horrible. The designed passes to Kamara not only weren't effective the second half of the season but they lost yards at an extremely high rate and killed a lot of drives. To call it on 3rd and 1 near midfield took away the option to go for it on 4th and short.
- 1st & 10 at NO 23
(14:57 - 3rd) A.Kamara left guard to NO 26 for 3 yards (S.Stephen).
- 2nd & 7 at NO 26
(14:20 - 3rd) (Shotgun) D.Brees scrambles left end to NO 31 for 5 yards (E.Griffen).
- 3rd & 2 at NO 31
(13:30 - 3rd) (Shotgun) D.Brees pass short right to L.Murray to NO 35 for 4 yards (H.Smith). Pass -7, YAC 11
- 1st & 10 at NO 35
(12:50 - 3rd) (Shotgun) D.Brees pass short left to M.Thomas to NO 41 for 6 yards (A.Barr). Pass 0, YAC 6
- 2nd & 4 at NO 41
(12:14 - 3rd) (Shotgun) L.Murray right tackle to NO 44 for 3 yards (A.Sendejo; L.Joseph).
- 3rd & 1 at NO 44
(11:33 - 3rd) (Shotgun) D.Brees pass short middle to A.Kamara to NO 38 for -6 yards (Jal.Johnson). Pass -4, YAC -2
- 4th & 7 at NO 38
(10:48 - 3rd) T.Morstead punts 50 yards to MIN 12, Center-Z.Wood, fair catch by M.Sherels
It is this drive that made me want to kick Payton in the nuts. It was one of the worst coaching decisions I've ever seen him make. On 3rd and 6 he calls a swing pass to Kamara that starts 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage. It was painfully obvious to me that he was treating this drive as a 4 down situation at our own 30 yard line and used 3rd and 6 to set up a fake punt. It was one of the most ego driven coaching decisions I've ever seen in the NFL. If we had a look we liked for a fake punt then if that situation comes up in the game then run the fake punt. Instead, the third down call was Payton directly trying to set up a 4th and short to run the fake punt. Who does that? I even called the fake punt on the gameday board because the third down call made no sense. Payton was trying to make himself look good and it may have cost us the game.
- 1st & 10 at NO 28
(3:17 - 3rd) D.Brees pass incomplete short left to L.Murray [I.Odenigbo].
- 2nd & 10 at NO 28
(3:11 - 3rd) (Shotgun) Direct snap to T.Hill. A.Kamara right guard to NO 32 for 4 yards (A.Barr).
- 3rd & 6 at NO 32
(2:36 - 3rd) (Shotgun) D.Brees pass short left to A.Kamara ran ob at NO 35 for 3 yards (H.Hill). Pass -4, YAC 7
- 4th & 3 at NO 35
(2:07 - 3rd) (Punt formation) PENALTY on NO-J.Hill, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at NO 35 - No Play.
- 4th & 8 at NO 30
(1:50 - 3rd) T.Morstead punts 46 yards to MIN 24, Center-Z.Wood. M.Sherels pushed ob at MIN 34 for 10 yards (T.Hill).