Are we really a second half team? (1 Viewer)

[GTSaint]

Are the Saints really a second half team now? After several years of getting leads early and then giving them up to lose games late, it certainly seems like we have turned that around.
As we went into halftime with a small lead yesterday, I found myself yesterday feeling confident that we would win that game.

It seems like some combination of:
- We are making good adjustments at halftime.
- Our very deep D-Line actually wears down the opposing O-Line, leading to more pressure, sacks, takeaways.
- Our O-Line seems to wear down the opposing D-Line, allowing us better runs and more time in the pocket to throw.
- Drew seems more comfortable in the second half.

 

[Domeination]

In general, we have played better in the second half this season, and we are now more capable of coming back in the second half to win games. That said, I want to see a fast start against the Yucs. Get up on them quick and then step on their necks.

 

[saint_drago]

It seems like SP is more of a counter puncher now. He runs different formations early to see how the defense responds. He figures out what they are trying to take away and then he uses their game plan against them.

 

[0rion]

Second half team or start slow? It's just perspective. Ideally you want to score early and often the entire game. I don't think coach game plans to wait until the 2nd half to score points. We certainly can't afford to do that from here on out.

 

[Rdanderson91]

I feel like we’ve always been that way. Slow to start but like a steam engine once we get rolling. Going all the way back to our Super Bowl win. Started down 10-0. Came back to win 31-17.

our problem in the past was a defense that couldn’t compliment a surging offense. We’d get rolling offensively to take a late lead, only to give it up at the last second.

 

[SAINTSFAN504]

Well we can't only be a 2nd half team against Bucs (Brady) we need to be both.

 

[Saint Kamara]

2011 was definitely a get up by 2 score team and help out the defense by making the other team one-dimensional on offense.

 

[Madmarsha]

Better to be a second half team than a first half only team.

See: Falcons

 

[St. Chris]

I don't think we are just a second half team. This year, I thinks it comes from not always having the same line up available at the beginning of games and then having to work our way into running smoothly. Like the Bears, we started off slow because for the first time in how long we had Thomas, Kamara, and Brees all starting the game. It took a while to click and iron it out, but once it did, we were fine. I expect against the Bucs, it should not be that way now that they have the Bears game under their belt.

 

[GTSaint]

It just seems like to start the game on offense we run our scripted plays and we run set-up plays to see what the other team does. If they work, great and we score. But then they make their halftime adjustments based on what they saw offensively and defensively in the 1st half, and really take control over the game. Ideally, the adjustments would be made sooner and we would get a comfortable lead.

 

[Jellybean]

Are the Saints really a second half team now? After several years of getting leads early and then giving them up to lose games late, it certainly seems like we have turned that around.
As we went into halftime with a small lead yesterday, I found myself yesterday feeling confident that we would win that game.

It seems like some combination of:
- We are making good adjustments at halftime.
- Our very deep D-Line actually wears down the opposing O-Line, leading to more pressure, sacks, takeaways.
- Our O-Line seems to wear down the opposing D-Line, allowing us better runs and more time in the pocket to throw.
- Drew seems more comfortable in the second half.

We’ve been, mostly, a second half time during this entire 17-20 run. There are a few outliers but it’s rare both of our units start the game firing on all cylinders

 

[Winter]

It just seems like to start the game on offense we run our scripted plays and we run set-up plays to see what the other team does. If they work, great and we score. But then they make their halftime adjustments based on what they saw offensively and defensively in the 1st half, and really take control over the game. Ideally, the adjustments would be made sooner and we would get a comfortable lead.

I think Sean's tried and true strategy is this. Play the game in phases so you can set the team up for success in the second half/4th qtr. I think with an opponent like Chicago, if you go in thinking a certain game plan will just blow their doors off, you could get caught with your pants around your ankles. Chicago is not a scary team, but they have a bite. The difference this season is the defense isn't giving up a lot of points in the 1st half. I think the Saints offense played almost exactly like they did against Minnessota last year. If Chicago had any kind of offense and we had our typical defense, it would have been the exact same result.

Against higher competition, this team plays different. I wonder if when the stakes are higher or the opponent is that much more dangerous, that Payton really develops a gameplan to hit the ground running from the start. Our 2 biggest games these last 2 years were SF and TB. We came out firing both games and the offense was on another level. That TB game this year was so big, EVERYTHING was dialed in. I thought we'd see the same against Chicago yesterday, but maybe the opponent demanded a different strategy.

 

[ItFan]

I think we are. When our brand of west coast goes, it wears down opponents like no others. Also, Drew and Payton are good at reading tendencies through a game, so in the second half they know better what works and what doesn’t.
At the start of the game our opponents run like mad and can disrupt our three-downs rhythm. Disrupt Drew’s timing as well, because our OL isn’t that dominant in protection.

But when we adjust the timing, it’s hard to defend play after play. Payton did it admirably yesterday, because he gave Drew the deepest routes the Bears allowed us (7-10 yards). Drew was constantly under pressure, but he knew that with a timed release he could make it every time. It was a thing of beauty.

 

[NOLAJM504]

I think it's as simple as matching the energy the Saints play with takes so much out of our opponents that they are almost completely gassed by the middle of the 3rd quarter, and when we smell blood in the water we take advantage of it.