Concern about offense (1 Viewer)

[SaintStephen1]

It seems to me that just like in the losses we had over the past couple of years including to the Panthers Sunday, there is a blueprint for shutting down Saints offense. Overload the box, stop running game, press the less than average receiving corps and bring extra rushers at the QB. Drew could read it, get the OL adjusted as best he could and pick out a receiver before the rush got to him most of the time or know where to dump it to avoid a sack. Jameis is slower to read and has a slower delivery and doesn’t have a feel yet for where to go with the ball quickly against the blitz or where to dump an incompletion. Sacks are drive killers and I’m afraid we are going to see a lot of them.
For these reasons, every team we see will use the same defensive game plan so it’s up to Sean to stay ahead of the chains by running the football and passing off of play action. Jameis and the OL are going to continue to struggle if the Saints can’t have some success on the ground, and getting into obvious passing situations.

 

[BreesusSaves]

I was told by many esteemed elite armchair GM's on this very forum that noodle arm Brees was holding the team back and the deep ball was the solution.

 

[Saintshizzle]

I was told by many esteemed elite armchair GM's on this very forum that noodle arm Brees was holding the team back and the deep ball was the solution.

What's concerning is that our game 2, looked just like our past few years, just worse withJameis not knowing our audibles yet. If we get this fixed, ball out into the playoffs...and then stall again like this in the playoffs...

Brees could absolutely be exonerated.

 

[HouseCall]

I was told by many esteemed elite armchair GM's on this very forum that noodle arm Brees was holding the team back and the deep ball was the solution.

But that narrative is still valid. The playoff exits of the past 3 seasons were heavily aided by Drew's inability to throw deep - which allowed the defenses to play the safeties up because he wasn't going to be able to throw it over them.

In 2019 a new component was added to the mix and that was a weakness in our interior protection. This is what the Vikings used in 19' to disrupt Brees from finding any rhythm in the short passing game.

So for 2020, we had exploitable issues in the interior of the line and a QB who couldn't beat you deep. That's why the Bucs just sat back, pressured with the front 4 and waited for Drew to make mistakes.

This year, we have a QB who can throw deep - so the Panthers decided to test our interior issues (especially with a new starting center) by throwing blitzes at them frequently - and it was so bad that our strong armed QB never had a chance to set his feet.

On the INT at the end of the first half, the blitzer was past our line before Jameis had even fielded the snap and was forced to flee the pocket under extreme duress. As has been pointed out - if the blitz was picked up or even grazed, Jameis gets to set his feet and likely deliver a TD to Harris.

So -- we have major issues on our offensive line (mainly the interior where injury has forced a 2 new starters and Peat is woefully inconsistent). But I wouldn't say our issues are identical to the issues Brees faced. We do have the deep ball dynamic back, but we lose some of the short rhythm passing of Brees. Is it a wash? Time will tell.

 

[DerrickB]

But that narrative is still valid. The playoff exits of the past 3 seasons were heavily aided by Drew's inability to throw deep - which allowed the defenses to play the safeties up because he wasn't going to be able to throw it over them.

In 2019 a new component was added to the mix and that was a weakness in our interior protection. This is what the Vikings used in 19' to disrupt Brees from finding any rhythm in the short passing game.

So for 2020, we had exploitable issues in the interior of the line and a QB who couldn't beat you deep. That's why the Bucs just sat back, pressured with the front 4 and waited for Drew to make mistakes.

This year, we have a QB who can throw deep - so the Panthers decided to test our interior issues (especially with a new starting center) by throwing blitzes at them frequently - and it was so bad that our strong armed QB never had a chance to set his feet.

On the INT at the end of the first half, the blitzer was past our line before Jameis had even fielded the snap and was forced to flee the pocket under extreme duress. As has been pointed out - if the blitz was picked up or even grazed, Jameis gets to set his feet and likely deliver a TD to Harris.

So -- we have major issues on our offensive line (mainly the interior where injury has forced a 2 new starters and Peat is woefully inconsistent). But I wouldn't say our issues are identical to the issues Brees faced. We do have the deep ball dynamic back, but we lose some of the short rhythm passing of Brees. Is it a wash? Time will tell.

Good analysis

 

[dboysaints]

Offense is very predictible, and our lack of weapons leads to many defenses teeing off on us. It's going to be this way until we get some healthy bodies back. Let's hope we get to .500 by the bye week, and then we can make a run vs tougher competition....

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

so you look for a weak point and apply pressure there? that's crazy enough to work

no offense is bullet proof - there will be chinks in any armor and if the defense has the right personnel and calls, the defense will win
to me this game felt like the 'welcome back to the dome Fujita game' - he knew all of the pressure points and exploited them

 

[HouseCall]

Offense is very predictible, and our lack of weapons leads to many defenses teeing off on us. It's going to be this way until we get some healthy bodies back. Let's hope we get to .500 by the bye week, and then we can make a run vs tougher competition....

Yup. The bye is a huge target. We need to get to 3-2 and hope we get some of these IR folks back for a run.

 

[BreesusSaves]

What's concerning is that our game 2, looked just like our past few years, just worse withJameis not knowing our audibles yet. If we get this fixed, ball out into the playoffs...and then stall again like this in the playoffs...

Brees could absolutely be exonerated.

While Brees' age definitely showed, I've felt the way both offensive and defensive lines have struggled in the postseason combined with a lack of talent at WR has done more to stop the Saints than anything else. 2018 was the best overall team of the run the Saints have been on the last few years, but the '19 and '20 playoff teams had holes. The offensive and defensive lines got outright whooped by the Vikings in 2019. The Saints were wildly unprepared in 2019 for the Vikings, the coaching staff also takes a lot of that blame as well. 2020 the team disintegrated from injuries late in the year and Mike Thomas was never healthy after the season opener. I think Brees was the "easy lightning rod" for fans to target because he was old and it was time for him to retire, but he definitely wasn't the only problem and I think it was just a bit much with how many people bought that being able to throw for air yards would be the cure-all.

 

[lapaz]

What's concerning is that our game 2, looked just like our past few years, just worse withJameis not knowing our audibles yet. If we get this fixed, ball out into the playoffs...and then stall again like this in the playoffs...

Brees could absolutely be exonerated.

Brees doesn't have to be exonerated, except for his last game. Before last year, the previous 2 years, we got robbed in one of the NFC championship games and lost on a fluke missed tackle in the other. Brees had a weakened arm for the last few years, yet still succeeded.

 

[meily]

Offense is very predictible, and our lack of weapons leads to many defenses teeing off on us. It's going to be this way until we get some healthy bodies back. Let's hope we get to .500 by the bye week, and then we can make a run vs tougher competition....

The offense never got off the ground vs the Panthers. Predictability to me is not the issue, atleast when it came to the Panthers game there were just to many circumstances to over come and the Saints will have a better showing vs the Patriots.

 

[motivation2k12]

But that narrative is still valid. The playoff exits of the past 3 seasons were heavily aided by Drew's inability to throw deep - which allowed the defenses to play the safeties up because he wasn't going to be able to throw it over them.

In 2019 a new component was added to the mix and that was a weakness in our interior protection. This is what the Vikings used in 19' to disrupt Brees from finding any rhythm in the short passing game.

So for 2020, we had exploitable issues in the interior of the line and a QB who couldn't beat you deep. That's why the Bucs just sat back, pressured with the front 4 and waited for Drew to make mistakes.

This year, we have a QB who can throw deep - so the Panthers decided to test our interior issues (especially with a new starting center) by throwing blitzes at them frequently - and it was so bad that our strong armed QB never had a chance to set his feet.

On the INT at the end of the first half, the blitzer was past our line before Jameis had even fielded the snap and was forced to flee the pocket under extreme duress. As has been pointed out - if the blitz was picked up or even grazed, Jameis gets to set his feet and likely deliver a TD to Harris.

So -- we have major issues on our offensive line (mainly the interior where injury has forced a 2 new starters and Peat is woefully inconsistent). But I wouldn't say our issues are identical to the issues Brees faced. We do have the deep ball dynamic back, but we lose some of the short rhythm passing of Brees. Is it a wash? Time will tell.

Jameis didn’t call for protection once all game. He just hiked the football. Best believe that Belicheck watched the film and will see what we saw. I’ll be back to hear excuses for Winston next week if he presses and throws left handed passes and interceptions again.

 

[meily]

Jameis didn’t call for protection once all game. He just hiked the football. Best believe that Belicheck watched the film and will see what we saw. I’ll be back to hear excuses for Winston next week if he presses and throws left handed passes and interceptions again.

You cannot talk about Winston on here. Winston is the pretty girl with red flags that people keep warning the new guy about but he's just smitten because he's never had a pretty girl before....but things start popping up and he starts making excuses for it until the bottom falls out and he's left picking up the pieces and she's monkey branched to another guy.

 

[SweetT]

The league changes every year. Defenders get faster/stronger. Defensive schemes become more exotic. The league caters to the offense, so it’s imperative to accumulate as many weapons (on the offensive side of the ball). Sure SP is an offensive genius mind, but he is not the one out there playing. Rostering a bunch of undrafted guys was great back in the day, when they were asked to be role players. These guys should not be the focal points of the offense nor should they be asked to take on such a heavy burden. Many of us have been screaming to high heavens to get offensive skill players, but to no avail. It’s sad when you look at rosters around the league and you see many guys who are being plugged into a system and flourishing, but we can’t even consistently count on anyone outside of AK41 (excluding MT for injury reasons). I said before the season, that the defense would have to carry us, but with guys getting dinged up we may be screwed for awhile.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

But that narrative is still valid. The playoff exits of the past 3 seasons were heavily aided by Drew's inability to throw deep - which allowed the defenses to play the safeties up because he wasn't going to be able to throw it over them.

In 2019 a new component was added to the mix and that was a weakness in our interior protection. This is what the Vikings used in 19' to disrupt Brees from finding any rhythm in the short passing game.

So for 2020, we had exploitable issues in the interior of the line and a QB who couldn't beat you deep. That's why the Bucs just sat back, pressured with the front 4 and waited for Drew to make mistakes.

This year, we have a QB who can throw deep - so the Panthers decided to test our interior issues (especially with a new starting center) by throwing blitzes at them frequently - and it was so bad that our strong armed QB never had a chance to set his feet.

On the INT at the end of the first half, the blitzer was past our line before Jameis had even fielded the snap and was forced to flee the pocket under extreme duress. As has been pointed out - if the blitz was picked up or even grazed, Jameis gets to set his feet and likely deliver a TD to Harris.

So -- we have major issues on our offensive line (mainly the interior where injury has forced a 2 new starters and Peat is woefully inconsistent). But I wouldn't say our issues are identical to the issues Brees faced. We do have the deep ball dynamic back, but we lose some of the short rhythm passing of Brees. Is it a wash? Time will tell.

Agree with much of your post, aside from Peat being inconsistent. He’s very consistent imo.