Hot Takes Welcome (Post Falcons Win) (3 Viewers)

[ilvdsnts]

Team played with heart we haven't seen in months

Carr panics way, WAY too quickly. That intentional grounding was egregious.

MVS is a lot more effective than I thought he'd be

Younghoe Koo picked the perfect time to have his worst game

Rizzi might have something here

Kubiak still calls way too conservative

AK HAS to catch those. That was a perfect throw.

What do you mean conservative? He went for it in fourth down. He went for a killshot late in the game.

 

[HouseCall]

I'll take winning over losing any day regardless of the draft position. I don't want my team picking in the top 10 because I don't want them to suck. Call me crazy.

That’s how I feel too. I wonder if it’s an age thing (for me). I’m 48 and don’t know how many Saints seasons I have left - so I want to see them compete and try to win every game they play.

I don’t have time for tanking and sucking. It’s way too unpredictable and doesn’t always lead to a successful rebuild.

But, if they just outright stink and are void of talent, the losses sort of take care of themselves and I can accept that. But if they can compete and win - I want them to do that every time.

 

[Noble Saint]

No DAllen and no BBarnee this week. Saints finally finish a game with some enthusiasm.
Coincidence? I think not…

 

[Jesse Custer]

What do you mean conservative? He went for it in fourth down. He went for a killshot late in the game.

Cool. Might not have been necessary had he not called draws to Alvin on first down repeatedly.

 

[DaveXA]

What do you mean conservative? He went for it in fourth down. He went for a killshot late in the game.

Yeah, that game was a lot of things, but conservative wasn't one of them. I thought it was a very well-called game. You definitely could tell the players came to play.

 

[DaveXA]

Cool. Might not have been necessary had he not called draws to Alvin on first down repeatedly.

Maybe a little more often than is ideal, but you still want to run enough to keep the defense honest, and the passing game will have to be somewhat limited with the WR group being as much of a mess as it is. Just fortunate that MVS showed up in a big way yesterday. That first half was a ball of fun. Just happy the team managed to hang onto the lead in the second half.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Maybe a little more often than is ideal, but you still want to run enough to keep the defense honest, and the passing game will have to be somewhat limited with the WR group being as much of a mess as it is. Just fortunate that MVS showed up in a big way yesterday. That first half was a ball of fun. Just happy the team managed to hang onto the lead in the second half.

First half playcalling was great. The second half was mediocre at best. I understand calling runs to Alvin on first down, but let the guy run off tackle. We've got two run-blocking monsters as bookends, but let's call runs right up the weakness of the OL and let Alvin get stuffed in the box.

 

[VPCajun]

My Hot Take: Rizzy gets the Saints into a Tie Breaker for entry into the playoffs, but loses the Tie Breaker(s).

The next day Mickey fires Rizzy "because Mickey is looking beyond the results".

 

[DaveXA]

First half playcalling was great. The second half was mediocre at best. I understand calling runs to Alvin on first down, but let the guy run off tackle. We've got two run-blocking monsters as bookends, but let's call runs right up the weakness of the OL and let Alvin get stuffed in the box.

Sure, but clearly the Falcons made the better halftime adjustments. They came out with a lot of energy in the second half and fortunately the lead held up. Having the bookends is nice, but the bread and butter for a healthy run game is the road graders in the middle and we don't really have that right now. We'll be getting McCoy back and if he can stay healthy, they'll be much improved in that department.

Also, the Falcons are no slouch defensively. Not great, but they do have some run stuffers.

Also, with all of the personnel changes in the offense over the last several weeks, no doubt KK has had to change his approach.

I do think that Rizzi might give KK more autonomy in the play calling and we'll see improvement there if the guys can avoid more injuries.

 

[sfidc3]

I say this with all respect - I don’t get the obsession with 1st round draft choices. I understand that you can absolutely find some studs in the draft in any round really, but I would rather this organization make themselves attractive to proven, stud free agents and coaches at every position, and I think you do that by having a respectable season to show that there’s something to work with. Again, I’m not trying to argue.

Because it's cheap talent.....stud free agents are typically looking for a huge 2nd or even 3rd contract, you have to choose them wisely.....

I think the best strategy is still the old Patriot strategy, during their best years they typically had more than 7 picks, some years they had upwards of 10.....many of them late rounders, but they hit on some of them....big.....

Of course you have to have a scouting dept to find those gems....

 

[Ken-Bob]

Before everyone gets overly excited about the possibility of a Coach Rizzi, let this old guy give you some history:
1970: Tom Fears (1st ever coach) fired after starting 1-5-1. Replaced by J.D. Roberts who won his first game and was rewarded with the head coaching contract
1973: J. D. Roberts fired before the end of the season. Replaced by John North who was rewarded with the head coaching contract.
1975: John North fired during the season and replaced by Ernie Hefferle. Thankfully, Ernie was not awarded the head coaching job.
1977: Hank Stram fired at the end of the season. Dick Nolan, who was on his staff, was promoted to head coach for the next season.
1980: Nolan is fired mid season. This marks the end of the Saints promoting an assistant to the HC position... until Dennis Allen.

Suffice to say, it has never worked out. Only 3 coaches have been relatively successful for the Saints: Mora, Haslett, and Payton. All of them were up and coming assistants on other teams. While I like Rizzi, unless he wins more than he loses for the rest of the year, I'm not in favor of restarting that trend.

 

[sfidc3]

1977: Hank Stram fired at the end of the season. Dick Nolan, who was on his staff, was promoted to head coach for the next season.

This was a tough one, Stram built the offense that led to the 7-9 and 8-8 seasons, Nolan was not a good on the field coach, my dad said back then (and I agree) that if they would have stayed with Stram they would have made the playoffs in 78 and/or 79

 

[St.Dan]

Some serious history in the two previous posts for the young'uns to make note of

Some extra nuggets to contribute:

Roberts' first game in '70 was the game when Dempsey kicked the 63-yard field goal that was the franchise's defining play for the next 30 years.

And the poster's family isn't the first to tell him Stram was on his way to building a winner once Archie's shoulder was fully recovered. (He missed the entire '76 season and played in only a handful of games in '77). I've read that Mecom felt Stram was spending too much money on ancillary stuff and Stram didn't think too highly of the team's FO at the time. Made for friction there. As head coach, Nolan tried to install the "flex" defense that the Landry-era Cowboys used to run. Trouble was, he didn't have the roster Landry had in Dallas.

 

[sfidc3]

As head coach, Nolan tried to install the "flex" defense that the Landry-era Cowboys used to run. Trouble was, he didn't have the roster Landry had in Dallas.

Those D's were really, really bad. It sucks because the offense was very much playoff worthy.....

 

[SaintsMan209]

I heard the draft is quite weak this year. Mickey Loomis could in fact have wanted to hang on to Dennis one more year because how bad he was. fire him next year 3 games into the season and then we can full on rebuild.