Let’s be honest here (1 Viewer)

[new city champ]

To give the loss even a little more perspective, the team has been living on the edge this season. One point win. Three point win. One point loss. With those kinds of narrow margins you are at high risk of one or two breaks deciding the game. We got them in the first two weeks. Went against us in week three with the missed field goal, which would have been for a two-point win assuming Green Bay couldn't get in field goal position to steal it in the last minute--which would not have surprised me given how the 4th quarter momentum was going.

If we keep playing this way--especially if we can't up our offensive production--we are headed for a .500 season +/-. I like our defense and missing some guys in the secondary this week probably hurt us. And we aren't playing any offensive juggernauts this year. Still, if we can't average 20+ points a week on offense, it's going to be a roller coaster ride all year of narrow wins and losses where one bounce of the ball can decide the outcome...

 

[ThibodauxSaint]

Sure don't, I remember the 45 yard penalty that was bogus as well as the next one on the same drive. Then an offensive PI where the WR pushed off that wasnt called on GB (onveniently). both of those drives ended in touchdowns. You can argue they would have still scored but without those 3 plays they likely end up punting or at the very least take a FG.

I'm not saying they were the wrong calls but when we were up 17-0 in the 4th quarter kept saying "no big plays". Make them go on long drives and kill some clock. Right after that the 2 penalties get them a TD in about 30 seconds. That's a killer.

 

[oodank]

Its a bit short sighted to say that, but ultimately, sure. The defense was gassed because of decisions and lack of offense earlier in the game. Its a cumulative effect. They were on the field a while between 2 drives that bookended the Shaheed PR TD in the first half. We didnt sustain many drives, and had 7 punts. Allen shouldve sensed this.

Thats why I think the delay of game and punt was the turning point. Hell he couldve even just tried to pick up the 1st. A FG made it a 3 poss game, effectively the game wouldve been put away. Even with a gassed defense, there just wasnt time to flip a 3 possession game.

But we DennisAllen'd.

Something, anything to give your defense a rest. But he relied on the defense to the point he overworked them. Lafleur jumped on that and went hurry up, prevented substitutions.

Thats called strategy. Exploiting weaknesses. Lafleur simply outcoached Allen.

Ok, so why was Green Bay's defense not gassed if you're saying that is the reason??!! The Packers were playing the same game, and from way behind the entire time. DL got no pressure on Love and their DL knocked our QB out!!

 

[44slayer]

Ok, so why was Green Bay's defense not gassed if you're saying that is the reason??!! The Packers were playing the same game, and from way behind the entire time. DL got no pressure on Love and their DL knocked our QB out!!

5:10 more TOP, 71 to 60 plays. 12 drives to 10. At one point in the first half we played 16 snaps in a row if you take out the Shaheed PR TD.

Also, we werent sustaining drives in the 2nd half. They were.

Lafleur also ran a hurry up offense and did not allow us to make substitutions because he was playing on the fatigue. That was the blood he smelled in the water, along with keeping 3rd down personnel on the sideline.

Their last 4 drives in the 2nd half were 35 plays.

If you cant see the defense was fatigued and why - and this is a BIG problem with Dennis Allen - I cant help you. When you have 4th a short in plus territory and choose to punt every single time - you put more pressure on your defense and that leads to late game defensive problems.

Our 2nd half possessions?

5 plays 5 yards 3:00
6 plays, 14 yards 2:37
3 plays, 8 yards 2:08
5 plays, 20 yards 2:33
3 plays, 7 yards 1:35

Those 5 drives total 22 plays, 54 yards.

 

[0rion]

To say that 45 yard penalty didn’t help their cause is ridiculous. I don’t recall us getting a 45 yard penalty..,,,do you?

That pretty much tells the tale. Can't blame it on the refs. We lost that game in almost every phase.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

Let’s be honest here. if the Packers don’t get those two chunk penalties that help them get within a TD they don’t win that game. The officiating continues to be very suspect not just in our game but league wide.

The one on Yiadom was legit. I still do not understand the one on Taylor. The WR made the contact to try and get Taylor out of the way to come back to the ball. Taylor did not prevent him from coming back or make initial contact.

 

[Stalwart385]

Yeah that drive down the field by the refs was painful. The PI penalty is so broken and the league doesn't care. But that's just a footnote to me. It's going to happen in almost every game one way or another. This team earned the loss. They've been needing to get better and they didn't. They should have cruised to victory regardless of the refs. We made it close enough for them to matter.

 

[Cajun Chat]

I absolutely joked at the time "Whelp, here come the refs to help Vegas out"

I never thought it would end up in an L for us and I can't put it *totally* on the refs but... you're right. Without some iffy calls at the end, Packers drives die and we run out the clock

You are different than me. At 17-0 and 3 straight 3 and outs I absolutely thought it was possible. This felt a lot like the old Saints. Finding ways to lose.

We have way too much talent in this team to be playing this way. I put this 80-90% on coaching. Right in DAs lap since he runs the defense and PC because he supposedly runs the offense.

I’m all for making a change to let Ronald Curry take over the offense.

 

[meily]

We lost our starting QB and have been playing without our starting running back, to be 2-1 despite that still says we are pointed in the right direction.

Fixing that offensive line problem should be our biggest worry not schematics on how we lost a particular game.

 

[SAINTSFAN]

5:10 more TOP, 71 to 60 plays. 12 drives to 10. At one point in the first half we played 16 snaps in a row if you take out the Shaheed PR TD.

Also, we werent sustaining drives in the 2nd half. They were.

Lafleur also ran a hurry up offense and did not allow us to make substitutions because he was playing on the fatigue. That was the blood he smelled in the water, along with keeping 3rd down personnel on the sideline.

Their last 4 drives in the 2nd half were 35 plays.

If you cant see the defense was fatigued and why - and this is a BIG problem with Dennis Allen - I cant help you. When you have 4th a short in plus territory and choose to punt every single time - you put more pressure on your defense and that leads to late game defensive problems.

Our 2nd half possessions?

5 plays 5 yards 3:00
6 plays, 14 yards 2:37
3 plays, 8 yards 2:08
5 plays, 20 yards 2:33
3 plays, 7 yards 1:35

Those 5 drives total 22 plays, 54 yards.

Time of possession in 2nd half almost exactly the same as first half (within 3 seconds) and 4 of those GB possessions were kneel downs. So, really only 7 more plays. The problem is that all of the GB scoring drives were 2:33 or less. Defense has to at least make them use clock if they are going to let them score. Defense did not play even close to well enough to win in the 4th quarter. There was NO reason to be "fatigued." That is an excuse.

 

[44slayer]

Time of possession in 2nd half almost exactly the same as first half (within 3 seconds) and 4 of those GB possessions were kneel downs. So, really only 7 more plays. The problem is that all of the GB scoring drives were 2:33 or less. Defense has to at least make them use clock if they are going to let them score. Defense did not play even close to well enough to win in the 4th quarter. There was NO reason to be "fatigued." That is an excuse.

Believe what you want, but not allowing a defense to rotate players in while playing a no huddle offense most of 2nd half will wear out any defense. If there was "NO reason" to be "fatigued" - why do you think Lafluer changed his offense to no huddle and no subs? If he brought on a sub, the refs wouldve have to allow us time to sub as well. Its because he saw us wearing down.

When you constantly choose to punt instead or kick longer FGs, or go for it on 4th down and put the pressure on your defense, you cant be too surprised when the defense eventually starts leaking yards.

 

[saint_drago]

This is why, with a 17 point lead in the 4th... You can't leave this decision to the refs... You go get some first downs and any points... and you take it out of their hands.

Absolutely. A 17 point lead seems more like 10 point lead in this modern, pass happy, offense friendly league. I kept waiting for the Saints to go for their throat but they never did. They were happy to play safe and win with their defense. And look, here's the deal with that, it's a good strategy if you can put together a few long drives and at least come away with some field goals. Run the ball, pass the ball, whatever you have to do to get some first downs. Keep the clock running and keep your defense on the sidelines. But that didn't happen. The offense looked like they were playing hot potato with possessions. Couldn't wait to give the ball back to Green Bay. Finally the defense gassed out and Green Bay was able to cobble together enough points to win the game.

That second half was some of the most bizarre offense I have ever seen. The play calling, the execution, the energy, everything. WRs running the wrong routes with the game on the line. Baffling to me.