Pass coverage lapses is the difference between 2-2 and 4-0 (2 Viewers)

[St. Widge]

You could see the falcons weren't going to let us score a TD...

You take the points.
Our D had been playing extremely well.

They had been, but they were starting to give up chunk plays in the run game in the 4th Quarter. And, like I said, the strategy worked because they got the short field and the TD to go ahead with a minute left.

 

[St. Widge]

I don’t have the stats but I watch every Saints game and have since 1967. It started with the Minny Miracle when we had 4 DL, 1 LB and 6 DBs in on the last play of the game. Any other DC in the league would have had 3 DL and 8 DBs in the game. Even with the No call against the Rams, Brees still gave the Saints the lead with under 2 mins to play and the Rams with no timeouts. I remember the D getting a sack and forcing the Rams into a 3rd or 4th and long which they ended up converting to set up the FG to tie. Then there was the GB game last year: up by 17 with 6 mins to play. I will try to find the time to research how many times a DA defense has given up the lead in the last 2 mins of a game. You are right, without stats, it is all gut feeling.

I mean, I've watched every Saints game since about 1978 and I don't get the feeling that DA's defenses give up points in two minute drills more often than other teams. It seems to me that in the last 10 years or so someone almost always gets points if they get the ball in a two minute offense. No matter the offense or the defense getting a stop without giving up any points is the exception, not the rule.

But, maybe I'm wrong and DAs defenses give up more points than most in two minute drills. That's why I'd like to see the stats.

 

[Elvis]

I mean, I've watched every Saints game since about 1978 and I don't get the feeling that DA's defenses give up points in two minute drills more often than other teams. It seems to me that in the last 10 years or so someone almost always gets points if they get the ball in a two minute offense. No matter the offense or the defense getting a stop without giving up any points is the exception, not the rule.

But, maybe I'm wrong and DAs defenses give up more points than most in two minute drills. That's why I'd like to see the stats.

It's hard to compile those stats without paying money. So in absence of actual intelligence, I chose to go the artificial route and I asked Chat GPT for some general trends.

 

[Pkessling]

I did find this:

In 5 of his 8 playoff losses, Drew Brees' last drive of the game resulted in a TD or FG that put his team ahead or tied the game.​

Will see if I can find stats for Saints after Brees retired. One of these was with the Chargers.

 

[Pkessling]

Found this:
His teams over the past few seasons have struggled in crunch time, particularly on defense. According to Fletcher Mackel, the Saints are 0-4 under Allen when their opponent starts a drive with between 2:30 and 1:00 left in the fourth quarter with the Saints ahead by 6 or less.
I remember a Tampa loss when the Saints were up by 16 in 4th Quarter, Brady’s last season.

 

[St. Widge]

Found this:
His teams over the past few seasons have struggled in crunch time, particularly on defense. According to Fletcher Mackel, the Saints are 0-4 under Allen when their opponent starts a drive with between 2:30 and 1:00 left in the fourth quarter with the Saints ahead by 6 or less.
I remember a Tampa loss when the Saints were up by 16 in 4th Quarter, Brady’s last season.

I mean, I would never trust anything Fletcher Mackel says.

But that still doesn't answer the question of comparison or how good his defenses have been even when he was just the DC. Maybe they got worse when he became a HC, but I'd like to know that too.

 

[BreesHOF2024]

You give an opponent more than a minute to win the game with a field goal you're going to lose more than you win. With the ball starting at the 30 you only need 30 yards to get in FG territory. Those stats aren't surprising.

 

[Saintcd]

I think this is the most important point. Despite not having a great game, the offense did what they needed to do at the end to win the game and the defense simply didn't.

No, they left the defense hanging in the last quarter and then out of a oh crap necessity , let’s finally do something so we don’t get the blame when things go south. We’ve seen this show the last 5 seasons with the exception of the first 2 games.

The defense held them to 12 points, no tds. Maybe if the oc wouldn’t have tried to run kamara into a wall every down either up the gut or to the strong side of the falcons D line. We have a statue of a QB that can’t evade a mosquito, no 1-2 punch backfield and t. Hill can’t be counted on to finish a game anymore and everything goes south when he’s out.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Found this:
His teams over the past few seasons have struggled in crunch time, particularly on defense. According to Fletcher Mackel, the Saints are 0-4 under Allen when their opponent starts a drive with between 2:30 and 1:00 left in the fourth quarter with the Saints ahead by 6 or less.
I remember a Tampa loss when the Saints were up by 16 in 4th Quarter, Brady’s last season.

On a semi-related note, I'm pretty sure under DA the Saints have only had 1 come from behind win (trailing entering the 4th quarter) - and it was his first game vs Atlanta with Jameis at QB. I think we are 0 for Derek Carr in those games.

 

[Elvis]

No, they left the defense hanging in the last quarter and then out of a oh crap necessity , let’s finally do something so we don’t get the blame when things go south. We’ve seen this show the last 5 seasons with the exception of the first 2 games.

The defense held them to 12 points, no tds. Maybe if the oc wouldn’t have tried to run kamara into a wall every down either up the gut or to the strong side of the falcons D line. We have a statue of a QB that can’t evade a mosquito, no 1-2 punch backfield and t. Hill can’t be counted on to finish a game anymore and everything goes south when he’s out.

Did the offense score and take the lead with 60 seconds left on the clock or not? Did the offense keep the defense on the sidelines for 8:30 of the last 10 minutes of the game or not? The answer to both is, yes they did.

I know that you may want them to go up two scores without 2 starting OLs, Hill in the locker room, AK and Olave bother nursing injuries and having some early mistakes but that just wasn't in the cards. The offense did what they were supposed to do late in the game. They rallied and took the lead.