Quick Notes from Coach Pete on Victory over Texans (1 Viewer)

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The gym was crazy busy yesterday so I didn't have a lot of time with Coach Pete.

Coach Pete is not the type to tell you, "I told you so," except when its a training tip that we don't listen to and end-up hurting ourselves - lol. But his pre-game predictions on the game were pretty darn accurate. 1) He called Davenport being out of shape. I think it was crystal clear that Marcus was not playing with the monster force he did last year and he is healthy now. 2) Coach Pete said that the Saints coaches had been working with Taysom Hill on a select number of routes to exploit the seem as a TE or slot WR. That's exactly what happened on the TD. I don't write down everything he says, but Coach Pete made the point that the Saints were carrying fewer TEs because Hill can be an effective TE now and that Hill can and does block very well.

On the game, here are Coach Pete's notes:

1) Take the victory. The Texans are a very good team.
2) There's not a better complete O-line in the league than the Saints
3) If Brees doesn't tire, he can win the MVP this year and lead the Saints to a SB
4) On defense, the Saints will have to improve the DT position. "Yes," they have injuries and suspensions, but their biggest weakness on returning to the SB is a solid group of DTs who can stop the run and put some pressure on the QB up the middle
5) As an ex coach, it was a thrill for him to watch Hopkins and MT. He said those guys are so elite that no DB can stop them in single coverage. He praised Hopkins saying that Latt and a couple of other Saints DBs had perfect textbook position on Hopkins and he still found ways to make catches. When he was asked how he would slow down Hopkins if he was a coach, Coach Pete smiled and said, "Drugging him is likely the only answer!" lol
6) On the 30 second 2 play drive, Coach Pete said that the Texans are one of only 2 teams in the league that could pull that off. He said that a team has to have 4 really fast WRs and a QB who can deliver the ball quickly downfield with accuracy. They send 2 WRs on about 15 yard ups then slant them towards the middle of the field to catch safety attention while 2 other WRs are streaking down the field further creating confusion for the defensive backs.
7) Kamara is a freak, extremely creative, great field awareness and just a thrill to watch. Kamara sees holes no other back does
8) Because of the way Coach Sean runs training camps when he has experienced players, this team will gell and get better over the next 2-3 games

Edit: TCU Dan - If you read this, will you explain in more detail what Coach Pete was saying in #6 about the 4 fast WRs, please. Thx in advance

Edit 2 - one thing I didn't like that Coach Pete said is that he thought teams have enough film and have figured out how to contain Hill pretty well on the read-option. Coach Pete said the way to fix this is for Hill to throw the ball more creating indecision in the defense.

Also - Coach Pete's biggest concern for this season was the team mentally and emotionally overcoming the tragic endings of the last 2 years. He was really concerned about this until last nite saying, "This is the type win that determined SB teams pull off."
 
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Thanks for sharing!

Deuce will disagree with you and coach pete on Davenport -



I don't agree on #4, I do think the DL interior was bad, but we did have a top unit last year and I can see us getting back to last year's form once David and Rankins are back. We also have Brown and Edwards so there should be enough depth to keep everyone fresh.
 
If the DT position is our greatest weakness, book us for the Super Bowl now. We were without two starters at that position. Getting Onyemata back this week and Rankins back in the next 2-3 weeks will solve that deficiency.
 
I remember Coach Pete talking about Taysom being worked at the TE position last year. I guess he is starting to develop there.

As to Davenport, his game snap load against the Texans was also about double to last year's average per game. So his performance because of his conditioning or lack thereof would be magnified by his increased number of snaps.
 
Ask Coach Pete what the heck happened to Demario Davis in this game... I went back a re-watched the entire game... he was not good. I'd like to know why, because he was a stud last year more times than not.
 
I remember him whiffing on a sack or two. What else was there on rewatch (not doubting you, genuinely curious)?

Ask Coach Pete what the heck happened to Demario Davis in this game... I went back a re-watched the entire game... he was not good. I'd like to know why, because he was a stud last year more times than not.
 
I remember him whiffing on a sack or two. What else was there on rewatch (not doubting you, genuinely curious)?

He also blew 2 overages (from what I could tell).... and completely shot the wrong running lane on at least 2 occasions that I saw... of just those 4 plays I counted (not including the missed sack).... 1 lead to a passing TD, and the other was a long run that flipped the field... really out of character for him on all accounts.
 
It appeared to me that Davenport was doing more containment than anything else. He was tying guys up and that led to opportunities for Cam Jordan and others.

Not sure if his play Monday was an indication of what kind of shape he was in
 
I do agree the defensive line was our weakness in that game, especially interior ones. Had 3 undrafted players rotating there and had to move Cam and Davenport inside around just to get a pass rush. But it was the first game and this defense usually gets better as the weeks continue. I just can't believe we gave up so many big runs. I can tolerate 6 or 7 yards here and there but poor techniques and tackling need to improve.
 
On the DL (and Davis for that matter).

It’s pretty clear we were trying really hard to limit what Watson would do running the ball. That likely led to a less forceful pass rush (trying to eliminate running lanes) and perhaps even Davis watching Watson a little too closely and missing some coverage responsibilities.

It was definitely not a great performance up front. But thankfully, we won’t see many QBs like Watson.

 
If the DT position is our greatest weakness, book us for the Super Bowl now. We were without two starters at that position. Getting Onyemata back this week and Rankins back in the next 2-3 weeks will solve that deficiency.

Exactly! Perfectly said. Coach Pete just noticed this game. He does not stay in detail touch of all the Saints moves except for the insider info he occasionally gets and what he sees when watching a Saints game. What Coach Pete saw was a defense that gave up 180 yards rushing with 7.2 yards per carry. As you point out so well, in a few weeks, DT will likely be a strength, plus we added Malcolm Brown. Brown won't get a lot of press, but he is known for run defense and pushing the pocket back up the middle.

I get excited about the rotation of Rankins, Onyemata and Brown. With the major improvement of Hendrickson, when Davenport rounds into shape and regains his confidence, our D-line can be dominant.
 
Running QBs also open up more holes/lanes for their RBs, too (Ingram's likely going to have a fun season with Lamar Jackson).

On the DL (and Davis for that matter).

It’s pretty clear we were trying really hard to limit what Watson would do running the ball. That likely led to a less forceful pass rush (trying to eliminate running lanes) and perhaps even Davis watching Watson a little too closely and missing some coverage responsibilities.

It was definitely not a great performance up front. But thankfully, we won’t see many QBs like Watson.

 
I love Rev Deuce. It takes a keen football eye to see some of the Davenport positives in some new roles the coaches were asking of Davenport. Love Rev Deuce analysis! I'm pretty sure I saw Davenport line-up at DT with a 3-man front, Jordan and Hendrickson and they still put pressure on Watson.

Coach Pete is coming from a little different perspective. When a few of Coach Pete's former coaches who are now at UTSA asked Coach Pete to drive down the road and watch Davenport, what Coach Pete saw was Michael Strahan 2 or Von Miller 2. So Pete is holding Davenport to the level, someone worth 2 1st round pics. Until Davenport plays at that, Coach Pete will always be frustrated with Marcus, especially when he doesn't have the maturity to show up to camp in shape. That really disappointed Pete - a lot.
 
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I remember Coach Pete talking about Taysom being worked at the TE position last year. I guess he is starting to develop there.

As to Davenport, his game snap load against the Texans was also about double to last year's average per game. So his performance because of his conditioning or lack thereof would be magnified by his increased number of snaps.

Hey Biloxi - No hurricanes up your alley so far this year. Let's hopes that continues!!!

Coach Pete got a tip that the Saints coaches were developing a playbook for Taysom Hill last year in the 2nd half of the season to exploit the seams. But Taysom was having trouble adjusting his speed to the speed of the ball in flight. So the Saints were pleasantly surprised by Kirkwood and went with that option. Apparently Hill worked on this a lot during the offseason and the coaches are confident he can fill that seam role this year.
 

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