Realist or Debbie Downer (1 Viewer)

LubDemSaints

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Like most here I was drinking to cool aid when hearing and seeing good things during preseason and Training Camp. With that said, our defense looks good against our offense and vice versa. However the real test is when we step out and play other teams. I agree with most of Zach's comments he made the other day. When game day hits there isn't some magical thing that will happen and they will "Start Really Playing". You play like you practice.

With that said would it be a Realist statement or Debbie Downer to say that another 7-9 or 8-8 season is to be expected? I do agree there are some areas where improvements will happen but at the end of the day will it be enough to get a "W"?
 
Why not just wait and see instead of trying to predict the future?

Or go bet on the O/U on wins. At least that way you are making a prediction for a reason.
 
We have below average NFL starters at many, many positions. It's just a fact.

Hopefully the handful of stars we do have can make up for that fact.
 
Debbie downers always use the excuse that they're only being realistic. I'm with Bonchie. We just don't know yet.

So I guess my answer is both. :idunno:
 
It depends on how you look at it.

I understand some who say, "Just be a fan, enjoy, don't analyze or over-analyze what happens, just enjoy the fact that we are fans of a football team". I really do understand that concept...that's not everyone though. Some people do analyze, overanalyze, demand outcomes etc...from a fan seat. I understand those fans as well...I am one.

We determine everything. When tickets purchases begin to go down, is when you will see major moves, possibly, because nothing keeps customers happy like production. When fans get tired of seeing the same old, same old...and stop watching across the league, and we stop purchasing tickets, the head shed will jump.

So, I agree, lets give them a chance to show what they can do...especially the first few games. Nothing wrong with making a prediction, either way (6-10 or 10-6) because it's just a prediction. Nothing wrong with having hope with the same hires in place either, just understand that you may have a bunch of people that disagree. That comes from the concept that its hard for people to change how they play and coach, after so many years. That doesn't bode well for us when you have commentators on NFL network a couple years ago saying that they knew what Payton was going to do, before he did it. Then, last year, we saw on the field, that the defenses were calling our plays.

We have already started seeing our brand decline. That has to happen with poor play, poor outcomes, multiple seasons. Its the natural order that needs to take place. A coach and a regime catch fire, get as many as they can while hot, the fire begins to go out and the fans get irritated. Once fans have reached a level of irritation that it hurts viewership across the league and viewership at home, tix prices go down, team loses money....a change is made.

Just let the natural order of things happen, bc it will, regardless.
 
We have below average NFL starters at many, many positions. It's just a fact.

Hopefully the handful of stars we do have can make up for that fact.

Here's our 22 possible starters.

QB: Brees
RB: Ingram
FB: Kuhn or Johnson
WR: Cooks, Snead, Thomas
LT: Armstead
LG: Peat
C: Unger
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
RT: Strief

DE: Jordan
DT: Fairley
DT: Jenkins
DE: Kruger
WLB: Ellerbe
MLB: Laurinitis
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Breaux
SS: Vaccaro
FS: Byrd
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

I'd love for you to indicate where our below average starters are.
 
I like this roster's talent but it's still got a long way to go to make a team.
 
Here's our 22 possible starters.

QB: Brees
RB: Ingram
FB: Kuhn or Johnson
WR: Cooks, Snead, Thomas
LT: Armstead
LG: Peat
C: Unger
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
RT: Strief

DE: Jordan
DT: Fairley
DT: Jenkins
DE: Kruger
WLB: Ellerbe
MLB: Laurinitis
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Breaux
SS: Vaccaro
FS: Byrd
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

I'd love for you to indicate where our below average starters are.

Possibly
LG: Peat
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
DT: Jenkins
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley
 
Here's our 22 possible starters.

QB: Brees
RB: Ingram
FB: Kuhn or Johnson
WR: Cooks, Snead, Thomas
LT: Armstead
LG: Peat
C: Unger
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
RT: Strief

DE: Jordan
DT: Fairley
DT: Jenkins
DE: Kruger
WLB: Ellerbe
MLB: Laurinitis
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Breaux
SS: Vaccaro
FS: Byrd
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

I'd love for you to indicate where our below average starters are.

Stars in Italics, Average in Underline, Below Average in Bold

(and I'm being generous with CB2 and Ellerbe)
 
Possibly
LG: Peat
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
DT: Jenkins
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

LG: Peat - I disagree. I am not saying he is good, but too early to say if, at this point, he is below average at this position.

RG: Lelito or Kelemete - Agreed.

DT: Jenkins - Agreed, but I also do not think he is our starter.

SLB: Stupar or Anthony - I disagree. I do not think either are below average.

CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley - I disagree. Williams has looked pretty good. The others are fighting for a nickle spot at best and a roster spot at worse.

I would say, as of right now, we have a clear hole at RG. Aside from that, I do not see many many below average starters.
 
Possibly
LG: Peat
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
DT: Jenkins
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

That pretty much proves his point.

Out of 22 starters:

LG: Peat = Looked downright good at LG last night.
RG: Lelito or Kelemente = Yep, below average.
DT: Jenkins = He's as decent a run-down NT as most in the league but we've got a lot of depth there as well.
SLB: Stupar or Anthony = Stupar has looked good and Anthony is young. I thought he looked good with the starters as well. Had a nice open field tackle last night.
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley = Williams has looked really dynamic in coverage, Finnegan has made play after play to earn a spot, Crawley can cover but can't tackle, and Harris can tackle but needs to work on coverage.

Call me optimistic, but if that's the worst we can say about our 5 worst starting spots, we aren't full of holes and don't have a lot of below average starters.
 
Possibly
LG: Peat
RG: Lelito or Kelemete
DT: Jenkins
SLB: Stupar or Anthony
CB: Williams or Finnegan or Harris or Crawley

I would add Streif and who ever replaces Ellerbe as he will get hurt.
 
Well, you have to take ALL things into consideration, and not lump all play into one category. Because the latter is not being "real".

Let me help you.
1. Starting Oline (minus Armstead) looked better last night than last week. Peat played well at LG. There was a play where an unblocked guy came in and caused Brees to rush his throw. Stitch broke it down and showed us why it wasn't Peat's fault and how he made the right read. Barnes played okay. Not spectacular. But considering he just came in on Monday, he's picked up the playbook very well. Strief and Unger played well. Once Armstead comes in, I expect the Oline to be much better than most expect. I believe it'll be Armstead, Peat, Unger, Barnes, Strief. Remember, even though RG isn't Barnes' preferred spot, he played RG at Oakland, and was serviceable.
2. In each game, the starting defense looked solid early on. They played very well against NE, and the Texans, and again on the first two drives last night. Against Roethlisburger, it was a mixed bag. But they were playing more off-coverage zone.
3. Last night, things didn't start looking dysfunctional until we subbed in our reserves on oline. Lelito and Hills played poorly. Henry was up and down. But looks like he could be a solid back-up.
4. Tommy Lee Lewis is legit. I really wish he would've hauled in that long pass. Grayson threw a beauty.

I'm short. Our starters looked like they took a big step forward this week from last week. They're definitely on the right track. The back-ups, not so much. But, 20 guys won't make this team. That's almost 1/3 of the roster, which is about half of the reserves that played last night.

It's easy to look at the performance and lump the whole thing together and call it bad. But if you pick it apart a bit, and look at undividual units, starters vs back-ups, and even individual players, you will be able to see some good things unfold, as well.
 

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