The saddest part of yesterday’s shutout, and hope for the future (1 Viewer)

[El Caliente]

IMHO I think the most disappointing part of yesterday’s loss to the 49ers is that we could have won. We had 13-17 points (at least) just not hit. The missed fg, the Juwan Johnson/Taysom Hill end zone drops, the Kamara fumble. Those all should have been points, but we couldn’t cash in. We should have been in the thick of it, and we couldn’t finish the job. That is more on the players than the coaches. The game plan could have been better, but the coaches can only do so much when players aren’t handling the ball properly.

The good news is, if the players can figure out how to catch the ball, or get the ball through the upright, or not trip on their own feet (still not sure how that wasn’t called a catch), this team can compete. So much of our lack of success can be boiled down to self inflicted wounds and poor game plans.

If we can get the right coaching in here (who the players will follow), we have talent to compete with darn near anyone. We don’t need to make wholesale changes to get on the right side of the ledger, we are constantly “almost there”.

I don’t think we will make the playoffs this season, but with proper reshaping this offseason, we can be back in the hunt next year.

 

[Taker597]

I don't know... We have to rebuild our defensive line next year on a budget. I just don't see how we rebound. D-line depth and talent has completely eroded away.

We need a new DT and top level pass rusher on the edge.

 

[El Caliente]

I don't know... We have to rebuild our defensive line next year on a budget. I just don't see how we rebound. D-line depth and talent has completely eroded away.

We need a new DT and top level pass rusher on the edge.

I don’t think a full rebuild of the dline is required. I think the restructuring of deals will be necessary, but player wise I think the drop off has to do with coaching more than talent.

 

[44slayer]

People are advocating kicking the can, and continuing with 'win now' at 4-8. I blame the NFC South as a whole for people making threads saying they "dont think" we will make the playoffs sitting at 4-8. Even if you win this division, its not even really an accomplishment, and it certainly doesnt make you a contender.

Win now makes sense coming off 12-4, 13-3. Hell even 9-8. You cant continue 'win now', while losing 10-12 games.

This needs to be a rebuild. Theres no 2 ways about it. Win now has to stop.

 

[St. Geezy]

IMHO I think the most disappointing part of yesterday’s loss to the 49ers is that we could have won. We had 13-17 points (at least) just not hit. The missed fg, the Juwan Johnson/Taysom Hill end zone drops, the Kamara fumble. Those all should have been points, but we couldn’t cash in. We should have been in the thick of it, and we couldn’t finish the job. That is more on the players than the coaches. The game plan could have been better, but the coaches can only do so much when players aren’t handling the ball properly.

The good news is, if the players can figure out how to catch the ball, or get the ball through the upright, or not trip on their own feet (still not sure how that wasn’t called a catch), this team can compete. So much of our lack of success can be boiled down to self inflicted wounds and poor game plans.

If we can get the right coaching in here (who the players will follow), we have talent to compete with darn near anyone. We don’t need to make wholesale changes to get on the right side of the ledger, we are constantly “almost there”.

I don’t think we will make the playoffs this season, but with proper reshaping this offseason, we can be back in the hunt next year.

It is on the players, sure, but ultimately it’s a manifestation of poor coaching and an overall lack of fundamental attention to detail/accountability, IMO.

 

[Nolan]

At this point, however many losses to convince management to get this coaching staff out of the building is fine with me. I'm over the Eagles pick already.

Even if there's one more year before we can really clear up cap and get dead money off the books, we still have a lot of really good young building blocks, and it would be an absolute crime to have them continue their development under this abyssmal coaching staff.

 

[El Caliente]

At this point, however many losses to convince management to get this coaching staff out of the building is fine with me. I'm over the Eagles pick already.

Even if there's one more year before we can really clear up cap and get dead money off the books, we still have a lot of really good young building blocks, and it would be an absolute crime to have them continue their development under this abyssmal coaching staff.

Amen.

IMHO we are fine on the oline, de, wide receiver, linebacker, cb, and running back. We need to either make changes to the positions not on this list (either through player shake up, or coaching changes).

 

[DisplacedSaint]

When a team of pros start making uncharacteristic mistakes consistently (when they never did before) after a coaching change, it probably has a little bit to do with how the house is being (or not being) kept in order.

That's the frustrating part for me. We have proven talent and we see the team faltering because of lack of execution in coaching, game planning, and on the field.

 

[SailorJerrysHorse]

I don't think our problem is talent on the player side, we have enough good, healthy players right now to field a winning team. When stars make stupid mistakes or try and do too much that's a reflection on the coaching itself, and the players faith in those coaches. I'm not an advocate for in-season firings, and I'm sadly pessimistic that they'll even make a change at the end of the season (with the possible exception of Carmichael being the scapegoat), but man I wish/hope/pray that they rebuild this coaching staff come January. The continuity experiment was a fine idea, but it's obvious this team needs fresh blood.

My ideal scenario is DA gets fired, Payton is traded for a 1st at least, Carmichael and DA follow Payton wherever he goes, the Saints find a hungry and passionate leader to take this team over, and Loomis finds a way to get better at QB, Safety, DT, and running back (assuming Kamara misses time next year) without mortgaging the future. One can hope.

 

[rlemieux]

I hate to write this but I think there’s issues with this team far beyond what most believe. I think this team is broken on a cellular level if you will. This is a team that completely lacks leadership or a vision. I think Gayle and the front office completely underestimated the Sean Payton affect and thought (which) isn’t news) that we could replicate that just because these coaches were around it day in and day out. Put Payton aside and I see a team completely devoid of leaders. The only 2 true leaders I can see (maybe I’m missing some?) are Cam and Davis and both are closer to the end than the beginning. We have a group of selfish, self absorbed players that a have been pseudo leaders by default but they’re the wrong type of guys you want leading you into the future. I could list the players but I think everyone knows who they are. That leads to coaching, that leads to the front office. When Payton was here his voice, message carried over everything. Those “trouble” guys were drowned out by his shear presence. Now, without that, those versions of those players are left unchecked. Weeds have been allowed to grow and take over the fields and there’s no one in the organization with the ability to stop it. Dissension, selfishness have been allowed to be unchecked. The voices that were once whispers are full grown growls. I don’t see that changing without some MAJOR adjustments. For all the talent in the world, it’s hard to put things back once they're out. More often than not these players need to be removed to reverse the affect they’ve had organizationally. Just like a garden full of weeds, flowers won’t grow unless soil is changed. Most of the time sacrificing the good along with the bad.

I don’t know, and I doubt there’s an easy fix to where we are. I think players, very talented players may need to be pruned for the greater good. Beyond the cap problems, beyond the draft capital we gave away, beyond the questionable decisions on players and draft picks, we are broken. That’s not going to change easily.

 

[HoustonCajun]

At this point, however many losses to convince management to get this coaching staff out of the building is fine with me. I'm over the Eagles pick already.

Even if there's one more year before we can really clear up cap and get dead money off the books, we still have a lot of really good young building blocks, and it would be an absolute crime to have them continue their development under this abyssmal coaching staff.

Amen!!

 

[dtc]

I don't know... We have to rebuild our defensive line next year on a budget. I just don't see how we rebound. D-line depth and talent has completely eroded away.

We need a new DT and top level pass rusher on the edge.

D Line was fine yesterday. What are you talking about?

 

[Taker597]

D Line was fine yesterday. What are you talking about?

Oh, I'm sorry... How does yesterday quantify for a whole season of looking washed and run defense being absolutely terrible.

Do you even know what our D-line is for next year?

Cameron Jordan
Payton Turner
Carl Ganderson

That's it. $60 million over the cap.

We don't have a DT on the roster next season.

 

[guillermo]

I don’t know, and I doubt there’s an easy fix to where we are. I think players, very talented players may need to be pruned for the greater good. Beyond the cap problems, beyond the draft capital we gave away, beyond the questionable decisions on players and draft picks, we are broken. That’s not going to change easily.

I am more worried about the plan for the future than to put the blame on someone.

Everything and everyone should be evaluated. And we just can't continue doing the same thing, hoping for better results.

On the administrative side, It is time to make a 5 year plan that consider the limited resources we have (cap and draft wise), the age of our roster, the best way to soft the blow of players that should be leaving and what are we going to do to replace them.

On the coaching side, we really have to evaluate if it is reasonable to handle a system that was based on the accuracy of Drew Brees. And on defence, how are we going to rebuild the defensive line and specially, the safety position.

And regarding the players, we are going to have a difficult evaluation concerning cost/performance. Unfortunately, since we decide to extend players we simply have to learn that our possibility of trading/cutting some of our expensive contracts is impossible. That brings me to the way we currently do business, thinking on the present only. We should stop "accomodating" the numbers in order to fit a cap, delaying problems for the immediate future. Some of you think that Loomis is a genius by managing the cap to its limit, but this strategy on one side allow us to fit the limit year by year, but also make us work with dead money, contracts that can't be moved, and future picks committed to the present.

The worst news of the season for me will be getting into April's draft and the status quo stayed the same.

The problem is not this season, it is the seasons to come.

 

[Taker597]

I am more worried about the plan for the future than to put the blame on someone.

Everything and everyone should be evaluated. And we just can't continue doing the same thing, hoping for better results.

On the administrative side, It is time to make a 5 year plan that consider the limited resources we have (cap and draft wise), the age of our roster, the best way to soft the blow of players that should be leaving and what are we going to do to replace them.

On the coaching side, we really have to evaluate if it is reasonable to handle a system that was based on the accuracy of Drew Brees. And on defence, how are we going to rebuild the defensive line and specially, the safety position.

And regarding the players, we are going to have a difficult evaluation concerning cost/performance. Unfortunately, since we decide to extend players we simply have to learn that our possibility of trading/cutting some of our expensive contracts is impossible. That brings me to the way we currently do business, thinking on the present only. We should stop "accomodating" the numbers in order to fit a cap, delaying problems for the immediate future. Some of you think that Loomis is a genius by managing the cap to its limit, but this strategy on one side allow us to fit the limit year by year, but also make us work with dead money, contracts that can't be moved, and future picks committed to the present.

The worst news of the season for me will be getting into April's draft and the status quo stayed the same.

The problem is not this season, it is the seasons to come.

Oh man... If DA is back. Atleast tickets will be cheap again.