Time to get some guys back from Injury and make a run (3 Viewers)

[St. Widge]

A 32nd ranked run defense says it isn't all about injuries. If this defense doesn't make a 180 in a hurry then getting all the walking wounded back won't make any difference.

While it's true that the run defense and defensive issues in general isn't all about injuries, I think the loss of Werner was bigger than most thought it would be. He's not flashy, but he's always where he is supposed to be and essentially always makes the tackle. A lot of the issue with our run defense appears to be a lack of maintaining gaps and bad tackling once they are through the gap. Werner will help with that. The other part was lack of effort which resulted in bad tackling.

 

[UFCSaint]

I’m always going to be a glass half full type of guy going into a season. I wanted DA fired the day after he was hired, I had no doubt this would not work out. However, I was willing to believe or try to believe that as a human being he could learn from his previous mistakes and hire the people around him that would help him be successful. His attempt to do that made me want to believe that just maybe he could be different, but it’s obvious watching our team that that is simply not true. No matter how much people want to believe otherwise, the last 5 quarters have shown they’re not playing hard at all. That’s a reflection on him.

Let’s get past that. It’s going to take 10 wins to win this division. There’s nothing I’ve seen from New Orleans that says we can win eight out of the next 11 games even with the schedule being relatively weak, because we saw a really weak schedule last year and could not win 10 games. It’s much more likely that this team will finish somewhere around 7–10.

It’s weird that TB is still a slight favorite to win the South

Just because of your optimism and the fact that the Falcons will try and Falcon, I may throw $100 down on New Orleans to win the south at +2200 haha

Honestly, I will be surprised if this team can win 3 more games the rest of the season

 

[Poppy]

If I knew the timeline for some of these injured players, i could have an opinion on this. But as it stands, we ain't makin a run. The team appears to be mentally done.

 

[BooBirdSaint]

While it's true that the run defense and defensive issues in general isn't all about injuries, I think the loss of Werner was bigger than most thought it would be. He's not flashy, but he's always where he is supposed to be and essentially always makes the tackle. A lot of the issue with our run defense appears to be a lack of maintaining gaps and bad tackling once they are through the gap. Werner will help with that. The other part was lack of effort which resulted in bad tackling.

While Werner is solid I seriously doubt he is the difference between a top 10 run defense and a 32nd ranked run defense? I heard DA also say the communication has been bad and of course the tackling. Don't think Werner is solving all that mess? I think DA is doing something with his schemes or in his preparation that is at the root cause? Some of the craziness that we've seen would point to DA tweaking. Man to zone back man from play to play and series to series seems confusing. Dlinemen dropping into coverage like our best pass rushers is at times bewilderingly frustrating. IDK but I think it's all DA. We will see if he can figure it out before the season is completely dead.

 

[DerrickB]

Can DA win three straight?
Because that's the key.

 

[Pkessling]

While it's true that the run defense and defensive issues in general isn't all about injuries, I think the loss of Werner was bigger than most thought it would be. He's not flashy, but he's always where he is supposed to be and essentially always makes the tackle. A lot of the issue with our run defense appears to be a lack of maintaining gaps and bad tackling once they are through the gap. Werner will help with that. The other part was lack of effort which resulted in bad tackling.

Werner is a decent tackler but slow. He has a tough time with runs to the outside.

 

[springfan]

I'm staying on this thread til the end of the season... It's hard to read all of the negativity.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

This is the way true fans should think, but also everyone in the Saints organization.

Football is a 50/50 mental/physical game. As the organization builds, the negative players should be the first to be replaced, even before the underperforming players.

I think negative fans affect the entire organization. What players, coaches, and even owners want to see booing, throwing stuff, and empty seats? It certainly affects their game!

Save the venom and hissy fits for AFTER the season!

I whole heartedly understand the logic, and yet think the opposite. I think fans spewing venom now is an accurate assessment of the current time. Maybe a bit exaggerated but things don't get that way when you're winning, and they're not. I think the off-season is the time for some levity and logic, but during the season.... Boo them to pieces if they're underperforming.

Yes the sky is falling and it's up to the teams performance to convince me otherwise.

 

[Zztop]

I suspect they will do just enough to play themselves out of a top 10 pick, and secure DA's job for another year

 

[St. Widge]

While Werner is solid I seriously doubt he is the difference between a top 10 run defense and a 32nd ranked run defense? I heard DA also say the communication has been bad and of course the tackling. Don't think Werner is solving all that mess? I think DA is doing something with his schemes or in his preparation that is at the root cause? Some of the craziness that we've seen would point to DA tweaking. Man to zone back man from play to play and series to series seems confusing. Dlinemen dropping into coverage like our best pass rushers is at times bewilderingly frustrating. IDK but I think it's all DA. We will see if he can figure it out before the season is completely dead.

He's not the difference between a top 10 run defense and the No. 32 run defense and I never said he was or that he would solve everything. The run defense other than in the first 4 games has been bad for several years. I don't think it's scheme because when Cam was still good and we had Onyemata, Roach, Tuttle, Malcolm Brown, Rankins, Davidson, etc. the run defense was good. The difference seems to be that our DL, particularly our DTs are not good against the run and Cam has fallen off a cliff.

But, Werner is an important part of the run defense and to some extent it fell apart after he was hurt and was worse when both he and Demario Davis were hurt along with Willie Gay.

But, the truth is that our DL struggles in run defense and has since bringing in Saunders and Shepherd. It was mostly helped out early on by getting the lead on teams and forcing them to throw. That in combination with the injuries to Werner, Davis, and gay, as well as the team being tired and giving up against Tampa and Denver resulted in the run defense being particularly bad.

 

[BBarnes]

Honestly, I will be surprised if this team can win 3 more games the rest of the season

Where I’m at as a fan is either I want to win eight more and win the division, or win zero and compete for the top pick overall. I don’t want any of that in between crap.

 

[St. Widge]

Werner is a decent tackler but slow. He has a tough time with runs to the outside.

Werner is not slow. He's not Know Alexander fast, but he ran 4.62 40 and a 6.9 3 cone at the combine which is good for a LB. So, he's fast enough and more importantly he always knows where he is supposed to be and seldom makes a mis-step in getting there. The bigger problem with runs to the outside is that our DEs outside of Granderson aren't setting the edge.

 

[FooDoo]

So you’re saying there’s a chance?
Finish 8-2

Win against
Chargers 3 wins
Panther 1
Falcon 4
Brown 1
Ram 2
Giants 2
Raider 2
Bucs 4

Lose to
Commanders 5
Packer 5

Bucs lose to Chief & 9ers and Falcons
Falcons lose to Vikings & Commanders and Cowboys

 

[kcirdor]

Admire the optimism. I remember when the weight of the world (and being a saints fan) hadn’t crushed my spirit.

It would be truly historic if we did go on a run and somehow make playoffs, but the math says it won’t happen. No team has ever lost 5 straight and made the playoffs. Just hard to see us being the team of destiny that breaks that trend. We just don’t have the horses.

I bet every one of those 5 loss streak teams weren't 2 games out of 1st place at the end of it.

 

[abnrgr]

Adjust the defense and play three LBs. Play Gay as a DE on passing downs. How long until DA tweeks the pressure like he has the last three years? Usually too late to qualify for the playoffs and letting the rush LB walk in FA and come back to haunt us.