Underhill article: “Saints moves are telling us what they felt the real problem with the team was last season” (101 Viewers)

[DSnfla]

Nick's article today on NOF was one of his best. I encourage everyone to read it. I can't post it because it's a pay site but the gist of what we wrote is that he thought for sure that there would be come cap clearing and getting rid of some older players and some shifting towards rebuilding. But they were not listening, because the Saints had been saying for months that they didn't think the roster was that big of a problem. They think that injuries cut their legs out.

He also wrote that they had a lot of access to the coaching staff recently and when asked what they thought about the team and they referred to the injuries, saying the team " Looked good until" or " Once the QB went down "

He wrote that most of the coaching staff that were here wk 3 wearing green thought that the roster as legitimately good and then pieces started falling away.

He also said that you could look at the team and say "Oh damn, Mccoy, Taysom,Carr, Olave,Shaheed and AK and the other players that got hurt are pretty good at football and the Saints are probably a little better than their record showed. And that's been the feedback from all the guys that took jobs here. He says that what those guys have been saying is logical . Injuries matter. What a shocking take

This part was not in Nick's article
In a way the injury riddled season may be a blessing in disguise. Had we been much more healthy we would probably have won 9-10 games and maybe the NFCS and DA would still be the HC, something we all knew had to change

If that's how CKM and his staff see our team as looking pretty good until the injury bug hit and obviously felt good about it to take the jobs why should they not be trusted? Since they know far better than any of us or anyone in the media.

 

[SweetT]

I don’t buy into the injuries excuse. It’s cool to say it, as a coping mechanism, but 4 out of the top 10 teams that lost the most points due to injuries, made the playoffs (Lions, Bucs, Steelers, and Texans). The main thing, when deciding if a team is good or not, is the depth chart. If your depth chart is underwhelming, then you are not a good team…….you are just a top heavy team. If you can’t build a competent roster, where guys can fill in, due to injuries, then you are lacking at assembling a roster. Good/great teams overcome obstacles. However, if I were to play the “injuries” game, then I would say we were going to be nothing more than an average team bc that was the ceiling that coach showed was his best. I only go by what facts have presented

 

[DSnfla]

I don’t buy into the injuries excuse. It’s cool to say it, as a coping mechanism, but 4 out of the top 10 teams that lost the most points due to injuries, made the playoffs (Lions, Bucs, Steelers, and Texans). The main thing, when deciding if a team is good or not, is the depth chart. If your depth chart is underwhelming, then you are not a good team…….you are just a top heavy team. If you can’t build a competent roster, where guys can fill in, due to injuries, then you are lacking at assembling a roster. Good/great teams overcome obstacles. However, if I were to play the “injuries” game, then I would say we were going to be nothing more than an average team bc that was the ceiling that coach showed was his best. I only go by what facts have presented

Lost points due to injury is just a guess kind of stat. So, I guess you disagree with CKM and the whole staff then

 

[StudioSaint]

I don’t buy into the injuries excuse. It’s cool to say it, as a coping mechanism, but 4 out of the top 10 teams that lost the most points due to injuries, made the playoffs (Lions, Bucs, Steelers, and Texans). The main thing, when deciding if a team is good or not, is the depth chart. If your depth chart is underwhelming, then you are not a good team…….you are just a top heavy team. If you can’t build a competent roster, where guys can fill in, due to injuries, then you are lacking at assembling a roster. Good/great teams overcome obstacles. However, if I were to play the “injuries” game, then I would say we were going to be nothing more than an average team bc that was the ceiling that coach showed was his best. I only go by what facts have presented

I think improving the depth and keeping players healthier will lead to a much better season. We'll have a clearer picture of the depth situation after the undrafted free agent signing period. Unfortunately, we won't know how the health issue looks until the season is over. Fingers crossed though.

The biggest change they made was probably the most important and could create the biggest improvement. Better coaching can get better results out of the same players. I'm not saying better coaching can turn a back up into an all pro, but it can be the difference between a player being a solid backup or a weak backup. It can also make your good players even better.

 

[DSnfla]

Thanks to the Mods, I didn't know what I could link because it's a pay site, Didn;t what to step on any toes

 

[SweetT]

Lost points due to injury is just a guess kind of stat. So, I guess you disagree with CKM and the whole staff then

Not that i disagree with them, but I do disagree with their terminology. A team is a team, not just your starting 22. What they were saying is, yeah “if” or “had” this didn’t happen, but what about those guys behind the starters, that every position coach is supposed to be getting those guys ready, in case of an injury to the guy in front of them? Next man up, has always been a thing. Have to be prepared for everything that a season can throw your way. 31 teams can use excuses, but in the end, only 1 team got it all correct, or the most correct. Plus, if your team is decimated with injuries, then you better get your strength and conditioning system right. You better get your diet and nutrition right. You better make sure that your guys are partaking in muscle recovery. All of those entities are part of the team as well.

 

[SaintSeb]

The goal is to be a contender and win a Super Bowl, not simply be "good." If what NU says is true, I don't agree with the Saints FO's premise of this being a contending roster. I haven't seen any evidence of it being one at least. No use crying over spilled milk now though.

 

[Saint Spud]

Hopefully they’re right.

But they’re also gambling that an aging core will get healthier with another year of wear and tear. That isn’t how it usually works.

Some of the key injuries were to:

Carr (age 34)
Kamara (age 30 at RB)
Taysom (age 35)
Olave (multiple concussions)
Shaheed (torn ACL)
McCoy (entering prime)
Lattimore (gone)
Adebo (gone)
Moreau (28)

 

[SweetT]

Lost points due to injury is just a guess kind of stat. So, I guess you disagree with CKM and the whole staff then

Playing hypothetical of what kind of team we would’ve been, without injuries is a guess kind of stat as well

 

[SweetT]

The goal is to be a contender and win a Super Bowl, not simply be "good." If what NU says is true, I don't agree with the Saints FO's premise of this being a contending roster. I haven't seen any evidence of it being one at least. No use crying over spilled milk now though.

Depends on what they consider contenders?!?! If they mean just for the division, then yes, the division was begging for someone to win it. The past 3 years even. As of right now, the collective group can point the finger at injuries bc that’s the only excuse left. The team, the past 3 years, was lacking coaching, depth, motivation, fundamental football, cohesiveness, and fun. Literally not a good team by any measure. The DA brand of football was most likely not going to ball out like some may think. He lost that locker room the year before and he was on borrowed time. The moment losing happens, our players were mentally shot.

 

[DSnfla]

Not that i disagree with them, but I do disagree with their terminology. A team is a team, not just your starting 22. What they were saying is, yeah “if” or “had” this didn’t happen, but what about those guys behind the starters, that every position coach is supposed to be getting those guys ready, in case of an injury to the guy in front of them? Next man up, has always been a thing. Have to be prepared for everything that a season can throw your way. 31 teams can use excuses, but in the end, only 1 team got it all correct, or the most correct. Plus, if your team is decimated with injuries, then you better get your strength and conditioning system right. You better get your diet and nutrition right. You better make sure that your guys are partaking in muscle recovery. All of those entities are part of the team as well.

You can be the best conditioned team in the league and injuries can and will happen that you have no control over like TH and Adebo's injuries. And you can go above and beyond to prevent soft tissue injuries but they still happen. That " Next Man Up" is really a motivational phrase. Anyone that thinks the backup will perform just as well as the starter is just off base.

As far as depth , no team is going to pay starter $ to a guy that could start on a good team thinking " We better do this because we know we're going to be decimated by injury" , The draft is where your depth comes from and eventually your starters.

My point is that I agree with CKM and the staff that without all the injuries we would have been a good team, not great. And health and better coaching ( which I think we have now ) we are not far from the playoffs. And contrary to what some believe playoffs is where you start

 

[DSnfla]

The goal is to be a contender and win a Super Bowl, not simply be "good." If what NU says is true, I don't agree with the Saints FO's premise of this being a contending roster. I haven't seen any evidence of it being one at least. No use crying over spilled milk now though.

This premise that the Saints are thinking " We just want to make the playoffs or win the NCFS " and nothing more is absurd to me. How do you think any team can contend for a SB without doing the 1st one?

 

[Chuck McGill Esq.]

Do older players tend to get injured more frequently?

 

[Chuck McGill Esq.]

Depends on what they consider contenders?!?! If they mean just for the division, then yes, the division was begging for someone to win it. The past 3 years even. As of right now, the collective group can point the finger at injuries bc that’s the only excuse left. The team, the past 3 years, was lacking coaching, depth, motivation, fundamental football, cohesiveness, and fun. Literally not a good team by any measure. The DA brand of football was most likely not going to ball out like some may think. He lost that locker room the year before and he was on borrowed time. The moment losing happens, our players were mentally shot.

Defense didn’t have that many injuries and couldn’t tackle to save their lives.

 

[DSnfla]

Depends on what they consider contenders?!?! If they mean just for the division, then yes, the division was begging for someone to win it. The past 3 years even. As of right now, the collective group can point the finger at injuries bc that’s the only excuse left. The team, the past 3 years, was lacking coaching, depth, motivation, fundamental football, cohesiveness, and fun. Literally not a good team by any measure. The DA brand of football was most likely not going to ball out like some may think. He lost that locker room the year before and he was on borrowed time. The moment losing happens, our players were mentally shot.

Excatly , which is why CKM and his staff are thinking that the roster may not be the biggest issue. Not saying we have SB roster but one we can make the playoffs or maybe win the NFCS. Coaching and motivation will make a world of difference