Analysis Week 7 AMA: Where do we go from here? (1 Viewer)

[TCUDan]

The sky is falling in and the bottom is falling out... so why not shoot me your questions.

What goals are left for this season? Is it too soon to talk 'rebuild'? What does that really look like?

Is this a scheme issue? Is it an execution issue? Is there anything left that's working?

X's and O's, coach talk, speculation--let's discuss it all.

 

[football]

I can understand losing. But what I don't understand how almost every individual talents are struggling. Chase Young supposed to be dominating. Breese supposed to take that next leap. Every defensive players seems to lose their ability to tackle all of a sudden. What is going on here? Who's is to blame for this?

 

[limeyjohn]

Good morning mate
Do you think certain players have quit on our coaching staff, or are they just playing that badly, in particular our defense?

 

[TCUDan]

I can understand losing. But what I don't understand how almost every individual talents are struggling. Chase Young supposed to be dominating. Breese supposed to take that next leap. Every defensive players seems to lose their ability to tackle all of a sudden. What is going on here? Who's is to blame for this?

It's a combination.

I'll start by saying that any player who's made it to the NFL should be tackling better than these guys currently are. So now that that's out of the way let's take a look at some of the specifics, b/c there are multitude of tackling situations that a defender encounters during a game (and the Saints are doing pretty poorly at all).

The first issue is the Saints are thin on both sides of the ball. Paper thin. And a lot of their "force multiplier" players are injured--the guys who up the level of their respective unit through their presence play. On defense that starts with Pete Werner, who is the best tackler on the team. That not only means that there's drop off at his position, but now you're missing that guy in the front 7 who makes up for a lot of other player's mistakes or at least decreases the demand placed on them. I think the Will Harris injury has also been significant, and as I've discussed before, Demario Davis is either not 100% or his age is really starting to show.

The defensive line is playing very poorly against the run, and that also makes tackling difficult because fits aren't as clean as they should be. Again, I think there's really an absence of a force multiplier in a unit that has been slowly depleted over recent years, where key players were lost to free agency and the Saints have been unable to adequately replace them. Cam Jordan is getting up there in age and is not as disruptive. Bresee is still a little one dimensional. Chase Young just hasn't found a rhythm and Peyton Turner cannot stay healthy.

All that said--this is still a team that should be playing far above its current level. We've seen banged up Saints defenses before, under DA, playing better with a handful of rookie UDFAs at key positions than what we're seeing now. And this goes back to an issue I've had since day 1--what seems to be a massive philosophical shift on the defensive side of the ball, which seems to be far less pressure-oriented (aside from early down run blitzes) and content to just play loose and lax until the red zone. When your offense is putting up points you can get away with this a little more, and the defense ends up looking pretty good playing from a lead and maximizing turnover opportunities.

But when the offense is banged up and isn't putting up points and sustaining drives, this is the worst situation to be in as this type of defense. It leads to sustained drives and fatigue and lapses in assignment discipline. How many times have we seen a 3 & 9 where a QB takes a checkdown that results in an open-field one-on-one with little pursuit coming, and a missed tackled leads to a first down. It's as infuriating as it is baffling.

And within all this there just seems to not be a lot of clarity when it comes to assignments and responsibilities. I can typically watch a play one or two times through and tell you exactly what the defensive structure was and what the assignments were within it. But this season I've had to spin it a couple more times b/c there are so many assignment errors. The Eagles and Chiefs games specifically come to mind b/c of how good they were at formationing the Saints' defense. But again, this is the NFL. You've seen tight bunch, mesh concepts, rub concepts, delayed crossers, etc.--and yet time and time again, I'm seeing seasoned veterans WILDLY out of position.

The problems on the defensive side fo the ball are broad and deep. And compared to the offense, far less easy to diagnose at a core level. Age, philosophy, heath, clarity, accountability, the lack of complementary play from the offense--there's so much going on that I don't know which is actually a cause and which is an effect.

Regardless--it's on the coaches, not us, to find the answer to these questions.

 

[TCUDan]

Good morning mate
Do you think certain players have quit on our coaching staff, or are they just playing that badly, in particular our defense?

I mean... I really can't say with any certainty, but at this point, it would be fair to speculate that there is some of that going on. Now, I don't think it's players actively not giving their all--it's more of a morale issue. It's distraction and fatigue and could be uncertainty out on the field due to a lack of answers coming from the top.

All of that makes a difference when it comes to a step here, an yard there--the stuff that separates making a tackle from missing it. Delays in diagnosing the play because you're getting guys lined up late. Freelancing a little more or getting outside of your assignment b/c you don't trust that the guy next to you is sound.

So I think "quit" is the wrong word. I think guys aren't playing as fast as they could be b/c the entire defense is mired in uncertainty and maybe a lack of assignment clarity--and, perhaps even, just too many players not buying into the defensive philosophy. When something isn't working, as a coach you're on the clock to figure out how to make it work before guys stop believing in it. And when you're out on the field, having to run a concept you don't believe in, that, in itself, is a distraction that just adds to the cascade.

 

[Seve]

I mean... I really can't say with any certainty, but at this point, it would be fair to speculate that there is some of that going on. Now, I don't think it's players actively not giving their all--it's more of a morale issue. It's distraction and fatigue and could be uncertainty out on the field due to a lack of answers coming from the top.

All of that makes a difference when it comes to a step here, an yard there--the stuff that separates making a tackle from missing it. Delays in diagnosing the play because you're getting guys lined up late. Freelancing a little more or getting outside of your assignment b/c you don't trust that the guy next to you is sound.

So I think "quit" is the wrong word. I think guys aren't playing as fast as they could be b/c the entire defense is mired in uncertainty and maybe a lack of assignment clarity--and, perhaps even, just too many players not buying into the defensive philosophy. When something isn't working, as a coach you're on the clock to figure out how to make it work before guys stop believing in it. And when you're out on the field, having to run a concept you don't believe in, that, in itself, is a distraction that just adds to the cascade.

I know this is "water cooler" hear/say, buuuutt, spoke to a friend who drives for Uber who picked up a Saint player this weekend after Thurs game and he asked whats going on...
Saint player (speaking anonymously) says the team all want DA gone and are not motivated to play for him. Says he has lost the locker room and most players don't listen to his heartless BS.

Take it for what it's worth.

 

[Benleo77]

All very well said! Don’t have much to add! But, I have a strange feeling all of a sudden that they are going to turn this thing around! Saints play their best football in November and December! I say calm down! Injuries are the problem! Chase Young will get more pressures and finish with 7-8 sacks. Bresee will turn the corner! Werner will come back and shore up our defense up front! We really miss that dude! If Ruiz, Taysom, and Carr can get healthy it will help us move the ball and score more! Look, I see these things happening soon! Then our playoffs start next week with the Bolts!

 

[watts]

What did you see from Rattler the past two games that might have gone unnoticed by the casual fan AND did you see enough to give you some indication on if he’s the guy going forward?

(Also, is Jamaal Williams as bad as the naked eye says he is?)

 

[TCUDan]

What did you see from Rattler the past two games that might have gone unnoticed by the casual fan AND did you see enough to give you some indication on if he’s the guy going forward?

(Also, is Jamaal Williams as bad as the naked eye says he is?)

There's some promise there--don't know if I can add much that hasn't been dissected everywhere on the internet. He has good feet, the ability to get creative, effortless arm talent to throw off platform. He's definitely not ready--not on this team, anyway--and I'd say the area where he gets the most exposed is ball location against man coverage and anticipating pressure looks (common stuff for rookie QBs).

With the man coverage stuff--in his defense, he's been without Olave and really Shaheed in both of his starts, and a rookie QB needs a guy(s) who can create separation and possess the body control to be thrown open. So I'm not gonna be too hard on him, he definitely has a skillset that looks good for the future.

I'd honestly like to see Haener get a game before Carr comes back. If we do want to project out into what a Saints rebuild would look like next year (big IF), I think that QB1 spot becomes a competition between Rattler and Haener--which may be a lot less cut and dry than people think.

That statement has nothing to do with Carr. I think, after these last couple of games, it's pretty clear that he's the best QB on the roster.

 

[Turfie]

I know this is "water cooler" hear/say, buuuutt, spoke to a friend who drives for Uber who picked up a Saint player this weekend after Thurs game and he asked whats going on...
Saint player (speaking anonymously) says the team all want DA gone and are not motivated to play for him. Says he has lost the locker room and most players don't listen to his heartless BS.

Take it for what it's worth.

I get this impression too. It’s such a bad situation to be in. If the coach lost the team then how exactly do you move forward?

Players can’t necessarily speak out. Especially the players who are just average. If you say stuff publicly then what other team will want to sign you in the future?