What is working and what isn't working, is the only things that matters now. (1 Viewer)

[liveoakh]

Flogging the QB and coaches is getting us no where fast as a fan base. We go to war with the army we have , not the army we want. There is no cavalry coming!!!! Our problems are not going to be solved by changing personnel, though changes are needed and will happen. This thought of changing QBs or play callers, or head coaches alone, will change our fortunes,is wishful thinking.

So, let's discuss the last 3 games, and what we see working, and not working.


What's not working

Offense

1) We are not sustaining drives. Why?
2) The 1st two reads seem to always be covered or require a perfect throw for a contested catch.
3) Our running game w/ or without Kamara doesn't threaten anyone, any longer.
4) The O line seems average w/ out Drew. This is where personnel changes will be made next year.
5) We can't make teams pay for blitzing us.
6) Pass protection seems broken on blitzes. This is where the offense is failing. Blitz pick up.
7) The lack of new ideas from Kodie Burns, Ronald Curry being introduced to the game plan. Play calling is stale.

We are a talented team but not complete, evolving as an offense, and still finding our feet.

Defense

1) There first 2 reads seem to be open, thus allowing them to avoid our pass rush. They are getting the ball out quickly.


That's about it on defense. If we could do the above, and the offense could sustain drives. The Defense would be fine.

Offense

What seems to be working.

1) Olave is picking up the WR game quickly now.

2) The introduction of TQS, JJ and Calloway seem to bolster Jamies. He seemed more confident in where they would be. Then getting them the ball. I think it's because of chemistry, and it has taken a few games for that chemistry to build w/ Olive, CGM and Landry.

3) The 4th quarter.

Please add points to these lists.

 

[BooBirdSaint]

IMO its turnovers, turnovers, self inflicted stupidity. We dominated Carolina on both sides of the ball. We cannot continue to kill drives with stupid penalties and turnovers. Now we got hosed on a couple calls in the last two games but had we not shot ourselves in the foot before those calls they wouldn't have mattered.
9 total turnovers in 3 games is loser football. As mediocre as the offense is we have to be perfect to sustain drives. Undiciplied OL play and sloppy ball control are putting a suspect unit in a hole they are unable to recover from unless we are playing the clowns.
I don't know how to address the line adjustments but whoever is making them is screwing them up. Winston and the OL continue to fail to adjust to blitzing. Where are the slants and screen game? Its like Carmichael has amnisea. IDK but it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion when the offense lines up.
DA better figure it out in a hurry b/c the schedule doesn't get any easier.

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

I feel like we're not trying to get a 1st down on 1st or 2nd down...almost always leading to 3rd down....when we run tempo, we look to move the ball past the sticks on every play...that works. This whole, get 5 yards on 1st, 2 on 2nd and hope we get 3 on third doesn't work.

We're too passive and we have no flow.

 

[liveoakh]

I feel like we're not trying to get a 1st down on 1st or 2nd down...almost always leading to 3rd down....when we run tempo, we look to move the ball past the sticks on every play...that works. This whole, get 5 yards on 1st, 2 on 2nd and hope we get 3 on third doesn't work.

We're too passive and we have no flow.

It does seem that the minute we need to move the ball in chunks w/ the passing game, Jamies plays better. Because that's his jam!! That is what he does. But, Pete and DA want to run this ball control Offense, w/ out a TE and a running game that scares no one.

 

[jdpower13]

I feel like we're not trying to get a 1st down on 1st or 2nd down...almost always leading to 3rd down....when we run tempo, we look to move the ball past the sticks on every play...that works. This whole, get 5 yards on 1st, 2 on 2nd and hope we get 3 on third doesn't work.

We're too passive and we have no flow.

^ this



Our 3rd down offense is not good enough to waste the first 2 downs trying to get a shorter 3rd down. We’re not sustaining drives, I feel like we should go for more chunk plays

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

It does seem that the minute we need to move the ball in chunks w/ the passing game, Jamies plays better. Because that's his jam!! That is what he does. But, Pete and DA want to run this ball control Offense, w/ out a TE and a running game that scares no one.

AK started off pretty good w/ that 27 yard run, but after that it just nosedived...it goes back to presnap alignments IMO, we're bunching everything up and it just invites more defenders to the box. AK cant run because as soon as he got the handoff, Throckmorton or whoever gets beat, and he's left staring a defender in the face.

But overall, we just look weird on offense...it's disjointed but predictable...if that makes any sense

 

[Nolan]

Pete Carmichael is still calling plays like he's got a declining Drew Brees under center. It's beyond predictable. The playcalling seemed better 2017-2020 because Drew was able to check out of unfavorable looks on both sides whether it was a stacked box or a weak front. Now, we don't have a QB who can win at the line of scrimmage to cover up our weaknesses in playcalling. We're tipping our hands based on down and distance and personel groupings. You don't even have to be that talented of a defense, if you know what's coming, you can shut it down.

I'm not forgiving Jameis because he's missing easy reads throughout the game, but Pete is NOT doing him any favors with the playcalling and from what I've seen through the first three games he refuses to adapt to his new quarterback. It'll look the same if Andy Dalton is under center. We'll always be in unfavorable 3rd and longs because Pete doesn't know how to mix up his playcalling. There's no guessing game for the defense - they sell out to the early down runs and set themselves up for favorable 3rd and longs. Jameis also needs to get better at identifying the blitz early and adjusting protection more accordingly, and getting the ball to the hot read faster.

Outside of the touchdown set up from Taysom's long run versus the Falcons, we have a total of 3 first half points through 3 games. That is embarrassingly bad. If it doesn't get better I'm 100% in favor of canning Pete and giving duties to Ronald Curry. I'm not opposed to seeing Dalton at some point either if the struggles continue, but I think Pete is the bigger problem right now.

 

[saint_drago]

First thing, clean up the penalties. This is some of the most unorganized grabastic football I've seen in years. And you have to take care of the ball. You just have to. Winston is going to throw three or four balls that can be intercepted every game and it's just a matter if the defender can make a play. That's just who Winston is. We all hoped it would magically disappear since he's been going to the Harvard for QBs but that bad decision making is simply in his DNA. And then to make matters exponentially worse all of the sudden now we're seeing game changing fumbles each week. You're not going to win many games at any level of football if you're killing yourself with penalties and turnovers. That's why we always hear coaches using clichés about the mental part of the game and limiting mistakes. The fundamentals are the foundation upon which everything else is built. If the fundamentals aren't there then you aren't going to win many games.

And the second thing, what in the hell is the offensive philosophy right now? For the life of me I can't figure it out. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. No flow. No real plan. No long game strategy. It looks like a novice Madden player selecting plays at random from a early '00s playbook. What's the deal with all of these low percentage pass attempts? Where is the creativity? The book is out on this offense and it has been for years. Defenses (and fans watching the game) know exactly what is coming.

 

[Shines44]

We need to bring back Joe Brady as our OC

 

[Nolan]

First thing, clean up the penalties. This is some of the most unorganized grabastic football I've seen in years. And you have to take care of the ball. You just have to. Winston is going to throw three or four balls that can be intercepted every game and it's just a matter if the defender can make a play. That's just who Winston is. We all hoped it would magically disappear since he's been going to the Harvard for QBs but that bad decision making is simply in his DNA. And then to make matters exponentially worse all of the sudden now we're seeing game changing fumbles each week. You're not going to win many games at any level of football if you're killing yourself with penalties and turnovers. That's why we always hear coaches using clichés about the mental part of the game and limiting mistakes. The fundamentals are the foundation upon which everything else is built. If the fundamentals aren't there then you aren't going to win many games.

And the second thing, what in the hell is the offensive philosophy right now? For the life of me I can't figure it out. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. No flow. No real plan. No long game strategy. It looks like a novice Madden player selecting plays at random from a early '00s playbook. What's the deal with all of these low percentage pass attempts? Where is the creativity? The book is out on this offense and it has been for years. Defenses (and fans watching the game) know exactly what is coming.

Couldn't agree more. It's like, if we're sitting on the couch knowing exactly what's coming based on down/distance and formation/personel - how easy must it be for professionals who watch have watched hours and hours of film on us?

And this isn't new for Pete either. I remember when Sean was suspended, I was outraged that we were tipping our hand for pass when Darren Sproles was on the field, especially on early downs. It was something like 90%+ of the time we were passing when he was on the field.