As most know, the hardest thing to do in sports is to defend a Super Bowl championship. Especially your first. Your team is asked to do that which is completely foreign to them. After receiving enormous adjulation from fans, media and contemporaries, they must battle complaceny, apathy, injuries and if that's not enough, every team's best shot. Every week.
In short, the Super Bowl hangover.
Now in New Orleans we know all about hangovers. They can range from mild (1 Advil) to severe (5 Advils) on the K&B Hangover Rx Scale.
Ask the Baltimore Ravens(4) and Tampa Bay Bucs(5), teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs after winning their Super Bowls then bounced around never to return and the Bucs sinking to a 3-13 season. Ask New England and Pittsburg (3) who after winning their Super Bowls, failed to qualify for the playoffs but rebounded to win the big game again. Then there's Peyton Manning's Colts (1), who won their division but lost the their playoff opener the year after their Super Bowl win. It's just tough.
So the New Orleans Saints finished their first post Super Bowl regular season a respectful 11-5 and qualified for a wildcard berth. 11 wins and playoffs automatically eliminates five Advil status. However a look at the losses revealed a lingering hangover looming early in the season which might have doomed a lesser team.
Let's take a look.
In week 3, crucial turnovers by Drew Brees and a hungover Garrett Hartley missed a gimme 29 yard field goal attempt in overtime ending Sean Payton's mastery of Atlanta. A miss that would prove monumental as the season played out. 3 Advils
Week 5 was perhaps the worst in the Payton era. Losing to a very bad Phoenix Cardinals team featurng a first time wristband reading starting quarterback named Max Hall. A team who would go on to lose 11 games and become cellar dwellers of the woefull NFC West. 5 Advils and an Alka Seltzer
Week 7 came after a 31-7 beat down of division rival Tampa Bay. The floundering 1-5 Cleveland Browns came to town wanting a piece of the Super Bowl champs. They got more than a piece as they befuddled SB MVP Drew Brees into his worst performance as a Saint. Brees threw two pic6's to a DL bearing a name earily close to that of his newborn son. They were preceeded by a costly drive killing INT to cast off LB and former NO fan fave Scott Fajita. All to a team that would close 2010 with 11 losses. Hangover?! This looked more like an overdose! 5 Advils and 4 drops of Visine.
The metal of the champions were indeed being tested.
Displayng the heart of champions, though, they responded. Ripping off six straight wins including a Sunday night home win against Pittsburg and a Monday Night Footbal win on the road in Atlanta which positioned them for a shot at the #1 seed in the playoffs.
Losing to the Ravens in Baltimore in December ended that dream of repeating as #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. 4 Advils and a heating pad.
Losing a meaningless regular season finally to Tampa normally wouldn't mean much, but with three starters going down to injuries, this could spell doom in the playoffs. 4 1/2 Advils and 2 Vicadin.
Struggling with a once reliable receiving corps that dropped more passes than Wil I Am drops beats, an offensive line that averaged mutilple holding penaties per game and provided Brees with little time, injuries to runninng backs Lionel Hamilton, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Chris Ivory, Drew Brees threw a career high 22 interceptions but also a miraculous NFC high 34 td passes. The offense finished 2010 ranked 6th total and 3rd passing. 2 1/2 Advils
Defensively, the Saints ranked a Sean Payton alltime high 5th in the league going into the season finally, however failed to muster up the game changing turnovers created during their run to the Super Bowl. Nowhere was this more dramatic than interceptions. The Saints were 3rd in the NFL in 2009 with 26 int's, returning 5 for touchdowns compared to 9 pics and 2 for td's in 2010. OUCH! That's a 4 Advil by itself! The defense did however see the emergence of second year DB Malcom Jenkins into a legit NFL safety but perhaps the fading of all time great Darren Sharper. 2 Advils
As the playoffs loom, the Saints face a new challenge, no home playoff games. However, the Saints played better on the road this season at 6-2, including a huge victory in the Georgia Dome.
As hangovers go, I'd rate the regular season a 2 out of 5, with 5 being a losing season as the Saints did finish with 11 wins but failed to win their division and lock up home field advantage.
Now it's on to the playoffs and a new beginning. We'll see what the champs are made of.
And if the hangover worsens or fades away...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Case Against Boise ST and TCU
It's that time of year again. The annual debate about the BCS standings. Who should and who should not be ranked. Included in this debate is what in the world to do with Boise ST and TCU. I may be old school or a littlie biased but Boise and TCU shouldn't even be in the argument. Now before all you BSU/TCU believers roll your eyes and say"Fazende's lost his mind again", let me make my case.
First, the darlings of ESPN,ABC, and most media "experts", blue field Boise St. (10-0 6-0). "Sure they play in a small conference but look at their marque wins outside the conference" is the case most frequently used for BSU. OK, let's look at their "marque" non-conference wins:
First Virgina Tech. Yes the always overrated and over ranked Hokies who begin every season top 10, lose their non conference games then regroup in that tough Coastal Division of the vaunted ACC. BSU received the earliest Christmas gift in history from Frank Beamer in week one when his team had the ball and the lead with less then two minutes to play and BSU without timeouts. Intead of three runs up the middle and punting with seconds remaining, he calls for a sweep on second down when his oh so well coached RB runs out of bounds stopping the clock. On third down, displaying Milesian clock management skills, Beamer calls for a pass which falls incomplete, again stopping the clock, leaving well over a minute to play. To their credit, BSU, led by QB Kevin Moore, thanked Frankie boy for his early good tidings by marching down the field and scoring the winning touchdown. VaTech came back strong after the loss promptly losing to James Madison University. That loss alone eliminates this as a "marque" win for BSU.
Second BSU marque win: Oregon ST. Why? Because they happen to play in the Pac 10. OSU had lost to TCU in week one and has followed the BSU loss with losses to 4-6 Washington and UCLA and 2-9 Wash St on their way to 5-5 with two games remaining. Though OSU plays in the BCS conference PAC 10, even BSU believers must concede beating them can hardly be considered marque.
Next marque match up: 10-1 #19 Nevada. Please. Nevada's 10-1 record against the likes of Eastern Washington, Idaho and Utah State impresses only those trying to make an argument for BSU's high ranking.
These marque wins were sandwiched by wins against such blockbuster programs such as Wyoming, Toledo and New Mexico St.
Now 11-0 TCU. The "thinking man's" pick. "Nobody is talking about TCU and their impressive run, they get no love!"
Stop! Now!
TCU "marque" wins:
Oregon State: read above
Baylor: Gave up an average of 48 points in their 5 losses includung 55 and 53 to Oklahoma St and Oklahoma respectively. But they did beat powerhouses like Sam Houston St, Buffalo and 5-6 Texas in the midst of their worst season in the Mack Brown era.
Utah: proud owners of wins against the likes of San Jose St, Wyoming and Colorado St. After losing to TCU, Utah got spanked by Notre Dame 28-3, erasing any luster TCU mat have gained by beating them.
"But these two programs can't help who they play, plus they beat everyone on their schedule by lopsided margins". You're making my point. They play a weak schedule year after year, never take the Florida St route of real tough non conference foes then whine about lack of respect at the end of the season.
If these schools could possibly go through a schedule that opens up with the usual pancakes then play in a row, Kentucky, at Alabama, at Arkansas, La Laf, at Tennesse, at LSU then close with an in state arch rival and still remain unbeaten, or even once beaten, then I would gladly show them the love so desperately covet. That's a typical SEC, PAC 10 or Big 12 schedule. That's why a one loss SEC,PAC 10 or Big 12 school should jump the likes of unbeaten BSU/TCU.
Let me put it this way.
Next season Mississippi St announces they are joining the CUSA West division with Tulane, UTEP, Houston, Rice and Tulsa. They add Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Vanderbilt, three BCS conference schools, to their non conference schedule. They run the table. They demand to be included at the BCS feast. Would all those BSU/TCU backers be on that Bulldog bandwagon?
First, the darlings of ESPN,ABC, and most media "experts", blue field Boise St. (10-0 6-0). "Sure they play in a small conference but look at their marque wins outside the conference" is the case most frequently used for BSU. OK, let's look at their "marque" non-conference wins:
First Virgina Tech. Yes the always overrated and over ranked Hokies who begin every season top 10, lose their non conference games then regroup in that tough Coastal Division of the vaunted ACC. BSU received the earliest Christmas gift in history from Frank Beamer in week one when his team had the ball and the lead with less then two minutes to play and BSU without timeouts. Intead of three runs up the middle and punting with seconds remaining, he calls for a sweep on second down when his oh so well coached RB runs out of bounds stopping the clock. On third down, displaying Milesian clock management skills, Beamer calls for a pass which falls incomplete, again stopping the clock, leaving well over a minute to play. To their credit, BSU, led by QB Kevin Moore, thanked Frankie boy for his early good tidings by marching down the field and scoring the winning touchdown. VaTech came back strong after the loss promptly losing to James Madison University. That loss alone eliminates this as a "marque" win for BSU.
Second BSU marque win: Oregon ST. Why? Because they happen to play in the Pac 10. OSU had lost to TCU in week one and has followed the BSU loss with losses to 4-6 Washington and UCLA and 2-9 Wash St on their way to 5-5 with two games remaining. Though OSU plays in the BCS conference PAC 10, even BSU believers must concede beating them can hardly be considered marque.
Next marque match up: 10-1 #19 Nevada. Please. Nevada's 10-1 record against the likes of Eastern Washington, Idaho and Utah State impresses only those trying to make an argument for BSU's high ranking.
These marque wins were sandwiched by wins against such blockbuster programs such as Wyoming, Toledo and New Mexico St.
Now 11-0 TCU. The "thinking man's" pick. "Nobody is talking about TCU and their impressive run, they get no love!"
Stop! Now!
TCU "marque" wins:
Oregon State: read above
Baylor: Gave up an average of 48 points in their 5 losses includung 55 and 53 to Oklahoma St and Oklahoma respectively. But they did beat powerhouses like Sam Houston St, Buffalo and 5-6 Texas in the midst of their worst season in the Mack Brown era.
Utah: proud owners of wins against the likes of San Jose St, Wyoming and Colorado St. After losing to TCU, Utah got spanked by Notre Dame 28-3, erasing any luster TCU mat have gained by beating them.
"But these two programs can't help who they play, plus they beat everyone on their schedule by lopsided margins". You're making my point. They play a weak schedule year after year, never take the Florida St route of real tough non conference foes then whine about lack of respect at the end of the season.
If these schools could possibly go through a schedule that opens up with the usual pancakes then play in a row, Kentucky, at Alabama, at Arkansas, La Laf, at Tennesse, at LSU then close with an in state arch rival and still remain unbeaten, or even once beaten, then I would gladly show them the love so desperately covet. That's a typical SEC, PAC 10 or Big 12 schedule. That's why a one loss SEC,PAC 10 or Big 12 school should jump the likes of unbeaten BSU/TCU.
Let me put it this way.
Next season Mississippi St announces they are joining the CUSA West division with Tulane, UTEP, Houston, Rice and Tulsa. They add Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Vanderbilt, three BCS conference schools, to their non conference schedule. They run the table. They demand to be included at the BCS feast. Would all those BSU/TCU backers be on that Bulldog bandwagon?
Sunday, November 7, 2010
One Great Weekend
You work all week. Look forward to the weekend. Then something comes up and the weekend is partially or totally shot. Then there are weekends like the one I just had.
Friday: Brother Martin defeats Jesuit 28-27. My son plays in the band so it's always fun to watch the game and listen to the band play. Martin takes their band seriously and they practice very hard to make the games entertaining. There's a special moment after each game when the team gathers in front of the band as the fight song is playing, they hold their helmets above their heads in salute to the fans and band for their support as the fans applaud in apprecitation of a valiant effort. It's what's great about high school football. Oh, the game? Electric. Martin's star player, Dante Butler rushed for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns. The game was filled with lead changes and hard hitting, these rivals left it all out on the field in a great high school football game. Walking with my son to the car after the game, a lady dressed in Jesuit attire noticed his band uniform and graciously complimented the Martin band and congratulated him on their win. It demonstarted the class and mutual respect of these two traditional insitutions.
Hornets 96-Heat 93. During the Martin game, with frequent updates from my first son and eyeballing espn.com on my Blackberry, I was able to enjoy the Hornets extend their fast start to 5-0 by beating the next dream team, the Lebron, Dwayne and Bosh show.
Saturday: LSU 24-Alabama 21. After working early Saturday morning, I hustled back to get in front of my Sony 46 HD to watch the LSU game with my favorite football crew, me. Cozied up on my sofa with Blackberry in hand for game-texting, I got to see Les Miles exorcise the demons of the ghost of Nick Saban. With incredible play calls in the second half, timely execution from the offense and a return to dominence from the defense, LSU gave Miles the biggest win of his tenure. Yes, bigger than the BCS, for this was all his. No Saban players, no Saban shadow. Miles has finally...finally escaped the gorilla of Saban for evermore. He is now 2-2 against his predecessor and is tied for the most wins over bama by an LSU coach. Tied, that is, with Saban who was 4-1 against bama.
Still Saturday: Dinner with the Mrs. Started with corn and crab soup, Italian salad followed by an incredible ribeye and a side of mashed potatoes. The shrimp etouffe subbing grits for rice on the wife's plate was breathtaking. Coffee and pecan pie drinched in caramel sauce still haunt my tasebuds.
Hornets defeat the Bucks to go 6-0.
Sunday: Saints 34-Panthers 3. The Saints followed last week's huge performance with another, getting on top of Carolina early and often then finishing with yet another dominant deffensive outing. The offense showed they are starting to find their rythmn. The bye comes next week at a perfect time as players nicked up can heal their wounds and prepared for the stretch run.
Sunday evening: Dinner at R&O's then off to the brilliant Rain. A tribute to the Beatles. I have five kids, The two oldest listen to Lil Wayne and Jay Z. My three youngest are into the Beatles. Go figure. Watching a 17,14 and 12 year old standing, clapping and chearing the Beatles and seeing the joy on their faces was like Christmas morning. Rain was as magnificant as advertised. It was as if the actual Beatles were onstage. A magical ride from their Ed Sullivan appearance through Sgt Pepper then Abbey Road. All songs played to perfection along with costumes and stage show to match.
Arrived home just in time to watch my oldest son's live report from Charlotte, NC where he was covering the Saints game for Fox 8 sports.
Still Sunday...late. Bedtime. As with all great things, this weekend has come to an end, but since it was so eventfull, I should be good for a while. At least until next weekend.
Life is good.
Friday: Brother Martin defeats Jesuit 28-27. My son plays in the band so it's always fun to watch the game and listen to the band play. Martin takes their band seriously and they practice very hard to make the games entertaining. There's a special moment after each game when the team gathers in front of the band as the fight song is playing, they hold their helmets above their heads in salute to the fans and band for their support as the fans applaud in apprecitation of a valiant effort. It's what's great about high school football. Oh, the game? Electric. Martin's star player, Dante Butler rushed for 267 yards and 3 touchdowns. The game was filled with lead changes and hard hitting, these rivals left it all out on the field in a great high school football game. Walking with my son to the car after the game, a lady dressed in Jesuit attire noticed his band uniform and graciously complimented the Martin band and congratulated him on their win. It demonstarted the class and mutual respect of these two traditional insitutions.
Hornets 96-Heat 93. During the Martin game, with frequent updates from my first son and eyeballing espn.com on my Blackberry, I was able to enjoy the Hornets extend their fast start to 5-0 by beating the next dream team, the Lebron, Dwayne and Bosh show.
Saturday: LSU 24-Alabama 21. After working early Saturday morning, I hustled back to get in front of my Sony 46 HD to watch the LSU game with my favorite football crew, me. Cozied up on my sofa with Blackberry in hand for game-texting, I got to see Les Miles exorcise the demons of the ghost of Nick Saban. With incredible play calls in the second half, timely execution from the offense and a return to dominence from the defense, LSU gave Miles the biggest win of his tenure. Yes, bigger than the BCS, for this was all his. No Saban players, no Saban shadow. Miles has finally...finally escaped the gorilla of Saban for evermore. He is now 2-2 against his predecessor and is tied for the most wins over bama by an LSU coach. Tied, that is, with Saban who was 4-1 against bama.
Still Saturday: Dinner with the Mrs. Started with corn and crab soup, Italian salad followed by an incredible ribeye and a side of mashed potatoes. The shrimp etouffe subbing grits for rice on the wife's plate was breathtaking. Coffee and pecan pie drinched in caramel sauce still haunt my tasebuds.
Hornets defeat the Bucks to go 6-0.
Sunday: Saints 34-Panthers 3. The Saints followed last week's huge performance with another, getting on top of Carolina early and often then finishing with yet another dominant deffensive outing. The offense showed they are starting to find their rythmn. The bye comes next week at a perfect time as players nicked up can heal their wounds and prepared for the stretch run.
Sunday evening: Dinner at R&O's then off to the brilliant Rain. A tribute to the Beatles. I have five kids, The two oldest listen to Lil Wayne and Jay Z. My three youngest are into the Beatles. Go figure. Watching a 17,14 and 12 year old standing, clapping and chearing the Beatles and seeing the joy on their faces was like Christmas morning. Rain was as magnificant as advertised. It was as if the actual Beatles were onstage. A magical ride from their Ed Sullivan appearance through Sgt Pepper then Abbey Road. All songs played to perfection along with costumes and stage show to match.
Arrived home just in time to watch my oldest son's live report from Charlotte, NC where he was covering the Saints game for Fox 8 sports.
Still Sunday...late. Bedtime. As with all great things, this weekend has come to an end, but since it was so eventfull, I should be good for a while. At least until next weekend.
Life is good.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Smelling the Perfume
Ok ok, so I was quiet for a couple weeks as I let the events of the state's biggest football teams play out. First I truly felt LSU had a good chance to beat Auburn. Wrong! Second, I felt that after their performance against Tampa Bay, the Saints had righted the ship and would cruise past 1-5 Cleveland and their 23rd ranked defense. So confident was I that I skipped the game and watched it on tv . After all ,why be inconvenienced by that dome crowd for what was certainly going to be a boring blow out. EeeYeaah no.
Needless to say I was dissapointed by the results of both games.
Although I'll never be knocked over by a feather when Les Miles is outcoached, Sean Payton is beginning to resemble the mad hatter with each passing week.
As the 1-5 Browns stumped the Saints on Tommy Bowden's old Tulane coaching philosphy,"trickery,deceit and deception", my mind kept drifting to something former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown once said, " praise is like perfume, smells good but tastes bitter".
Payton still smells the perfume.
We all know the deserved praise that was heaped on Payton after the Super Bowl. The man absolutely earned it. But praise in its highest form is so intoxicating you become unaware of the effect it has on you. Dissenting opinions are brushed aside as uninformed second guessers. Attention to obvious details are ignored. A sense of superiority overcomes you in such a way that you feel there couldn't be any possible way of doing things other than yours.
What other explaination could there be as to why the Saints were caught so off guard by the trickery of the Browns? A coach on his game would have sensed during the week that a desperate 1-5 football team with a thrid string rookie QB just might have some slight of hand ready to"steal a possession" and keep the game close. Afterall, that was Payton's calling card when the Saints were the hungry hunters. But there were the Browns with one trick after another and Payton just staring in confused amazement.
A coach like oh I don't know, Bill Walsh, would have realized that a former longtime player with quite possibly an ax to grind would help his coaches devise a gameplan designed to confuse and embarrass a hall of fame QB. Then maybe he'd make of an adjustment or two. A coach still smelling the perfume would arrogantly ignore this and march on without any sense that changes are needed. But there were the Browns forcing what many consider the best QB in the NFL to throw a career high four interceptions. Payton? No adjustments, just staring in confused amazement.
The signs of perfume smelling have been revealing themselves for weeks. It's why you let time cruely slip away in the closing minutes of a losing game that should never have been close to begin with. It's as if there was stunned disbelief that his team was actually losing to a vastly inferior team.
The perfume smelling seems to have permeated through the team. It's why a winless team with a rookie QB hangs around until the final play. Offensive linemen block by reaching instead of doing what my biddy basketball players did: "Slide your feet"! Receivers fumble on the opponets one yard line, don't fight for the extra yard on third and short, give up on routes and drop pass after pass after pass. Defensive backs go for picks when simply allowing a catch then making a tackle before the sticks would do. And don't even get me started on field goal kickers!
Payton loves to refer to his most influental mentor, Bill Parcells, in times of adversity. I couldn't think of a worse mentor. While Parcels was a great coach, he took bunker mentality to extraodinary heights. He seemingly had a visceral distain for people outside of the"bunker". Something Payton seems to be doing now. All this does is drive a wedge between the coach and his biggest PR department, the press. Which in turn gets the fans going. In New Orleans you want the fans on your side, believe me.
As for LSU, les miles managed to navigate his team bumbling,stumbling and fumbling to 7-0 and #6 ranking. However his team and their #3 ranked defense ran into the most dominate player in college football and had no answer. miles' problem continues to be deciding what to do with the QB situation. Personally, I thought Jordan Jefferson had his best game of the season against Auburn considering it's magnitude. His running style was the only part of the LSU offense they kept Auburn on their heels. It seems to me that a coach on his game would go with the hot hand at QB and ride him until it cools off. Subbing QB's series to series without consideration of the flow of the game disrupts an offesne's best friend, rythmn. Until he figures this out, LSU will continue to increase alcohol sales in Louisiana. But rest assured LSU fans ,ole les could never be accused of smelling the perfume.
Needless to say I was dissapointed by the results of both games.
Although I'll never be knocked over by a feather when Les Miles is outcoached, Sean Payton is beginning to resemble the mad hatter with each passing week.
As the 1-5 Browns stumped the Saints on Tommy Bowden's old Tulane coaching philosphy,"trickery,deceit and deception", my mind kept drifting to something former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown once said, " praise is like perfume, smells good but tastes bitter".
Payton still smells the perfume.
We all know the deserved praise that was heaped on Payton after the Super Bowl. The man absolutely earned it. But praise in its highest form is so intoxicating you become unaware of the effect it has on you. Dissenting opinions are brushed aside as uninformed second guessers. Attention to obvious details are ignored. A sense of superiority overcomes you in such a way that you feel there couldn't be any possible way of doing things other than yours.
What other explaination could there be as to why the Saints were caught so off guard by the trickery of the Browns? A coach on his game would have sensed during the week that a desperate 1-5 football team with a thrid string rookie QB just might have some slight of hand ready to"steal a possession" and keep the game close. Afterall, that was Payton's calling card when the Saints were the hungry hunters. But there were the Browns with one trick after another and Payton just staring in confused amazement.
A coach like oh I don't know, Bill Walsh, would have realized that a former longtime player with quite possibly an ax to grind would help his coaches devise a gameplan designed to confuse and embarrass a hall of fame QB. Then maybe he'd make of an adjustment or two. A coach still smelling the perfume would arrogantly ignore this and march on without any sense that changes are needed. But there were the Browns forcing what many consider the best QB in the NFL to throw a career high four interceptions. Payton? No adjustments, just staring in confused amazement.
The signs of perfume smelling have been revealing themselves for weeks. It's why you let time cruely slip away in the closing minutes of a losing game that should never have been close to begin with. It's as if there was stunned disbelief that his team was actually losing to a vastly inferior team.
The perfume smelling seems to have permeated through the team. It's why a winless team with a rookie QB hangs around until the final play. Offensive linemen block by reaching instead of doing what my biddy basketball players did: "Slide your feet"! Receivers fumble on the opponets one yard line, don't fight for the extra yard on third and short, give up on routes and drop pass after pass after pass. Defensive backs go for picks when simply allowing a catch then making a tackle before the sticks would do. And don't even get me started on field goal kickers!
Payton loves to refer to his most influental mentor, Bill Parcells, in times of adversity. I couldn't think of a worse mentor. While Parcels was a great coach, he took bunker mentality to extraodinary heights. He seemingly had a visceral distain for people outside of the"bunker". Something Payton seems to be doing now. All this does is drive a wedge between the coach and his biggest PR department, the press. Which in turn gets the fans going. In New Orleans you want the fans on your side, believe me.
As for LSU, les miles managed to navigate his team bumbling,stumbling and fumbling to 7-0 and #6 ranking. However his team and their #3 ranked defense ran into the most dominate player in college football and had no answer. miles' problem continues to be deciding what to do with the QB situation. Personally, I thought Jordan Jefferson had his best game of the season against Auburn considering it's magnitude. His running style was the only part of the LSU offense they kept Auburn on their heels. It seems to me that a coach on his game would go with the hot hand at QB and ride him until it cools off. Subbing QB's series to series without consideration of the flow of the game disrupts an offesne's best friend, rythmn. Until he figures this out, LSU will continue to increase alcohol sales in Louisiana. But rest assured LSU fans ,ole les could never be accused of smelling the perfume.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saints Offense has been Figured Out
I'll never forget comedian David Spade on Saturday Night Live in the late 90's as Weekend Update's Hollwood Minute reporter. A picture of then slumping box office icon Eddie Murphy appeared on the screen to his upper left, "look children, he said in bedtime story like excitment, "it's a falling star"! If Spade were doing a football version of that spot now, the Saints offense would be inserted where Murhy's name was. For a team who's resume boast the #1 ranked offense in three of the last four seasons, they by all means, are falling stars.
The first four subpar performances all were written off as flukes caused by the strength of their opponents. The Vikings had an axe to grind. The 49ers were embattled after week one and were in "rally the troops mode". The Falcons (a loss) and the Panthers(a near loss) were divisional foes familiar with the Saints offense therefore not in awe of their offensive expertise. But after the fifth straight and worse performance since somebody name Brooks was QB(considering their opponent), denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
Defending Super Bowl champions DO NOT lose to teams like the Cardinals! Sorry, just doesn't happen.
As fans and psuedo reporters, we all fell lock step in line with the refrain, enabling the defending champs. Giving them the benefit of the doubt. This, after all is Sean Payton and Drew Brees, world champion coach and QB. They must have it figured out. No cause for alarm.
Well I'm here to tell you folks, be alarmed!
This offense is a falling star! And in a big way!
They have been figured out!
You see, while Payton and Brees were out writing books and making appearances on every show from David Letterman to DR. Phil, defensive coordinators were breaking down footballs great equalizer. Film.
While Brees was figuring new pregame rituals and chants for the fans, defensive coaches were constructing game plans to take away his ability to change the complexion of a game with one play.
While the offensive line was celebrating being named OL of the year by doing what human behemeths do, EAT, defensive line coaches were designing multiple fronts to confuse and outmaneuver what has become an overweght and out of shape group of fat guys wearing football jerseys.
While the receivers were out celebrating their contributions to the NFL's best offense, they forgot how to catch the ball.
Before you accuse me of jumping the gun, consider the offense has gone against the 24th,26th and 29th ranked scoring defenses in 3 of 5 games. They needed a last second field goal to win one, a defensive stand to preserve a 16-14 win and then lost to the other, who also own the 30th ranked total defense.
Some will say that injuries are affecting the offense. Bull! Every team has injuries. The Saints defense is just as decimated with injuries and they have moved up from 25th last season to 18th this year. In fact, the defense is mainly reponsible for the Saints wins. Holding the leagues best RB to under 100 yards, coming up with big stop after big stop to get the offense the ball back and preserving the Carolina win.
So what's the problem? Same coach, same QB, same receivers and OL. One word.
Focus.
Their opponents have it in abundance, the Saints offense is lacking it.
Lack of focus leads to mental errors, penalties,dropped passes,turnovers and sacks. Have you ever seen more of any of these than this year? False starts, fumbles, interceptions, pressure on Brees. All has been in abundance in 2010.
Here's the problem. It's too late to go back to the drawing board. That is what offseason is for. It's not like Payton and Brees have a secret formaula on Airline Drive that will instantly cure the malaise. Payton, Brees and the offense have been caught with their pants down. With shrinkage!
Once you've been exposed, it's hard to get it back.
The first four subpar performances all were written off as flukes caused by the strength of their opponents. The Vikings had an axe to grind. The 49ers were embattled after week one and were in "rally the troops mode". The Falcons (a loss) and the Panthers(a near loss) were divisional foes familiar with the Saints offense therefore not in awe of their offensive expertise. But after the fifth straight and worse performance since somebody name Brooks was QB(considering their opponent), denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
Defending Super Bowl champions DO NOT lose to teams like the Cardinals! Sorry, just doesn't happen.
As fans and psuedo reporters, we all fell lock step in line with the refrain, enabling the defending champs. Giving them the benefit of the doubt. This, after all is Sean Payton and Drew Brees, world champion coach and QB. They must have it figured out. No cause for alarm.
Well I'm here to tell you folks, be alarmed!
This offense is a falling star! And in a big way!
They have been figured out!
You see, while Payton and Brees were out writing books and making appearances on every show from David Letterman to DR. Phil, defensive coordinators were breaking down footballs great equalizer. Film.
While Brees was figuring new pregame rituals and chants for the fans, defensive coaches were constructing game plans to take away his ability to change the complexion of a game with one play.
While the offensive line was celebrating being named OL of the year by doing what human behemeths do, EAT, defensive line coaches were designing multiple fronts to confuse and outmaneuver what has become an overweght and out of shape group of fat guys wearing football jerseys.
While the receivers were out celebrating their contributions to the NFL's best offense, they forgot how to catch the ball.
Before you accuse me of jumping the gun, consider the offense has gone against the 24th,26th and 29th ranked scoring defenses in 3 of 5 games. They needed a last second field goal to win one, a defensive stand to preserve a 16-14 win and then lost to the other, who also own the 30th ranked total defense.
Some will say that injuries are affecting the offense. Bull! Every team has injuries. The Saints defense is just as decimated with injuries and they have moved up from 25th last season to 18th this year. In fact, the defense is mainly reponsible for the Saints wins. Holding the leagues best RB to under 100 yards, coming up with big stop after big stop to get the offense the ball back and preserving the Carolina win.
So what's the problem? Same coach, same QB, same receivers and OL. One word.
Focus.
Their opponents have it in abundance, the Saints offense is lacking it.
Lack of focus leads to mental errors, penalties,dropped passes,turnovers and sacks. Have you ever seen more of any of these than this year? False starts, fumbles, interceptions, pressure on Brees. All has been in abundance in 2010.
Here's the problem. It's too late to go back to the drawing board. That is what offseason is for. It's not like Payton and Brees have a secret formaula on Airline Drive that will instantly cure the malaise. Payton, Brees and the offense have been caught with their pants down. With shrinkage!
Once you've been exposed, it's hard to get it back.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Payton Gets It
Brousing the headlines of NOLA.com, I came across one that jumped at me: "New Orleans Saints Invite Vandebilt High School Football Team to Friday's Practice". I don't have inside informantion on who's decision this was but it has Sean Payton written all over it. I say this after having read Payton's book. I get the sense that Payton knows not only that theres more to life than football, but he also knows what football can do for someone's life.
In case you didn't hear or if you live outside our state, Vandebilt Catholic is the school devastated last September when their starting QB and safety, along with two female students, died tradgically in a single vehicle accident while returning home from an LSU football game. It was also reported that, horrifically, the students texted their parents at 12:45 am to tell them they were close and would be home soon. When they did not show up by 3 am the parents started their own search. As a parent, this is THE nightmare. I can't help but feel Sean Payton, as a dad, was touched by this and extended the invitation. I'm always touched by such signs of good will because is shows that under the hard nosed , intense exterior of an NFL coach, it's somehow comforting to me knowing he is aware of the world outside the cocoon his profession places him.
Sean Payton is such a coach, he gets it. He has demonstrated this multiple times since becoming Saints head coach. He is willing to use his position to affect the lives of those in hardship. Whether its instilling joy into a young boy stricken with a terminal illness, busing his team to assist Katrina victims rebuild their house or bringing in a group of young men whose lives have been turned upside down, Payton gets it.
And I'm glad he gets it! Because it displays the human side of the people who get praised or cursed every week depending on the score of a game. In some cases criticism comes even after a victory.
I'm glad he gets it becuase I'm a Sean Payton fan. I would want someone that I'm a fan of to behave insuch a way.
I'm glad he gets it. He knows how ingrained into the culture football is in this part of the world. Bringing in these young men and the families of the victims could in no way ease the grief they are feeling, but this will be a good sign of support to get the healing process jump started.
It's a nice touch by a football coach who gets it.
And I'm glad he gets it.
While I'm at it, God bless the families and teammates of the those students lost way to soon.
In case you didn't hear or if you live outside our state, Vandebilt Catholic is the school devastated last September when their starting QB and safety, along with two female students, died tradgically in a single vehicle accident while returning home from an LSU football game. It was also reported that, horrifically, the students texted their parents at 12:45 am to tell them they were close and would be home soon. When they did not show up by 3 am the parents started their own search. As a parent, this is THE nightmare. I can't help but feel Sean Payton, as a dad, was touched by this and extended the invitation. I'm always touched by such signs of good will because is shows that under the hard nosed , intense exterior of an NFL coach, it's somehow comforting to me knowing he is aware of the world outside the cocoon his profession places him.
Sean Payton is such a coach, he gets it. He has demonstrated this multiple times since becoming Saints head coach. He is willing to use his position to affect the lives of those in hardship. Whether its instilling joy into a young boy stricken with a terminal illness, busing his team to assist Katrina victims rebuild their house or bringing in a group of young men whose lives have been turned upside down, Payton gets it.
And I'm glad he gets it! Because it displays the human side of the people who get praised or cursed every week depending on the score of a game. In some cases criticism comes even after a victory.
I'm glad he gets it becuase I'm a Sean Payton fan. I would want someone that I'm a fan of to behave insuch a way.
I'm glad he gets it. He knows how ingrained into the culture football is in this part of the world. Bringing in these young men and the families of the victims could in no way ease the grief they are feeling, but this will be a good sign of support to get the healing process jump started.
It's a nice touch by a football coach who gets it.
And I'm glad he gets it.
While I'm at it, God bless the families and teammates of the those students lost way to soon.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Miles is Just Lazy
Reliving the final minute of the LSU game in continued horror I remembered something I saw on an ESPN special called Gruden's Champ Camp. This was the brilliant program breaking down the Saints Super Bowl season with the always entertaining and, ironically the #1 choice of LSU faithful to be their next head coach, Jon Gruden. I remember his profile on the way Saints HC Sean Payton conducts practice. His amazement in particlular was the fact that Payton practices the Victory play. That's the play every football team uses as the QB kneels down to kill the final seconds of the game preserving victory. "Imagine", Gruden says, "Payton is so detail oriented he dedicates a segmnet of practice to this simple play"! Yes, I can imagine. Because Payton never wants his players to be surprsied by a situation on the footbal field. Because even though every player,coach and trainer is dying to end practice to get out of the scorching NOLA heat, Payton leaves no possible situation uncovered.
That is why what happened to LSU in the final seconds of the Tennesse game is simply unforgivably devastatingly unnacceptable! What makes it so damn outrageously egregious is it wasn't the first time. Ole Miss was less than a year ago! What this leaves me to believe is les miles is either stupid or lazy.
As much as his vocabulary points to the contrary, I don't think miles is stupid. But lazy? Hells yeah! In fact calling miles lazy is an insult to lazy people. When I say lazy, I'm not talking as in Garfield who sleeps all day and only wakes up to eat lasagna. I'm talking about a "we don't need to worry about it" attitude. "Practice Victory? We don't have to worry about that, it's a simple play" leads to "we don't need to practice end of game situations, we'll deal with that when the time comes". The result is what happened at LSU last Saturday, Ole Miss last season and others to many times to list.
Miles said it's embarrassing the way the game ended. Embarrassing? Burping in church is embarrassing. Humiliating is what happened to LSU yesterday. Already disrespected by the media, fans and coaches across the country, LSU has become a punchline in college football.
The problem for LSU fans is they won that game. They're 5-0. Can't get rid of a coach who is 5-0. All of miles' apologists love to quote his record in his defense. Wins agianst the ULMs and the LaTechs of the world, ugly or not, will continue, thus infalting miles' record. His recruiting classes are always in the top 10. Nevermind the fact that Hallman,DiNardo and Stovall were equally affective as recuiters because Louisiana and Southeast Texas is such fertile ground for football talent.
Miles is the clone of Charlie McClendon. Feed off the talent left by your predicessor then win just enough on your own to justify keeping your job. "Charlie Mac only loses to the Bear" said the enablers back then, "Les has a winning record" they say now. The plain truth is Charlie Mac stunted the program's growth back then and miles does now. With the massive expansion of the national media now compared to the McClendon era, these blunders become legendary overnight. Football fans as far away as Washington state bare witness to miles' ineptitude.
LSU fans are now in a conundrum. They want LSU to succeed but Les Miles to fail. The problem is he'll continue to do both in such fashion his demise (or lack thereof) will be debated as much as the need for a playoff in college football. Their only hope is for Rich Rodriguez to fail so badly at Michigan that they will hire Miles away from LSU. Well don't look now LSU fans, the Wolverines are also 5-0 and have an explosive QB. Scratch that idea. No, LSU fans, you are stuck with ole Les. Maybe he'll attend a Sean Payton coaches clinic next off season. Unless the circus is in town that day.
That is why what happened to LSU in the final seconds of the Tennesse game is simply unforgivably devastatingly unnacceptable! What makes it so damn outrageously egregious is it wasn't the first time. Ole Miss was less than a year ago! What this leaves me to believe is les miles is either stupid or lazy.
As much as his vocabulary points to the contrary, I don't think miles is stupid. But lazy? Hells yeah! In fact calling miles lazy is an insult to lazy people. When I say lazy, I'm not talking as in Garfield who sleeps all day and only wakes up to eat lasagna. I'm talking about a "we don't need to worry about it" attitude. "Practice Victory? We don't have to worry about that, it's a simple play" leads to "we don't need to practice end of game situations, we'll deal with that when the time comes". The result is what happened at LSU last Saturday, Ole Miss last season and others to many times to list.
Miles said it's embarrassing the way the game ended. Embarrassing? Burping in church is embarrassing. Humiliating is what happened to LSU yesterday. Already disrespected by the media, fans and coaches across the country, LSU has become a punchline in college football.
The problem for LSU fans is they won that game. They're 5-0. Can't get rid of a coach who is 5-0. All of miles' apologists love to quote his record in his defense. Wins agianst the ULMs and the LaTechs of the world, ugly or not, will continue, thus infalting miles' record. His recruiting classes are always in the top 10. Nevermind the fact that Hallman,DiNardo and Stovall were equally affective as recuiters because Louisiana and Southeast Texas is such fertile ground for football talent.
Miles is the clone of Charlie McClendon. Feed off the talent left by your predicessor then win just enough on your own to justify keeping your job. "Charlie Mac only loses to the Bear" said the enablers back then, "Les has a winning record" they say now. The plain truth is Charlie Mac stunted the program's growth back then and miles does now. With the massive expansion of the national media now compared to the McClendon era, these blunders become legendary overnight. Football fans as far away as Washington state bare witness to miles' ineptitude.
LSU fans are now in a conundrum. They want LSU to succeed but Les Miles to fail. The problem is he'll continue to do both in such fashion his demise (or lack thereof) will be debated as much as the need for a playoff in college football. Their only hope is for Rich Rodriguez to fail so badly at Michigan that they will hire Miles away from LSU. Well don't look now LSU fans, the Wolverines are also 5-0 and have an explosive QB. Scratch that idea. No, LSU fans, you are stuck with ole Les. Maybe he'll attend a Sean Payton coaches clinic next off season. Unless the circus is in town that day.
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