The New Orleans Saints (0-2) have started the season disappointingly once again.Defense is the big weak spot as usual.And this despite the fact that many changes have actually been made.The negative mood is already affecting players like newcomer Adrian Peterson.A major upheaval seems inevitable.The focus is on the duo Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
Saints head coach Sean Payton had declared four points during the week of the season, which the team was expected to follow in order to play a successful role this season.These points were eliminating Big Plays, achieving red zone touchdowns, avoiding turnovers and quickly starting the game successfully.
In the second week in a row Payton’s team did not undermine any turnovers.The other points in the list, however, are clearly unsuccessful.
Against New England, the Saints got into their opponent’s half in six of the first seven drives, only to try a field goal four times or pass the ball after a failed fourth down.Rob Gronkowski achieved a 53-yard touchdown in the second Patriots-Drive and after the first quarter Tom Brady had already thrown for 177 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The successful start of the season is after the 19:29 defeat in Minnesota and the 20:36 home defeat against Patriots history.Payton and Saints started 0-2 for the fourth consecutive time and have since then been on the first month of the season with a record of 1-11.Rarely, however, the team looked as unlikely as it is at present.
The main reason for concern is once again the defensive.In the off-season, seven new defensive starters and three new defensive coaches were hired.The results, however, remain the same.The same devastating ones.
After two games, seven touchdowns and six field goals were approved in 19 drives.Only five times the opponent’s team had to punch five times and this in two small three-and-outs.
Sam Bradford and Tom Brady have combined 80 percent of their passports, throwing 793 yards, six touchdowns and no interception.The common register rating is 141.4.
First and foremost, the defensive side of the ball lacks playmakers.Except for Cam Jordan, the pass rush in Week 2 put almost no pressure on Tom Brady.Hau’ oli Kikaha came to a bag in the first half of the game, otherwise Brady had all the time in the world to find his open play stations in the field.The patriots created simple matchups again and again and the Secondary had problems to do the most basic coverages.
Kenny Vaccaro, one of the best players and leaders, was beaten by the patriots after an inconsistent performance.The veteran on Safety has been accompanied by trade rumours since the off-season.After coverage problems and several Missed Tackles, his trade value is likely to have dropped further.
The defense also acts undisciplined.Usually a sign of bad coaching.Symptomatic: In Minnesota there were only ten men on the field in the first play of the season (!).
But in Louisiana, what happens off the field could also be described as undisciplined.Managing Director Mickey Loomis has been the leader in the Dead Money category for several years.Unfavourable contracts force him to restructure deals on a constant basis and spend additional cap space.
This prevents the franchise from making meaningful long-term investments and paying big money to the players who actually make it.Instead, Loomis tends to give ageing players overpriced contracts.A typical example of this is Adrian Peterson.
The Saints were actually already very well occupied in the running back position.But that did not prevent Loomis from giving the 32-year-old a seven-million-dollar contract, even though he had just returned from a repeated serious knee injury.Peterson gave his resentment about the short playing time in Minnesota at the sidelines – even though this was publicly denied – and publicly complained that he “didn’t come here for nine snaps”.
Over the past few years, Payton’s offenses have kept the Saints alive again and again.Drew Brees has been leading the league in Passing Yards for the last three seasons.The Saints-Offense ranked among the top 2 in the overall yards and as the leader in the third down conversion rate.
But the offensive output was simply not enough in terms of the big picture.The Super Bowl success was eight years ago, the last time the playoffs reached four.
The Saints ended the last three seasons with a 7-9 record.In view of the upcoming tasks (@Panthers 2-0, @Dolphins 1-0, vs. Lions 2-0, @Packers 1-1), this year’s balance sheet could well be regarded as a lucky one.A start with six consecutive defeats in the season seems anything but unrealistic.
Looking back on recent league history, it is clear that in the last 20 years only one NFL coach has been allowed to keep his job in four consecutive seasons, with negative scores (Jeff Fisher, St.Louis Rams, 2012-15).Payton signed a five-year extension in the spring of 2016, which will earn him more than $9 million a year, making him one of the top paid coaches in the league.
However, the beginning of a new era seems to go hand in hand with a new cast.
In addition, Brees will be a Free Agent in the next off-season and will be able to charge around $30 million for another year.The Saints can’t afford to pay Brees that much money and at the same time build a high quality team around him.
It is true that the veteran has increasingly expressed his wish to end his career in the Big Easy.However, further cooperation would probably not bring in more than another year at 7-9 and a place that is least helpful in the NFL: mediocrity.
nearby
It will probably not be enough for a place in mediocrity this season.A situation that hurts a lot of football fans watching:”Drew becomes the all-time passing leader of the NFL.I have to admit that it was the first time I felt sorry for him,”said former Saint-Linebacker Scott Shanle, who played for the Saints for seven years and won the Super Bowl with them, after the defeat on Sunday.
“For the first time I thought’ he deserves better’, Shanle says,” It’s hard to see one of the greatest players of all time doing great things, but in the end it doesn’t affect the result.”
However, this is probably not the worst for the franchise in the current situation.Maybe the front office is convinced to make hard but necessary decisions.Maybe the Front Office will convince them to take the infamous step back to move two forward.