Coaching staff not getting enough credit for Saints’ run at perfection
Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/13/2009 @ 6:02 pm)
Do you know why the Saints are currently 13-0 right now? No, it’s not because of their high-powered offense, Drew Brees or their remade defense. It’s not because of their outstanding receiving corps, Darren Sharper’s playmaking ability or a trio of running backs.
Actually, it’s because of all those things. But one thing that seems to be taking a backseat in the Saints’ run at perfection is their coaching staff, and I’m not only referring to coach of the year candidate Sean Payton either.
There were two plays in the Saints’ 26-23 victory over the Falcons in Week 14 that had more to do with coaching and less to do with the players on the field.
The first play came early in the third quarter when the Saints were up 16-9. The Falcons had been getting pressure on Brees by sending multiple defenders throughout the game, and with the Saints facing a 3rd and 19 from Atlanta’s 21-yard line, the Falcons decided to blitz a bevy of players in order to disrupt the play. But the Falcons played right into Payton’s play call, because Reggie Bush took a 21-yard screen pass into the end zone untouched.
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Posted in: NFL
Tags: 2009 NFL Week 14, Atlanta Falcons, Chris Redman, Darren Sharper, Drew Brees, Jason Snelling, Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush, Saints beat Falcons, Saints coaching staff, Saints Falcons Week 14 score recap, Saints undefeated season, Sean Payton
Saints find offensive balance, keep postseason hopes alive
Posted by Anthony Stalter (12/07/2008 @ 6:00 pm)
New Orleans Saints’ head coach Sean Payton was rightfully criticized throughout the week for not maintaining enough offensive balance this season. While the Saints statistically rank as the best offense in the league, they entered Sunday’s game against the Falcons as a 6-6 team with slim playoff hopes. No offense – not even the best in the league – can win consistently if they can’t run the ball. But the Saints rushed for 184 yards and beat division rival Atlanta 29-25 on Sunday.
Their running game was essentially the key because it opened everything up for Drew Brees and the passing game. Outside of the opening drive of the first quarter and most of the third, the Falcons’ defense looked befuddled at what Payton was throwing at them. They had no answer for New Orleans’ offense and allowed Pierre Thomas to rumble for 102 yards on just 16 carries. If Payton can keep himself from going Andy Reid on everybody, the Saints are going to be tough to beat the rest of the way.
For the Falcons, their loss cannot be placed on rookie Matt Ryan (24 of 33 for 315 yards, 1 TD) and the offense. Ryan was unbelievable and got a ton of help from Roddy White (10 catches, 164 yards) and Michael Jenkins (5 catches, 69 yards), who made the rookie quarterback look good on a couple of errant passes. Outside of a rookie mistake on an interception thrown in the first quarter, Ryan was damn near perfect and constantly kept drives alive with pinpoint passes.
The Falcons really put themselves in a hole with this loss, however. At 8-5, they’re still very much alive in the playoff race, but they host a tough Buccaneers team next week and then travel to Minnesota before finishing with the hapless Rams. They’ll have to win at least two of their next three games to make the playoffs, so a win over the Saints could have gone a long way.
We’ll see what Ryan and the young Falcons are made of over these next three weeks.
Posted in: Fantasy Football, NFL
Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Matt Ryan rookie of the year, Michael Jenkins, New Orleans Saints, NFC Playoff Picture, NFC Playoff Race, NFC South Division, NFL Week 14, NFL Week 14 game recaps, Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, Roddy White, Saints beat Falcons, Sean Payton
