Saints Sideline Blog

CRISIS OR CARNIVAL

Monday, December 28th, 2009      Email Print

DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS, LA/ December 28th,2009 (Saints' "Drew" Year's Resolution---turn it around and fast)
 
Sean Payton came out with a famliar line but it summarized the State of his Saints, at least perception wise this season:Crisis or Carnival. The message from his perch is that in the NFL each week the end result is perceived as either a party or a funeral, its heaven or in the case of Sunday's game well you get the idea. The Saints Head Coach feels in this league there is no middle ground, fans and media are either getting too excited about the wins or you're too quick to press the panic button after each loss. The catch phrase seems to really hit home this season for his team,but on the outside we've never seen the coach buy into it. Payton steered a steady ship throughout the 13-0 carnival, where he sported the game face after each and ever win. At the same time, Payton has refused to fall in crisis mode the last two weeks where he hasn't made excuses for his team's failures in its first losing streak of the season but seems optimistic his guys can turn it around in time for a playoff run. Here's hoping the players are listening as this team hasn't played a complete game in weeks.
 
In terms of turning things around, needless to say there is a lot of work to be done after several Buccaneer breakdowns on Sunday. First and foremost this team has to stop the run better which will be paramount in the season finale against Carolina. The Panthers average just over 154 yards a game which is third best in the league. Carolina's Jonathan Stewart set a franchise record by rushing for  206 yards against the "crisis" filled Giants to give Carolina quite a "carnival" atmosphere in its backfield. Stewart is now over the 1000 yard mark and joins backfield mate DeAngelo WIlliams as only the fifth duo in NFL history to accomplish this. That's the challenge for the black and gold who surrendered 176 yards to a Bucs running attack which is ranked 23rd in the league. Stop the run will go a long way to stopping the Saints losing ways.
 
The defense doesn't get all the blame for the Saints latest crisis mode. New Orleans offense which has finished strong the whole season peaked in the 1st quarter on Sunday. For the first time this season they were shutout in the second half, in fact this unit was shutout of the endzone for the final three quarters. Drew Brees and company made it a point to start better and they accomplished that goal but unlike past weeks couldn't finish as they struggled on third down once again and the running game was brutal once Pierre Thomas left the game with bruised ribs in the first half.
 
Many will blame Garrett Hartley who could have bailed the team out with a 37 yarder with 09 left but let's face it, this was a team loss for a Saints squad which is slumping in all areas. They haven't played a complete game since embarrassing the Patriots on Monday Night Football. While its hard to replicate one of the best wins in franchise history, the drop of in play ever since has been staggering. To his credit after outcoaching Bill Belichick, Sean Payton hardly cracked a smile following the Saints Carnival atmosphere back in November, and now it seems isn't ready to break down in crisis mode to ring in the New Year.
 
WHO DAT HITS
 
SHARPER PLAY: Darren Sharper picked his way into the NFL record books again on Sunday by totaling the most interception return yards in a season. WIth
his ninth pick of the year against the Bucs, the Saints elder statesman set the record by returning it 21 yards to bring his season total to 376 yards. That breaks the old mark by Baltimore's Ed Reed who totaled 358 back in 2004. Sharper entered the season as the NFL's active leader in picks and now has 63 which ties him with Ronnie Lott for sixth on the all-time list. Lott is in the Hall of Fame, Sharper should join him down the road.
 
500 CLUB: WIth Garrett Hartley's second quarter field goal, the Saints officially entered an exclusive fraternity, the 500 point club.The Saints became the 12th team to score 500 points in a season in league history. The last team to do it was the 2007 Patriots who piled up a league record 589 points.
 
UNLUCKY 17: Its the first time the Saints have lost a 17 point lead since the 1989 season and its the first time in NFL history that a team with 13 wins lost to an opponent with 2 wins.
 
BREES IN THE BOOKS: Drew Brees continues to rewrite the record books where he tied his own franchise record with 34 TD passes in one season on Sunday and continues to pad his lead as the all-time Saints leader in TD passes with his 122nd toss to Robert Meachem in the 1st Qtr.
 
NOBODY ASKED ME BUT: The Saints perfect season went by the wayside last week but in my mind its crazy that the Colts' had to on Sunday. Its absurd to rest the starters when you are two games away from perfection. New Orleans native Peyton Manning's face after getting taken out said it all, you practice each week to win the game, you sweat it out in training camp and study in the film room to be perfect not to work so hard only to give it away with 2 games left. I know, I know, what if Peyton Manning gets hurt, well the last time I checked that hasn't happened in some time. I would rather risk injury to be perfect than take a knee and never try.....
 
UNTIL NEXT BLOG,
Mike Nabors
CST

By: Mike Nabors

An Emmy award winning sports reporter who covers a wide variety of events for CST. Primarily, Mike serves as the network's reporter for Saints coverage.

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