Using the F-word to describe the New Orleans Saints has become passé by now. And of course I mean calling the Saints a finesse team.
That much is obvious to everyone.
So let's not step into that territory. Let's come up with some other words beginning with "f" that are also staring the Saints in the face. Flawed, frustrated and finished.
Maybe fraud.
Flawed as in the way the Saints obviously appeared on the field on both sides of the ball in their 34-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the Georgia Dome. Frustrated as in the way the Saints reacted on the sideline, and for good reason. Finished as in the team's hopes for advancing to the playoffs this season.
Some of the Saints' most habitual flaws continue to haunt them.
Another week of zero sacks gave Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan plenty of time to shred the Saints secondary. Going 16-for-23 passing for 248 yards along with two touchdowns and no interceptions ensued for the Atlanta passer.
Faulty coaching decisions by Sean Payton keep popping up. Through Payton's 2½-season tenure, I can't count on one hand how many times Payton has been successful on throwing the red challenge flag.
Going for an onside kick with 10 minutes remaining in the game down two touchdowns and being fortunate enough to take it back because of a penalty should have been a saving grace. Instead, Payton instructed rookie kicker Garrett Hartley, who was in his first professional game ever, to attempt another onside try to the opposite side of the field that failed miserably.
Being on the wrong side of the turnover battle again crippled the Saints. Drew Brees typically avoids poor decisions, but throwing the first of his 58 passing attempts into double coverage resulted in the first of three interceptions.
The frustrations began to boil over Sunday most notably from the normally cool-headed Brees.
Brees berated tight end Jeremy Shockey after an ill-fated drive in the third quarter where Brees felt Shockey botched an aspect of the offense. The heated chat began on the field as the two were leaving the field. Then Brees fired his towel to the ground on the sideline and jawed some more at the combustible Shockey.
Payton told reporters in Atlanta following the game he didn't know the feisty exchange occurred and the reason Shockey sat on the bench in the latter half of the game was because of an ankle injury. Shockey may have suffered an injury, but not being on the same page with Brees likely also played a role in Billy Miller's role in the passing game in the fourth quarter.
The Saints will eventually regret dealing two draft picks for Shockey, and Brees' most prolific campaign, at least from a numbers standpoint, is being wasted in the team's mediocrity.
More injury frustrations seeped into Sunday's loss as well. Cornerback Mike McKenzie is probably lost for the rest of the season with a fractured right kneecap. McKenzie has been the lone defender the Saints could rely on in the secondary.
With the loss to the Falcons dropping the Saints to 4-5 and two games deep into the NFC South cellar, New Orleans' aspirations of advancing to the postseason are finished.
The Saints would have to go 6-1 at worst and receive help from their NFC peers to at least have a chance at making a trip to the postseason.
Not happening.
Carolina, Tampa Bay and Atlanta are too good to allow the Saints to peek through the basement at daylight. Nothing in the way this year's Saints have played through the first nine games can convince me they can string together a near-flawless run.
The Saints are so consistently inconsistent that LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee is wondering what's the deal. And the deal is until the Saints right all their wrongs, the team won't be involved in a 17th game any time soon.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@