Saints in Last Place After Loss to Falcons

So much for Sean Payton devising a master plan to beat the Atlanta Falcons during the bye week. It seems as though coach Payton may have tried to over think things when planning his strategy to defeat the Falcons. Payton was calling for pass plays all afternoon as Drew Brees threw the ball 58 times, despite the success the Saints were experiencing on the ground. The Saints were reluctant to run the ball and so the Falcons decided to pin their ears back and apply a relentless pass rush on Brees all game. Brees was pressured most of the game and the result was many rushed throws and 3 interceptions. This team has to develop a running game at some point because the Saints’ defense is not built to engage in shootouts on a weekly basis. A solid running game would help control the clock a little more and stop opposing defensive lines from selling out to rush the passer on every play. The return of Reggie Bush will help in this area of the game because Bush receives numerous dump off, and screen passes that simulate running plays. There is a chance that Bush will return to action next week, and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time.

The Saints’ main concern in this divisional battle was to stop running back Michael Turner. Turner runs the ball hard and has breakaway speed but the Saints were able to limit him for most of the afternoon. The Saints’ did however forget about the other Falcons running back, Jerious Norwood. Norwood took a short pass 67 yards for touchdown displaying his patented blazing speed. The Saints were so concerned in stopping the run most of the game that they allowed rookie Matt Ryan to have one of his better games in his young career. Ryan was able to carve of the Saints’ patchwork secondary for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns. To make matters worse cornerback Mike McKenzie was carted off the field in the 3rd quarter with a broken knee cap and will miss the remainder of the season.

Marques Colston had a big game amassing 140 yards on 7 catches and finally seems to be playing at 100 percent. Jeremy Shockey on the other hand looks very slow and only saw limited action in week 10. Shockey will likely be playing injured for the remainder of the season. Lance Moore has emerged as the number two option in the Saints’ offense and has a very bright future ahead of him. Moore had 6 grabs for 76 yards and a touchdown and displayed the ability to make tough catches at crucial times in the game. What seems strange though is the absence of Robert Meachem. Meachem demonstrated his speed and big play ability earlier in the season but for some reason he can’t get on the field regularly. Meachem has the skills and being constantly benched is no doubt hurting his development. The Saints are now last in the division and should put him on the field more consistently to find out what they have in him for the future. Drew Brees’ MVP numbers likely won’t translate into an MVP award this season because this team is way too inconsistent and has a good chance at missing the playoffs.

Remaining Schedule:

@ Kansas City

vs Green Bay

@ Tampa Bay

vs Atlanta

@Chicago

@ Detroit

vs Carolina

Comments? Contact me at jefflalonde@sportstalkbuzz.com

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