Take a deep breath, nothing has changed

[starfan1]

The defense didn't lose the game... they actually played quite well holding the Saints to 4 field goals and, along the way getting 5 sacks and an interception. Far from a finished product, but not bad.

if your bottom line is points allowed then yes the defense played well but if you look at how the game progressed and well they moved the ball between the 20's and kept the ball out of our hands then they were just ok. there is still cause for concern on the line for anyone not named Quinn and the secondary for anyone not named Jones
Having said that losing 12-10 when you have turned the ball over as frequent as we did last night is the only thing that i can take away positive for the offense

Im gonna say the refs and saints actually helped us, cause they literally shot themselves in the foot repeatedly much like the dolphins in first half last week. Cobb cost us last night as did Zeke and Witten. Cooper and his penalties as ticky tack as they were didnt help much either

Im not sure who stole kellen Moore and brought back linehan but it was awfully reminiscent of last years offense

 

[G2]

Big Smitty looked gimpy, Martin has that back issue and Yosemite is not all the way back. This was the first real DL they'd faced and the Saints wanted to turn the game into trench warfare and did successfully.

That's a very good D line, by the way.

 

[CouchCoach]

My compliant about the D was the 3rd Quarter drive they gave up right after we scored. We got 1 drive in the 3rd Q. And also at the end of the game. The Saints got the ball back with over 4 min on the clock. We didn't get the ball until there were under 2 minutes in the game. While they played good overall, we really needed them to step up on those two situations and they didn't.

How many situations have you not seen this D step up? It is not a top 10 D, I don't care what the stats are with those first 3 games in there. This team still needs the O to win games.

 

[DHCBF66]

I thought the return of Fredbeard, the additions of Tony Pollard and Randall Cobb and the improvement of Michael Gallup would catapult this offense to top 5 status. I was wrong. I knew this defense was fool's gold and A-Rod is going to super expose us on Sunday.

The defense did it's part, 12 points and no TD's, this loss is on the offense!

 

[CouchCoach]

That's a very good D line, by the way.

They're a very good D, better than the Cowboys D.

 

[Fletch]

I thought the return of Fredbeard, the additions of Tony Pollard and Randall Cobb and the improvement of Michael Gallup would catapult this offense to top 5 status. I was wrong. I knew this defense was fool's gold and A-Rod is going to super expose us on Sunday.

Ok.

 

[G2]

They're a very good D, better than the Cowboys D.

It's close, we held them to nothing but FGs, got tons of pressure, an INT, 5 sacks.

 

[Diehardblues]

One TV analyst said it right yesterday, "the week to week NFL".

The only constant is that this season is really the sloppiest I've ever seen. Just the fundamentals of the game like blocking, tackling and the snap count are out of whack. There are also a lot of injuries this early in the season.

Yep

But this does make the Packer game bigger now. I had a thread last week discussing which one of these ( NO or GB) was more likely to lose. I said it was this one. At NO much like you.

Only problem is now that makes GB a bigger game to win. Looking ahead the Jets appear almost a gimme like Miami but I felt we needed to be 5-1 headed to Egirls game. Anything less than 5-2 heading into bye after 3-0 start places much more pressure on toughest stretch of season beginning in week 10.

There’s some drama for you Coach. Our 1st potential “ must win” game of the season. Lol

 

[CouchCoach]

Yep

But this does make the Packer game bigger now. I had a thread last week discussing which one of these ( NO or GB) was more likely to lose. I said it was this one. At NO much like you.

Only problem is now that makes this a bigger game to win. Looking ahead the Jets appear almost a gimme like Miami but I felt we needed to be 5-1 headed to Egirls game. Anything less than 5-2 heading into bye after 3-0 start places much more pressure on toughest stretch of season beginning in week 10.

There’s some drama for you Coach. Our 1st potential “ must win” game of the season. Lol

Greg, someone has already beat me to the punch and I still haven't recovered, that was always "my thang". I even did it before the first Giants game a few seasons back on the old forum, a bold move for even "Must Win" me.

I picked the NO game as well and before Adams got injured and they played PHL, thought they could lose both but that just goes to show you how a season can go. GB gave up the same number of points to PHL that they did in the first 3 games and had the best ranked D. Maybe we should withhold judgment until after the 4th game from now on?

 

[CouchCoach]

It's close, we held them to nothing but FGs, got tons of pressure, an INT, 5 sacks.

They have the better DL and secondary but you are right, they're very close. 2 points close.

Any team's offense that makes mistakes in the other team's stadium like the Cowboys did jeopardizes the game. The D did what they could to keep the crowd out of it and the O kept them in it.

One good thing about that game, the lack of Prescott's going to be rich talk, really tired of that.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Both defenses played well. When the defense doesn't allow a touchdown, that's saying something. The defense forced the Saints to kick for all of their points.

Granted their defense did the same to us. Our points came on the kicks.

Enough with the Chicken Littles "the sky is falling" threads. I'm still predicting 11-5. Yesterday happened to be one of the 5. It's not like we got blown out.

 

[GenoT]

Yeah but mine's the deepest.

Coach...you know ol’ Geno ain’t gonna argue.

 

[noletime95]

The issue is OL play. Cowboys have made a huge investment up front and they got whipped by the first DL they played with a pulse. On paper they should be in their prime with the exception of Williams. Only Collins seems at the top of his game.

Football is a tough game and we may have already seen the best years of Martin, Tyron and Fredrick.

 

[Birch_Wood]

I took a deep breath Sunday night and almost gagged.

 

[cowboyblue22]

What's that? The season is over, fire the HC, Moore's a bust, Prescott and Elliott are overrated and sloppy slobber knocking games don't happen?

Did you think they were going 16-0 after playing 3 bad teams? Did you think the OC wouldn't have some bumps in the road? Did you really think the Cowboys would clinch the division by TDay? Do you think it is easy for any team to go into that stadium, let alone the 3-0 Cowboys, and win?

The Cowboys are 3-1, atop the East with another big game coming up on Sunday, other than the Jets, there are no powder puffs left, including the entire NFC North and two dates with the Eagles, who unlike some suggested, did not lie down. Oh yeah, the Patriots and Rams in there as well.

Admit it, you got seduced by that 3-0 start without really considering the competition. You thought the team would just get better with the same personnel and changing the OC would fix it.

If you are pissed now, think back to how you felt this time last season. Better or worse now?

If the players were reading their headlines, they aren't any longer and that's a very good thing as it's only going to get tougher from here on out, better coaches, better defenses, better teams and the Cowboys are right in the thick of it. They're still a contender, a true one at this point I'd say.

I admit it, I had some doubts about this team going into NO but now they've been tested and found worthy. 12 points to them and no TD's is nothing to hang our heads about and I think some of the players made the same assumption that some posters did here, the Saints are nothing without Brees. Now they know different. They're a team, not one player.

No time to stay pissed about this one, we've got a QB and team that has no fear of our house and we need this win worse than the NO one or we're going to be tied with PHL going into that game.

they will be tied with the eagles after Rodgers does his magic at a t and t this weekend

 

[CouchCoach]

they will be tied with the eagles after Rodgers does his magic at a t and t this weekend

I do think he'll need a healthy Adams for that.

 

[kramskoi]

The cowboys were overrated coming into New Orleans. That was the talk on the street and it proved correct. "They haven't played anyone". Just when you think this team and its quarterback have turned the page...you witness something like you saw Sunday night. Nothing has changed is correct...meaning this team is still coughing up zombie games on offense. You can't blame Linehan anymore...the scapegoat list is getting shorter and shorter.

Prescott, for one, has to be able to "consistently" put this team on his back, especially at times when he doesn't have ten seconds to throw the ball. He regressed to 2017 Sunday night.

 

[GORICO]

Would you consider that a different game plan was called for against a team with a defense in a very loud stadium? Think that D is not better, particularly at home, than the first 3?

One thing we learned, Moore is not there, tactically, yet. That's what these seasoned coaches do to young guys, try and wreck their strategy and see how they respond with their tactics. Then there's the execution of the plays, that left a lot to be desired, I didn't notice any coaches fumbling or missing blocks.

Couch-- i agree such a loss puts blame on everyone....but with Garett we seem to have a game or two or three like this per season..i realize every team lays an egg now and then...by why not more RPO's?...crowd noise is irrelevant with those?....if Zeke aint working on normal type runs...then fake and pass or fake and QB run or something...to me the team was not prepared for this game on offense that lands on coaches

 

[GORICO]

Big Smitty looked gimpy, Martin has that back issue and Yosemite is not all the way back. This was the first real DL they'd faced and the Saints wanted to turn the game into trench warfare and did successfully.

yes O Line got beat up

 

[GORICO]

Defensively Saints had an answer. They shut down Elliott and pressured Dak.

If we can’t get the running game going we’re going to struggle with play action. Fundamental stuff. And I think we’re already seeing in two games the significance of losing Gallup as defenses are crowding Cooper without a serious threat on other side.

Two key fumbles impacted the game. One led to Saints FG and other stopped a drive we probably score.

And we did make an adjustment coming out of halftime for our only TD drive limiting Daks time in pocket for quick releases but couldn’t sustain. That turned out to be only time we touched the ball in 3rd qtr.

Again, not rushing the ball killed us on TOP and we struggled converting 3rd downs as the Pressure stifled Daks presence in the pocket. Perfect execution of scheme by Saints on defense. We never had much of an answer.

Die hard--i agree losing Gallup affected us way more than we let on....they cant cover Cooper and gallup and Cobb