A Look at the Week 13 Matchup...

[CarolinaNCSU]

With so many being down at the thought of playing the Saints in the playoffs, I wanted to just dig a little deeper on the last shot we had at them. Mind you, they also haven't exactly been world beaters since that game.  Following Week 13...

• Loss to Atlanta
• 12 point win against the BRYCE PETTY led Jets...who they continued to let back into the game
• 10 point win against Atlanta, with some ref drama IIRC
• Loss to Tampa Bay

Point being, they're vulnerable...just as we are.  The difference?  Their margin for error is much greater than ours I would say, relying on a monster run game OR Drew Brees. That said, a couple of minor changes in the Week 13 matchup, and that game could've looked A LOT different as well....

• Saints first drive, missed tackles by us, and the Kamara run on 4th down where Shaq couldn't make the stop/Kamara defied physics and gravity. (7-0)
• Our offense immediately answered with a nice drive (7-7)
• Early 2nd quarter, busted play and poo tackling & angles from Mike Adams leads to Mark Ingram's 72 yard run.  If Kamara made this play, sure.  Ingram though? Isn't happening again.  Sets up a TD, (14-7)
• Panthers next drive, 3rd & 4, Cam sees pressure and drops a DIME to Funch....dropped. 
  • The above results in Palardy dropping a punt (freak play), and then almost completing the pass.  Amazing field position for the Saints.
• Saints answer on 3rd & 8 with a TD (21-7)...essentially due to the freaky punt play
• Our offense sputters, but defense forces a fumble.  Life. Bersin with a nice catch, amazing throw...then McCaffrey out of the backfield for a nice TD.  (21-14)
• Ball out of the half, welp, the OL sucks...Cam sacked on 3rd & 3. ZERO time.
• Kamara touchdown, multiple missed tackles. (28-14)
• Another 3rd down, nobody open, Cam scrambling...punt incoming.
• Brees carves up the defense on 3rd, Kamara breaks tackles, Worley drops an INT. Saints miss the FG.
• Multiple penalties lead to us opening with 1st & 25, Cam doesn't care and leads a drive down field until 4th & 7 from the 12. Funch is a few inches short of the first.
• Saints can't do anything and punt...the punt...Clay fumble as he's tackled from behind.
• Saints FG, effectively ending the game at 31-14.
• Offense driving, Cam doing work running the ball, TD Funchess (31-21)
• Onside kick, that we actually kind of recover, but Funch is outta bounds by an elbow when he tosses the ball up. Still don't understand this play...he recovered, then was out of bounds. Should be our ball, but not an expert on the rule and I was drunk during the game.
• Kamara makes everyone looks silly, ends the game with a 1st down.  We lose by 10.

 

Long thread, I know, but if you're still here, congrats!  Point here being not to bring up old wounds, but just to show how much went wrong for us, and how poorly we played, but still had chances.  The Saints...Ingram and Kamara BOTH averaged over 6 YPC. That's not happening again.  We had three fumbles (lost 1). We only had 2 sacks. Freak special teams plays. 

If only half of the breaks that went against us, fall our way...we're in that game if not win it.  And we played like poo. Again, I get that nobody is picking us, I get that the Saints have a shiny new offense while ours is Shula'd.  This team is frustrating as hell. But convert a couple more 3rd downs, another sack or two against Brees, and let Cam take over...we're winning tomorrow. 

Keep Pounding, ladies and gents. 

[brandon_87]

Love the write up, not gonna quote that novel, but quit making excuse... We got our ass kicked not once, but twice. Not even a close game, there wasn't 1 single thing we can fix that will magically turn it around for us, this year they are a horrible match up for us... They exploit every glaring hole we have and they do it very well

[2jakefansinva]

Cant wait for this game.........

and tonite..........Atl will determine who our next opponent will be.