Tuesday, Dec. 13
December 13, 2011
Hubert P. Rivere
December 15, 2011
Quarterbacks. Drew Brees just sort of looked out of rhythm at times against the Titans. An “out of rhythm” quarterback that tosses 36 completions and 337 yards with two touchdowns is one of the best in the league.
Grade: A
Halfbacks. The yardage wasn’t overwhelming, but the Saints consistently got three or four yards a pop via the ground game. In a short passing game, that’s the difference between third and long and third and short. It’s that simple.
Grade: B+
Receivers. Jimmy Graham is a warrior. When your tight end’s heroic play through pain overshadows a 100-yard and two touchdown day from your star wide receiver, you have options galore.
Grade: A+
Offensive line. Drew Brees was socked in the mouth a few times too many. Combine that with what felt like a half-dozen holding penalties and this wasn’t the best day to be a Saints offensive lineman.
Grade: C
Defensive line. Chris Johnson never got going against what’s becoming a pretty solid front against the run. Another stuff on fourth and short arguably saved the day.
Grade: A+
Linebackers. No Saints linebacker had more than four tackles Sunday. Where were these guys? Ray Lewis would have four tackles in a quarter. Sure, it’s unfair to compare someone to Ray Lewis, but four tackles? Geezums, that’s weak.
Grade: C+
Defensive backs. All game long, the announcers kept proclaiming that the Saints’ defense was tired of being knocked on by knuckleheads like me. Give me a reason to be positive and I will. Almost allowing a game-losing touchdown drive against a rookie quarterback because of non-stop coverage breakdowns doesn’t do it for me.
Grade: D
Special teams. Nothing went wrong out of this group Sunday, but I wave a flag of caution that a few of John Kasay’s chip shot field goals were near misses. He’s not nearly as good outdoors as he is inside the Superdome. Just remember I said this later in the season.
Grade: B+
Coaching staff. The Saints won again, but I have a few issues with the coaching staff. First, why throw the ball on third down when trying to run out the clock? Secondly, why shift into a super soft prevent defense? Those decisions combined almost cost the team the game. As it stands, the Saints won in spite of bad coaching decisions.
Grade: C
Overall I’d rather win ugly than lose pretty. Trust me, I’m a Cowboys fan, I know the value of a win. My team doesn’t get that many these days. But the Saints need to develop more of a killer instinct. There’s no reason Sunday’s game went down to the wire. None at all. Even still, a win IS a win.
Grade: B+
New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham pushes forward during Sunday’s win against the Tennessee Titans. The Saints’ win, combined with a Chicago Bears loss pushed the team into the playoffs for the third-straight season. AP PHOTO
