Typically I take some time before I post, but I am beyond disappointed in their showing. It seemed that this team was starting to show some promise - then Sunday night happened.
The Good -
Possibly the only good I saw tonight was Lacy being more involved. He made some plays, made guys miss, and put some nice yardage up.
Having a bye week should give the guys some time to sort their shit out. If they don't, this team has no business in the playoffs.
The Bad -
Lang getting hurt is bad news for this line - that is obvious.
Stone handed receivers dropped some easy catches.
The secondary doesn't look the same without Shields and Burnett on the field. Too many receivers left uncovered.
The Ugly -
The defensive line was highly ineffective. Run D performance was one of the worst I have ever seen, especially against a mediocre back. This D couldn't even stop the run when it was plainly obvious what the next play was going to be.
Coaching decisions at times were beyond head scratching. There is no reason to go for the onside kick when you are up by 3 in the first half.
Getting cute and trying to get Peppers a TD was pointless and a waste of a down, we have receivers that are able to catch - well, usually.
4th Down run. I understand the reason for it, but cannot understand why you don't approach it with a better plan in mind. Screen pass, sweep, or just about anything else would have had a better chance at success. If you are taking a gamble, give yourself the best chance at being successful.
The turnovers were big time killers. One pick should have been 6 on the board, but due to a horrible catch attempt - it ended up in the opponent's hands. The second turnover was partially due to an off target throw, but was catchable.
Poor tackling showed it's ugly face again. Some of these moments were the difference between a punt and a scoring drive.
Officiating was not of much help, often making questionable calls. I saw Saints on both sides of the ball with hands all over their match-ups without being flagged. Incidental contact being flagged at every turn for a white jersey, but not on the home team. Opponents holding on the line went uncalled most of the game, which only compounded the run D problems.
I am sure someone will call me out as a doom and gloom guy and I really don't care. To shit the bed on this level is inexcusable in professional sports. I was unsure of our D, and it has been confirmed that they have a long way to go - just hope they can fix it before it is too late (which it nearly is.)