
Forum �bersicht Suche Login Registrieren Forums-Blog Landkarte

16	November 2018

The Saints will benefit from preseason struggles

The New Orleans Saints have been a mixed bag through their first 2 preseason games Youth Ryan Ramczyk Jersey , and if we�re looking at it objectively there has been more bad than good. Especially when looking at it from the viewpoint of a fan. However, that is exactly why the Saints are going to benefit tremendously from this year�s preseason. In 2017 the Saints were plucky underdog that became the hottest team in the league and was a ridiculous fluke play away from advancing to the NFC Championship game. But, the reality is that in professional sports no one stays where they were at the year before, you either get better, or you get worse. The Saints have spent the off-season further improving their depth, trying to shore up their weaknesses, and adjusting their mentality to go from the hunters to the hunted. There are a lot of things to be discouraged about so far, the backup QBs being the top of the list of course, but also a lot that we can take solace in as fans. Remember that the entire purpose of the preseason is evaluation and preparation. Wins and losses are meaningless. The process that leads to those wins and losses and the evaluation that is able to occur during that journey is the point. You don�t gameplan in the preseason, you play, you observe, and you analyze. When you take a look under the hood there are some things that are VERY promising towards the Saints being just fine when the games actually matter, here are a few. Games begin and end with the linesFootball is the ultimate team game and is a complex ever changing game of cat and mouse between the offense and the defense. Formations, calls, checks, counter checks, hundreds of possibilities calculated in seconds which determine victory or defeat. And yet, at the end of the day its not incorrect to make the statement that the outcomes are largely determined by the success (or failure) of the giant men up front. The offensive and defensive lines generally get the least publicity, the fewest commercials, and the most blame...and they also carry the most weight (pun intended). The Saints offensive line has been outright dominant http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/thomas-morstead-jersey-authentic , at least the starters have, and with their best player healthy and looking like his old self they could potentially have the best offensive line in the league. When the games matter the Saints will be heavily dependent on their run game and the play action passing attack that it opens up. That begins and ends with the performance of the guys up front. It doesn�t end there though, the Saints already have the best 4-3 DE in the NFL in Cam Jordan, and with Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata and the emerging 2nd year player Trey Hendrickson all showing significant ability to get pressure the Saints are likely going to be even better up front this year than last. What really stands out though is the depth. There are no less than 4 players fighting for the opportunity to be a backup/rotational player along the defensive line and all of them have flashed in the Saints first 2 games. Depth matters everywhere, but especially along the defensive line where rotating fresh bodies can be a significant advantage. We haven�t even gotten a chance to see our 1st round pick Marcus Davenport yet, but while he is a raw player, his sheer physical ability makes it likely that he will be a �rising star� for the 2nd half of the season provided he�s able to start working his way into the games going forwards. Talent mattersOutside of the Saints potential for dominant fronts on both sides of the ball, they also have talent all the way across the board in every position group. The additions of Demario Davis and a returning Alex Anzalone add a much needed element of speed to the linebacking corp. The wide receivers group replaced Willie Snead and Brandon Coleman with Cameron Meredith and �Super Rookie� Tre�Quan Smith which regardless of what you may think of either of them, its pretty much a guarantee you will get more production from this year�s unit than last. Oh, and Michael Thomas is still a monster who plays with a chip on his shoulder and his team on his back...best of luck DBs. You will need it. The Secondary has a more seasoned and by his own declaration a �smarter� Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams coming off of a phenomenal rookie campaign is on a mission to erase the memory of how last season ended, and Ken Crawley is likely to continue his upward trajectory (and even if he�s not better, if he�s just the same we�re in a great spot). The only position where the team hasn�t added more talent to last year�s division winning roster are Tight End and Quaterback, and you can argue that 4,000 year old (yet ageless) veteran Benjamin Watson still improves the Tight End group. That would mean that the only position that didn�t get better is the position that didn�t need to. Drew Brees is still a BAD BAD man. So chins up Saints fans. The preseason is there to work out the kinks, test your execution, identify your weaknesses, and allow you to work on them in a �live� theater that doesn�t count or matter. The Saints have yet to suffer a major injury. So long as that is the case the preseason is a win, and the fact they are taking their lumps now is good for us http://www.thesaintsfootballauthentic.com/ken-crawley-jersey-authentic , it means they are less likely to need to punt two games to figure things out (like NOT letting Devante Harris on the field) like they did last year. No miraculous play was needed for New Orleans to win this game in Minnesota, no where-were-you moment that instantly went viral.Drew Brees and the Saints simply scored some revenge for their last-second loss in the playoffs last season by taking advantage of two key turnovers, including a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by P.J. Williams, in a 30-20 victory over the Vikings on Sunday night."This one had a little extra special meaning," Brees said, flashing a slight smile after he went 18 for 23 to maintain his league-leading 77.4 completion percentage.Alvin Kamara scored twice, Wil Lutz made three field goals and Sheldon Rankins had two of the four sacks by the Saints (6-1), who needed only 120 passing yards by Brees to beat the Vikings (4-3-1) this time with far less tension down the final stretch and stay undefeated in four road games this year."It's everything we wanted it to be," Rankins said.Stefon Diggs had 119 receiving yards and a score in his curtain call after the "Minneapolis Miracle" catch in the NFC divisional round here in January, but he stopped his drag route in a miscommunication with quarterback Kirk Cousins right before Williams picked the ball off for the pivotal third-quarter touchdown.Adam Thielen had another record-setting performance for the Vikings with 103 yards and a score, but he lost a fumble that was returned 54 yards by Marshon Lattimore to set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Saints."We're a really good football team, but you can't make mistakes in this league and win, especially on critical situations when you have the ball in the red zone," Thielen said. "Obviously I'm going to think about that one for a while, and I'm definitely disappointed in myself."The Vikings had the edge on both sides of the ball during the first half. Harrison Smith handed Brees his first interception of the season after 231 attempts without one, putting the Vikings in position to stretch a 13-10 lead.Late in the second quarter, Thielen drove forward for extra yards after a short completion and had the ball pried loose by Williams and Alex Anzalone at the 14. Lattimore scooped it up and raced the other way, before Laquon Treadwell took him down. Treadwell then slammed his helmet on the turf in frustration, drawing a devastating 15-yard penalty to give the Saints the ball at the 18 with 57 seconds remaining before halftime. Kamara soared into the end zone two plays later."I was giving up a few plays," Williams said Youth Michael Thomas Jersey , "but a turnover always turns the game around."The Vikings started the second half with the ball and went for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 45. With an empty backfield, Cousins had Treadwell open over the middle, but Lattimore broke up the pass to change possession and set up Lutz's second field goal."I told the team I was going to be aggressive," coach Mike Zimmer said. "Every fourth down that was close, we were going to go for it."SIZZLING STARTThe first evening kickoff of the season at U.S. Bank Stadium created an extra-energetic atmosphere, and the pregame hype video montage with replays of the last-snap catch and run by Diggs for the winning touchdown in the playoffs against the Saints only enhanced it.Defensive end Everson Griffen, returning from a five-game absence for mental health treatment, led the sprint out of the replica Vikings ship for introductions. Diggs was saved for last. Then the action came fast and furious.Kamara capped the opening touchdown drive by catching a forward flip on a jet sweep play with both backup quarterbacks, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill, lined up as wide receivers. Hill had taken a turn at quarterback earlier and threw a 44-yard pass to Michael Thomas, his second highlight-reel reception during that drive.Thielen climbed over the neck of Williams for a tricky third-down catch on the ensuing possession for the Vikings, who kept on attacking the third-year nickel cornerback. Diggs beat him with a back-shoulder grab at the goal line and again four plays later on a toe-tap touchdown at the edge of the end zone on fourth down.Williams had a pass interference penalty on the next drive for the Vikings. That set up a short scoring run by Latavius Murray, who tossed the ball back to Cousins earlier on that possession for a 28-yard flea-flicker throw to Thielen.THIELEN ITThielen tied Calvin Johnson's all-time NFL record of eight straight 100-yard receiving games, set in 2012 with Detroit. He also matched Patrick Jeffers with a fifth consecutive game with 100-plus yards and at least one touchdown, a mark set in 1999 for Carolina.INJURY REPORTSaints: CB Eli Apple, acquired in a trade with the New York Giants, made his debut in place of Ken Crawley, who was inactive but not on the injury report.Vikings: CB Xavier Rhodes (foot) was one of six starters held out with injuries. ... Backup RB Roc Thomas left with a hamstring injury.UP NEXTSaints: Return home to host the Los Angeles Rams (8-0) next Sunday.Vikings: Stay home to face the Detroit Lions (3-4) next Sunday.