Michael Turner, Jason Snelling Scorch Saints: Defense Dooms New Orleans
A missed field goal by kicker Garrett Hartley in overtime ended any premature talk of an undefeated season for the New Orleans Saints.
Hartley lined up on the right hash of the 29-yard yard line just a chip shot away from helping the Saints escape Week 3 with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
But the ball spiraled wide left, Hartley hung his head in disgust, and the Saints’ fate was left in the hands of a defense that couldn’t get off the field all day.
The New Orleans defense seemed to make its first crucial defensive stand of the game, but a pass interference call on Saints cornerback Jabari Greer gave Atlanta another chance.
Michael Turner and the Falcons offense never looked back, bulldozing down the field and setting up a game-winning field goal by kicker Matt Bryant.
For the first time since the end of the 2009 regular season, the Saints exited the Superdome feeling the sting of defeat.
And that game really stung.
Not because it was a close loss, but because the Saints—aside from a few big plays—were dominated by an Atlanta squad that played harder and better than the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Saints fans learned a lot about their team in the 27-24 loss to Atlanta, not least of which is that New Orleans need to improve in plenty of aspects of the game.
Here’s a crash course on what head coach Sean Payton and company will be working on before the Saints’ Week 4 contest against the Carolina Panthers.
The Running Game
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The Saints entered Week 3 ranked 31st in the NFL rushing, and probably exited it ranked dead last.
Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory combined for 43 yards on 16 carries.
That’s 2.7 yards per carry against a Falcons defense that allowed 130.5 yards per game in 2009, and didn’t make any drastic changes in the offseason.
In Week 4, the Saints face the Carolina Panthers, who have given up 333 yards on the ground through the team’s first three games.
New Orleans has had less balance on offense this season than a drunk guy on a pogo stick.
With the Panthers allowing 111 rushing yards per game, it’s time for a heavy dosage of Pierre Thomas to get the Saints offense back on track.
The Run Defense
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If you think the Saints’ worst problem is its rushing offense, I’d avoid looking at this slide.
The Saints run defense has been dominated in the trenches through the first three games, giving up 435 yards on the ground, including 202 against Atlanta.
Granted, New Orleans has faced three of the league’s best running backs—Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore, and Michael Turner—but the defensive line is getting manhandled.
Against the Falcons, six of the team’s top seven tacklers were linebackers or defensive backs. Turner and Jason Snelling blew past the d-line before they even knew what happened, leaving it up to the guys in the second level to make the tackles.
And it isn’t getting any easier next week.
The New Orleans rush defense may be facing its toughest test of the season against Carolina, whose tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart is arguably the best in the NFL.
Controlling The Clock
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When a team can’t run the ball or stop its opponent from running the ball, you know what happens?
That team can’t control the clock.
New Orleans held the ball for 27:15 against Atlanta, which wouldn’t be out of the norm in a 60-minute game for a pass heavy offense.
But the game went to overtime, and the Falcons’ time of possession was 45:50—nearly twenty minutes more than the Saints.
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Stopping The Tight End
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As I was watching the game, I thought to myself, “Is this 2004?”
That’s the year that Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez had 102 receptions, which is how many passes I thought he would catch against the Saints.
Gonzalez absolutely killed the Saints secondary, especially on Atlanta’s first scoring drive where he had three receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown.
It almost looked as if the Saints purposely didn’t cover him. He was wide open on just about every pass play, and he provided Matt Ryan with an easy target when Ryan had no other options.
Roman Harper was the primary player covering Gonzalez, but a stat line of eight receptions for 110 yards proves he did not actually cover him too often.
The good news for New Orleans is that the Saints won’t face a tight end like Gonzalez again until Week 12 (Jason Witten).
Lance Moore Will Fill Reggie Bush's Role
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In a game full of negatives, Saints wide receiver Lance Moore was one of the team’s lone bright spots.
On offense, Moore had 149 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He also added a 72-yard punt return that led to the Saints’ first touchdown.
With Bush likely out for another five weeks, Moore did a heck of a job making Saints fans forget about Reggie Bush.
He looks to be the guy who will fill the role as the team’s all-purpose threat.
Third and Fourth-Down Efficiency
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The Saints took a huge punch to the gut against Atlanta that came in the form of a 19-play, 72-yard second quarter drive.
The 10-minute series—which ended in a short touchdown run by Turner—was extended after the Falcons converted two third downs and two fourth downs.
The New Orleans defense simply could not get off the field in crucial situations, which was one of the biggest factors in the time of possession battle.
Garrett Hartley May Be Out of a Job
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From scapegoat to hero back to scapegoat, Hartley’s ride with the Saints has certainly been a bumpy one.
Just one week after sending the Saints home happy with a game-winning field goal, Hartley silenced the Superdome after missing a field goal inside the Falcons’ 20-yard line.
Hartley may have kicked the Saints to the Super Bowl and a victory last week, but he has made just one of four field goals inside the Superdome during the 2010 season.
Sean Payton has voiced his commitment to Hartley, but will he keep it if Hartley continues to miss wide left?
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