Sunday, December 2, 2012

Game 12 Rapid Reaction: Falcons @ Saints

Saints 13, Falcons 23

Saints Falter, Brees Turns It Over 5 Times






Sure, this isn't exactly Rapid Reaction being that the game was Thursday, but having some time to digest, and not exactly shooting from the hip with frustration might not have been the smartest things. It's hard to write about losses, especially when it comes at the hands of the Falcons. Not a ton to dissect here, but the keys points.

Drew Throws 5 Picks
Not 1, 2, 3, 4, but 5 costly interceptions. Drew Brees looked out of sync completely. Brees went 28/50, 341 yards, and the 5INT. Sure, the receivers didn't necessarily help things out, and towards the end, the non-calls were blatantly obvious. When Lance Moore misses a catch, you know it's not a good night. However, Brees alone made some terrible decisions. He made passes that he had no business attempting in the first place. Pierre Thomas was able to get things going on the ground, and looked extremely impressive, which always begs the questions 'why aren't we using him more?' We could think that he's being saved for the playoffs, however, we know that's in jeopardy.


Yeah, it was that kind of night


O-Line couldn't block anyone either

Poor Clock Management Wipes Away Points
There's many jokes to be made here (Les Miles comes to mind), but bottom line, there's ZERO reason to throw that pass to Sproles with him being blanketed over the middle. The Saints left points on the board, as time expired. The big thing that changed the fate was the negated 7 yard TD by Sproles, on which Jimmy Graham was called for Offensive Pass Interference.


I don't know either


It's a huge disappointment, because we had all of the momentum, forcing the Falcons with numerous straight 3 & Outs, and we out gained the bejesus again. Our defense looked even better, yet again. Roddy White held to one catch, Ryan threw for only 165 yards, no 100 yard rushers. 283 Yards total from the Falcons. We didn't lose that game because they were a good team, we beat ourselves. Brees streak is over, and while a remarkable feat, it's one less thing the Saints have to worry about now.

At 5-7, we're on life support, there's no other way to put it. One more loss will likely sink us. We have to rely on outside help. The Seahawks, Bucs, Vikes (6-5) are the front runners, and the Redskins & Cowboys (5-6) are now ahead. Losses from these teams keep us alive, but barely, as we have a date with the Giants up in New York next Sunday.

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