Imperfect611
Starter
All Four Quarters:
The big story was that the Saints were obviously overconfident and didn't see the Cardinals as a threat. Coach Jeff Fisher said "When the players don't enter the game with the right attitude it is always the coach's fault and I take the blame for that. I and the players must approach every game in the NFL as a challenge. The Cardinals did not win today, we lost." The first quarter and a half of play was like watching a college team try and compete in the NFL. Chris Ivory was unstoppable and the offence couldn't complete a pass to save its life. It took a two minute drill and a beautiful TD catch from Hartline to bring life back to the Saints.
Missed Opportunities:
Did you know a field goal is worth 3pts? Did you know that two of them are worth 6pts? Well that's how many points the gave up on missed field goals and also how much they lost by. One of those field goals wins the Saints the game. Barth missed a 30 yard field goal which should be a chip shot for kickers at this stage in their career. After an uproar from fans and what seemed to be a broken spirit from Barth, the two parties parted ways after the game. Rookie kicker Holden Murray was brought in as a replacement.
On another note, as far as missed opportunities go it is not just the kicker to blame. Bryce Petty had a good game for 3 quarters, but in the first quarter threw for 2 completions on 8 attempts. Most of these were overthrows to open receivers and simply shows a lack of preparation for the game. Cyprien dropped and interception in the end-zone on the Cardinals opening drive which would've stopped the drive in its tracks. Everyone knows the old joke that they play DB because they can't catch, but it was an overthrown lob with nobody near him. When an opportunity like that is presented you have to take advantage.
Stepping In, Stepping Up:
Robert Turbin played great today running for 142 on 19 attempts and a TD. It seems like the Saints have figured out a great running system for their backs. Mark Ingram will be out for 3 more week and he will be missed, but the Turbinator seems to be able to tear up defenses just as well. He seems to be much better on the outside than Ingram, but can't seem to build up the same power or have the same quickness though the middle. Simpson took 4 carries for 18 yards and Poteat broke one of his own for 11. This comittee should be enough to take some pressure off the defense in the future and will only get more dangerous when Marky Mark returns to his Funky-bunch.
Beat Deep:
The Cardinals found a way to get John Brown deep down the field twice against New Orleans this week to win the game. The game tying TD came from a 85 yard bomb which Cary Williams blew coverage on and the game winner came on a 63 yard TD in which caught the ball in between zones on the Cover 2. Brown had a great game, but when the core off your offense is to bend don't break it is awful to see a game end like this.
Moving On and Moving Forward:
The Saints aren't weak by any means they just had a few weaknesses exploited this weekend. They came back from a 17 point deficit in the 3rd quarter to tie the game and that shouldn't be ignored. They need to rely on their stellar run game this year and figure out if Petty is the franchise QB they are looking for. He still managed to hit 7 different receivers which is a quality we have only come to expect from Aaron Rodgers and he is showing more comfort throwing the deep ball when it is open. He and Floyd finally found a rhythm this week and Bennett has show himself to be an extremely reliable TE for the young QB. The defense was able to shut down the Cardinals for the most part in the second half holding Chris Ivory to 20 yards rushing and, outside of the two big plays, defending the pass very well. They take on the Lions next week who have a very vulnerable rushing defense which bodes well for the Saints. With Ebron hurt if the Saints can just watch the two WR on the outside they should come away with a much needed away win.