Which recent performance best represents Saints’ secondary? Which was a fluke?

Which recent performance best represents Saints’ secondary? Which was a fluke?

[Music] Welcome back to another episode of New Orleans. Football presented by PJ’s Coffee coming to you from the Ashner MD Anderson Cancer Center podcast studio. And we are telling you to go buy a car from Matt Bowers Auto Group because that’s where you should go buy your next car. Uh best prices, best customer care. He’s going to get you right. Tell them that we sent you and they’ll get you into the car of your dreams at the best possible prices. going to break down the Saints loss today. Uh, keep talking about that, keep talking about the future, what it meant for Spencer Rattler, and where it goes from here. And, uh, we’re going to get into everything that you need to know to get you ready for the upcoming week as the Saints get ready to face their former coach, now the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, Dennis Allen, and that team. Uh, the Bears are are looking kind of good right now, so probably going to be a tough game for the Saints this weekend. A nice measuring stick for them. Do you want to celebrate your fandom beyond the field? Heeler Federal is proud to be the official credit union sponsor of the New Orleans Saints. They’re a notfor-profit organization, meaning that their members always come first. You can enjoy lower fees, better rates, and everything else Saints fans need to help you get one step closer to living your dreams. That’s Keysler Federal. All right, our first topic today is presented by Aaron Rose. It is the Calam Moore versus Dennis Allen matchup, which means it is also the Spencer Rattler vers Dennis Allen matchup. What do you expect to see from Rattler on Sunday? And what do you think Dennis Allen tries to do to slow him down? All right. I mean, these are these could be two topics. I mean, this should be a meaty topic because we’ve got two pretty fascinating guys to talk about. Three, as you as you say, adding Kellen Moore into the conversation. I don’t know what DA is right now. We were side texting about this. I mean, you know, one of one of my biggest bad takes that I’ve ever had is I was all for hiring Dennis Allen as head coach because I thought he was maybe the, you know, in a list of the three best defensive minds in football at this time. But, you know, he did not finish his tenure with the Saints strong. The Bears are doing well right now, but they’re 27th in points allowed. They’re 27th in yards yards allowed. They’re like 31st in sacks. They’re 31st in run defense. He’s not lighting it up yet with the Bears. I I don’t know what Dennis Allen’s current signature is with this team, but I do know one thing that I think he was always really good at, and that is, you know, using disguise, using blitz at the right time, hiding his blitzes to throw off quarterbacks and and, you know, with less experience. He was always good against less experienced quarterbacks. And I think he’s going to give Spencer Rattler everything he’s got as far as what are you seeing? Can I fool you? Can I make you hesitate? Can I throw you off? Can I force you into a mistake? Um, so I am really curious if Spencer Rettler’s ability to protect the ball and not turn the ball over. Uh, I think this is a guy that we know is going to test that. I I think DA’s defense is what he always wanted it to actually be right now and it’s a defense that creates a lot of turnovers. They’re second in the league with 12 and and that’s always been what he’s wanted to do. He’s always wanted to have dynamic safeties. Uh he’s he’s got uh BD, but he’s got three interceptions already this year. Uh Brisker kind of feels like the high-end version of uh that that weaponized uh safety that that he always likes to have. Plays in the box, plays deep, does all that stuff. I just I don’t think they have the corners right now. I think their cornerback group is is That’s so key to a DA defense. Yeah. But like I they’re making plays and and they’re getting, you know, all that stuff done. He’s got two really really great linebackers on that defense. So um and he’s got Tmaine Edwards being the other one. Like he he’s kind of playing really good football right now. So I I I think his defense is kind of what it what it always has been like and and it’s the continuation of like the evolution that that we saw with it. Um they don’t blitz a lot, but it’s a lot of he was kind of at the forefront of of simulated pressures and all that stuff. Um, so he’s going to try to get them turnovers, man. Like that that’s what they’re going to try to do. That that’s what they do. I don’t know that they got the the horses really, but um, like he’s getting it done with with the group he has. Um, giving up a lot of yardage, show right now. I think they lead the league in yards allowed per play. But this bend but don’t break, but they actually do the thing that’s needed at the end of that and they get the turnover. The Saints do not. And that’s kind of the difference between being teams that give up a uh, a lot of yards. But yeah, I think he’s going to throw everything at Rattler. I think it’s going to be a tough game for him. he’s going to get him into to some bad looks. And man, like when when when that man wants to bring it, like we we saw it. You can say whatever you want about him as a head coach or a liar if you if you don’t think he can’t cook up a a a elite game plan. I mean, he he’s got a few of the best games of the last decade, defensive game plans. Like, he’s on that list more than once. I I would be surprised if this man like I he’s going to he’s going to bring it. Like, is it going to be executed? We’re going to see. But I mean, I I people can always say, “Ah, it’s just another game.” No, it isn’t. No, it isn’t. They fired you. You didn’t think you should be fired. Like you you feel like if you’re Dennis Allen, you feel like the whole team was hurt and you got screwed. You’re watching Seattle and you’re saying, “I had the right staff. Uh didn’t get a chance to play it out.” You’re pissed, your feelings are hurt, and you’re going to try to take it out on someone. And unfortunately, um that’s probably he’s going to try to take it out on a quarterback that he drafted. Um, yeah, the the interesting stat, and I think this is where Kell Moore comes into the equation, the Bears are giving up almost 160 rushing yards a game. U, I mean, that that’s Spencer Rutler’s best friend in this matchup. Um, we saw him go into Buffalo and do it. And, and what Kell Moore said in that game is he said, “Not only do we see it as part of our matchup, we believe it should be our identity.” Um, that was the first game where they had all five offensive linemen back healthy when they built that game plan in Buffalo. They’ve got all five offensive linemen healthy in this game. I think Kell Moore will stubbornly stick with the run game and he should with with the way Alvin Camra, Kendrick Miller, and now Taesm Hill back in the equation. I think he will try to protect Spencer Rattler that way. Uh, but there is no no doubt that that Rattler is going to have to make some plays and decide how many chances he’s going to take with, like you said, a a defensive coordinator who loves to force turnovers and a defense that’s doing it right now. So, so how do you think Rattler is built right now for the the matchup? You know, we know we know who he’s going against. How is he built for it right now? Yeah, if they can keep him in the game and they can run the ball, I think he has a chance to to play well. Uh that I mean it’s really going to be on on the defense and then finishing drives and the Yeah, they’ll be down 14 nothing. That would help too. Yeah, cuz if once they go down like he can’t throw him back like we’ve we’ve seen it. That’s not it’s just not what you want. Like against Seattle we saw like so if you go down early like you’re you’re in trouble. So but yeah, if they can keep the run alive and they keep all the options there. We know that that that Moore can call the plays to keep him in spots where he doesn’t have to do too much. You know, I just spinning this out to to the to, you know, a little bit further. Um, you know, I I think I think we’ve reached a point and I thought I thought they pushed it more in this game like the third and 17. He he took the aggressive throw. Beautiful throw. Probably the best throw he’s ever made as a as an NFL player. That throw to a Lave that Chris dropped, but he actually fumbled. Um, but that was that was an outstanding throw. Um, you know, another third down was the the touchdown that that didn’t go that that didn’t hold on to. So like they pushed it a little bit more in this last game. I think that the melee throw that you pointed out that that Banks got Yeah. on on that was third down on uh on on on the uh the all 22 like that was wide that was a wide open throw. Like I thought he squeeze it into a window like they they really designed it well. They designed a couple of them them seams like really well in that game. But I think the next thing for him is that we got to see him start pushing the ball being a little bit you know just just a little bit more aggressive. a lot of stuff that we’re seeing and I and you know I think it’s it’s a lot of like a really well- definfined first read like I think they do a really good job of designing the first read coming open and someone asked me they’re like hey are they too dependent on a lav I think whoever would be the first receiver on the field would would have the same target volume because it’s a lot of first read and then check down or run and like he’s executing it at an extremely high level seeing it really fast getting the ball out all that stuff I think he he’s doing everything they’re asking him to do at a very very high level. But I want to see them just open it up a little bit more for him. Hey, like go ahead and take take some of these aggressive throws. Like let’s let’s do some heat check here. Let’s see how far up we can push the ceiling on this thing. Hey, when we get to the red zone, let’s have Spencer throw the ball instead of going to Taesm Miller running Philly Special. Let’s see what he can do there. Hey, end of the half when there’s 90 seconds left and you’re in a close game, let’s have him throw the ball a couple times to see if he can get the 30 yards needed to get in the field goal range. I want to see them open it up more for him, have more trust in him. I don’t know that it’s a a Rattler thing. I think it’s I think he’s doing exactly what he’s told. I want them to trust him more and open it up more. I don’t know if this is the week to do it, but like it’s got to happen. And I think just in our evaluation of him, I think he’s playing excellent. I think what we were saying last week, damn near impossible guy to even like like door two doesn’t exist until something happens to put it into focus right now. Like he’s getting better every week. he’s playing well, all that stuff. But like you got to win a winnable game. This is possibly a winnable game. Last week was winnable. He in my book, like in terms of like evaluating him independent of the team, he he made the plays to win that game. I’m giving him I’m giving him a check on that. But like you actually have to to win a game. Like this is one Carolina’s one. Like there’s got to be a game at some point where where the bar is like, “Hey, go out there and win the game.” No, you can’t have a disaster on defense. You can’t have your wide receiver dropping passes. you can’t have all this stuff happening and then say, “Well, Spencer didn’t get it done.” Like, no. Like, but when if the other circumstances are good, I do think at some point they got to say like, can this guy lead to a victory? And this this might be a game where that that you’re looking at it a little bit. If not this one, you got to probably win, Carol. Like, at some point, you have to win football games. Yeah. And look, this last game, I mean, I I wrote I don’t know if it crystallized exactly what I meant, but I said it was the most Spencer Rattler game yet. like he played I I thought it was the best I’ve ever seen him look. But while we’re while we’re having this conversation, if you change the order of the games, if he had this game in week two and then some of the other games, like it’s still piling on. Yeah. Yeah. Like I mean, unfortunately, he still won 11. Unfortunately, they still settled for four field goals in this one. But yes, just looking at this game, Spencer Rattler, his rating improved. It didn’t it didn’t decrease his rece his his pass catchers let him down fumbles holding calls his defense let him down. Um in no way did did his position get worse. It’s just he needs to have some of those moments and it it felt like we’re going to get that in the fourth quarter of this game especially when they get to the 50 yardd line on that completion to Jawan Johnson. and then it’s a fumble, then their next possession. He did miss a couple throws, but like I was like, “Oh, we’re finally going to get, you know, maybe this Spencer Rattler signature game and we didn’t.” It’s just he’s almost operating against the clock and how many total opportunities you get, but this game did not This game did not take away from him, but he needs to have some special moments and and it he keeps looking like a guy who’s going to have them and and they haven’t come yet. He had a couple in this game for sure. Definitely. Um like Yeah. Yeah. I mean look the thing that I would love to see them do like just in terms of of just him like just him. The thing that I would and I don’t know what’s happening but like this could have happened already. I I don’t think it has but I would love them just to be just if you like at some point I if they keep keep him in there. You never you never change. This is your guy. He’s improving every week. At some point, I would love them to come out, and this would never happen, but I would love them to come out and just be like, “Spencer’s starting the rest of the season. Doesn’t matter what happens. We’re going to evaluate it that way. This is the guy.” And then he could just go out there and let it rip and not have to look over his shoulder. And I I would love to see Rattler, and this is going to sound nuts, but I I would love to see Rattler throw some interceptions like cuz I would mean he’s he’s stretching it. Like, you got to find out where the ceiling goes up. Like, you have to find that definition of where it’s at. I I I would love it if he went out there and was just, you know, if that third and 17 gets picked off and you’re being aggressive trying to get a first down. I’m not mad at that. Like I want to see him do those things. Learn where the limits are and then okay, I I I put too much touch on this. I should have ripped it more. Okay, I ripped this one. I should have touched it more. Like just little just things where you’re testing the limits of what you can do so that you’re you’re elevating the ceiling on the team. But I understand there’s an element of like oop like that guy’s back there, that guy’s back there. And you know, I think no matter what and you can even maybe not be operating, he could probably totally feel now I’m not looking over my shoulder and probably believe it. But like somewhere like he he is like you have to be you have to. Yeah, we’ve said it a million times. I mean if if he was the only developmental guy, if he was the only draft pick, um there there there it would never be a conversation. we’d be like, “Hey, the first third of the season was great. Can’t wait to see what we’re going to see in the next two-thirds of the season.” He just unfortunately the reality of the situation is his backup is the 40th pick in the draft. And right now, the Saints are targeted to to have the second pick in next year’s draft if they don’t start winning games. So, uh, that’s unfortunate. Not a lot of quarterbacks survive either one of those circumstances, and he’s facing both of them. He’s doing a damn good job of keeping himself in that seat, I’ll tell you that. Um, he really is. All right. Um, moving on to our next topic presented by Rous’s, which kind of feeds into the uh the first topic. What do like what do what like what did you make of the AV game? What do you what do you make of the talking points? What do you make of what’s next? What do you like just what do you what do you make of a lav? I I think it would be impossible if he’s not in his head a little bit right now. Um I don’t know how any athlete could not be cuz this is a guy we’ve talked to a million times. He’s been pretty open with us. Um he wants to be great. He wants to be one of the all-time greats. He should be in the conversations with the top five receivers in the league right now and instead he’s in the conversations about should you trade this guy? Is he really a wide receiver one? Like those aren’t the conversations he wants to be in. Um and he knows how great he can be and and then you know you got everyone showing Michael Thomas highlights about he would have made those catches like so none of them was wow this guy is just losing games out there. They were all going to be tough catches, but Chris wants to see him be the guy that’s the best player on the team that’s winning games for them. That’s Jamar Chasing and Justin Jefferson. And and that’s a really tough game for somebody who holds himself to that standard and and who everybody watching this team wants him to live up to that standard. So, I guarantee you it’s, you know, he’s dealing with like what Blake Groupy was dealing with the last couple weeks. and and you just hope you know the the eight catch, two touchdowns, catch all eight of them, come down with those catches, uh stop talking about this, be off and running is right around the corner because he has that potential. But it’s really tough right now because, you know, this this head coach and this quarterback and this offense and this team needs a guy like him to be winning these games for him. Um that’s that’s a lot to put on his shoulders. Um but that’s what they need from him. Yeah. Not to shoot him, you know, I’m not shooting them bail or anything. I I do think that like the conversation at large is like wildly out of hand. Like it’s like the Torelli Simpkins conversation that was being had a week ago where it’s like, “Oh, he’s like this is guy that you got to be starting and the other guy’s terrible and da da da da.” And then like they don’t even let Simpkins put a jersey on and then Caesar doesn’t give up a pressure and obviously like Caesar hasn’t had enough good games and he and he and he’s he’s you know the smoke’s going to come for him. But like people acting like Chris is not a good wide receiver. He’s so dumb. like you don’t have to tear down somebody to build somebody else up. Just criticized the performance at hand. He played a bad game. He dropped a touchdown pass. He dropped a third down. Um what there was another drop in there. Like it was not a like he made some plays in this game, but his low moments were were loud and bad and cost the team the game. Not a good enough game. You’re you’re looking for a new contract eventually. Went into this season with the the mentality that I’m going to, you know, up my stock and then negotiate. um you know, this isn’t a game that that’s going to help you in that. You you had a chance to to take your team there and you and you didn’t. So, definitely deserves all that smoke, but like it’s just crazy to me that that kind of everybody’s acting like um not just Chris, the group as a whole, Rasheed, all the they’re acting like they’re he’s throwing the people that are that are working at CarMax on Monday morning and playing pickup football on Saturday at the Wreck League or whatever. Um these guys are two years ago was an 1100 yard receiver with Pete Carmichael calling plays and Derek Carr playing quarterback. We’ve seen Rasheed Shahed be you know a 700yard receiver make all these plays like there are players on this team. I think they are short one is why we talked the whole offseason about how they were short one. They made this trade for Devon to apparently be the the next guy. I have no idea what the deal is with with that. Um there’s still 10 weeks left, 11 weeks left, but boy, that looks like maybe the worst move that that they’ve made in a while. Uh obviously time for it to turn around, but as of today, like you’re halfway through the season, you put a fourth round pick and an old dude. Uh you know the that like why like what’s the what’s the point of they need that to happen? Um but yeah, man, like it isn’t a completely barren group of players. Like I just think that there’s somewhere in the middle of this like this is the best thing ever, the worst thing ever where it’s like yeah it’s it’s not great but it’s not like you know you aren’t completely barren at these positions but bottom line Chris has got to play better than he has. Yeah, no question. Yeah, Vele is a whole another topic that I’m sure we can have soon. I hope there’s more to come from Vele. Gez, I hope there’s more to come from him. Well, here’s the problem with Vele. If if you do believe in if you do believe in Rattler as your as your starter and you think, hey, this guy has chance a chance to continue to develop and continue to get better. If you pull a receiver off this core and you trade him, you’re setting back that development because you’re throwing to lesser players. Devon, who you put a fourth round pick into, was supposed to be able to come in and take a spot in and elevate into one of those roles. if he was doing what he’s supposed to be doing or what you thought maybe he is doing what he’s supposed to be doing and you thought he could do more than he than he can. Whatever it is, the math hasn’t worked. He’s supposed to be in one of those roles. If he was able to make some plays and get on the field, then you could trade somebody and maybe you don’t create this huge golf. But now if you take out Chris, you take out Shahed, you’re leaving an open spot for Devon who who has done nothing to this point. still could, not saying he won’t, or Mason Typton who who hasn’t made plays yet in in two years. Where are you going? Like, how are you helping develop you’re setting your quarterback back and now you’re screwing up that evaluation? Um just a horrible messy situation that that they’re kind of in. Um at that we’re hearing we’re hearing those names in the trade deadline. Al Shahed. I don’t know where the Saints head is at on those guys. I I’m going to be really curious to find out. I think if somebody offered something, they they trade either one. Um, but it it’s tough. Like it’s tough. You got to get more than the comp pick back that that you would get for for either one of them. And uh someone’s got to be willing to pay them. Maybe it’s the Steelers. Like they they’re kind of out there. They’re desperate. But uh we’ll see. 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A delicious natural strawberry infused 86 proof whiskey for whiskey lovers. Just look for the red and orange bottles in your favorite stores, bars, and restaurants. [Music] Welcome back to New Orleans football. Our next topic is presented by Bobby Abear’s Cajun Cannon Restaurant. Which secondary performance was the Mirage? Was it week five with all the turnovers or week six with the multiple coverage bust? I mean, the real answer is both, but if I had to pick one, um I’m worried that the five turnovers was the mirage. Um even though I went went and took the opportunity to write like a 2,000word story about uh the young secondary and about how huge it would be for the Saints if they can come along. And look, of course they still can. I mean, we’re going to see bumps along the way. We’re gonna see inconsistency. Nobody expected third round pick Yonis Sanker and fourth round pick Quincy Riley to get thrown onto the field and be immediate stars. We’re going to see coverage breakdowns. Hopefully, they’re going to learn from him. I love that they’re on the field for every snap. Um, I’m not going to give the corny what a whatever Kell Moore’s line always is. What a great opportunity this is for them to learn from. what uh what a learning lesson they can get from this. But it’s true. I mean, the only way you can get better from stuff like that is by being on the field. And so, if these guys spend the whole year having the good games and having the bad games, then we’re going to go into next year and we’re going to be like excited to see second year Sanker and second year Riley and third year uh McKinstry. Uh but they had not arrived to the level of what they did to the Giants. That was that was a little bit of smoke and mirrors. Well, now they get to go out here and try to fix it. And that’s the fun part of it would be the other part that I would say. What an opportunity for them. Yeah. Uh yeah. I mean, yeah, it’s both. It’s both. It’s obviously both. Like obviously that this isn’t a team that’s going to produce five turnovers every week. Like that isn’t enough. Um I I I I think Staley, you can say whatever about there’s a mill like I have my I have questions about a lot of things going on on the defense. I think that he’ll be able to fix some of these coverage busts here. And I don’t think they’re going to be busting week after week after week. But I think the the the the shakiness in the secondary is probably closer to truth than like that second half elite level against the Giants is closer to the truth. I I think I’m more I think I’m more on the pessimistic side of that. And I also wonder, hey, look, there’s a lot of new guys out there playing. There’s now weeks of film on them. People have gotten a chance to watch them over and over. They go back, they can watch three games of Sanker, they can watch three games of Quincy Riley. Are there tendencies and things within what they’re doing that you can attack to try to create some of these coverage bus? Put them in the bad situations and now are their their weaknesses going to get exploited a little bit more. And I think I think yeah, that’s that’s probably some of the truth, too. But I don’t think we’re going to see a game where they’re where they’re giving up five, six, you know, explosive plays off of busted coverages and stuff like that. But yeah, no doubt about it. like I I I I’m like the secondary is something that I have that I have concerns about. I think just as a whole more more the the the closer to the line of scrimmage players and the safeties, but um yeah, man. I like I think I think I have I have significant concerns about those guys. And I think the second half of the season is going to be hugely hugely important for these quarterbacks. I think you got to start seeing like plays from all of them. Um, yeah. I mean, I think you got to start seeing plays from all of them. Otherwise, it’s a it’s a uh it’s a it’s a massive massive need. I think if if you don’t I I really my opinion is completely wide open still on Kool-Aid McKinstry. I don’t think any of his warts have been too bad. I mean, a couple of the biggest catches he gave up in this game, he had super tight coverage. He was right there. He was trying to convince the referees that he intercepted that one touchdown pass. You can’t complain about his third and 11 coverage on that last play that they completed. Um, so I I’m not seeing him get toasted. You know, I was glad to see him have the big plays in the previous game. I still think there’s hope for Kool-Aid McKinstry. He is the most important one of all of them. He needs he needs to be special. He needs to be cornerback one material or at least quarterback two material if they’re eventually going to make an even bigger investment in that position in the next year or two. Um, but I I I I hope he is a guy who, you know, all these scars heal over and and and turn him into a a guy that lives for these kind of challenges and and doesn’t shy away from them. I I agree with that totally. Yeah. I I didn’t feel I wasn’t mad at him in this game and then like you look and he’s given up a ton of yardage and it was kind of like well like exactly what you said. The the other thing with sometimes when I go through and I grade these games, it’s like I’m marking down 12, seven, six, like and then you you add up all the yardage and it’s and it’s massive and then you’re kind of looking back and it’s like but man like they’re just giving these like huge cushions and I’m not there aren’t a lot of plays where I’m super like oh he got beat on this. It’s like, oh, he caught caught it underneath, came down, tackled, and it’s just like quickly you can get to like 50 cheap yards and you don’t feel bad about it and then you kind of add up like, damn, they’ve given up a lot of yardage on the season. Some of it I think is, you know, I don’t know, the style of play a little bit too, just just when you’re talking overall, oh, he’s given up 18 catches on 25 coverage snaps for D. Like I I think there’s a little bit of that. The problem is that they lead the league in giving up third and 10 or longers. Like you can play that style as long as you’re gonna stop a team when it’s third and 11. And they do not stop teams on third and 11. That’s that’s the piece that has to come for this team. All right, moving on. Looking at our next topic, uh presented by Shawar Insurance, the Airheart Agency. If you’re calling them up, make sure you hit up my guys at the Airheart Agency. They will get you right, get you good coverage, get you house insurance, all that stuff. Um do you you looking to see more from uh Stzman and Stalberg just in terms of of snaps? Do you like that they were in there? Uh, loved it. Loved the mentality behind it. That is a position you don’t do that at like like you can’t, you know, Pete Werner was standing on the sideline with his helmet on taking 14 snaps off in this game. I think it was six of them went to Stzman, eight of them went to Stalberg. Um, what what I mean never seen anything like this. I mean, I guess maybe I saw it when I covered the 2005 Saints, but even then it was reluctant. Uh and only over the last four games of the season when when Jim Hasslet and Aaron Brooks realized it was all over. Um Shawn Payeyton did it a little in 14 15 16 when they were kind of rebuilding from within. Um uh and giving some young guys a chance, but this is crazy the like just the overt dedication to rotating Riley in and now doing at a position where you don’t normally rotate guys in. Um I I’m glad that’s their mentality. I don’t think Pete Werner I mean Pete Warner is good enough to play every single down but you know if you want to make Danny Stzman a future asset and Isaiah Stalbert a future asset their snaps have to come from somewhere now I do wonder conspiracy theory is Pete Werner on the trade block so they don’t want to just have Stzman have never played a game or is this just about next year or is this just about the inevitable injury that comes at some point but I love the mentality behind it. I I don’t know if it’s just going to be six every week for him uh if nothing else changes or if six is going to turn into 12 and it’s going to turn into every other series. I don’t know. But it’s hard it’s hard to argue that this team understands its reality right now. Yeah, I I would trade Warner if someone made the right offer for him, fourth round pick or something. I I would take that right away. I I don’t know what his value is on the market. I mean, Saints just paid him, so if you traded him, it would be a pretty low cost to the acquiring team. Um, so that might make his value a tad bit higher. Uh, because he’s an easy acquisition for somebody else. But, um, yeah, I would trade him. And look, I I want to see these guys get plays. If you’re evaluating everything, you’re evaluating everything. And by the way, like if someone made the right offer for any of the linebackers, I I would be receptive to it. San Francisco had a major injury at that position. if they feel like their season’s still alive, like that that’s a spot, you know, where I could see uh a call coming or or a team shopping for a linebacker if they feel like losing Fred Warner um is something they got to replace with like a higher end person than they already have in house. 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All just $3 or $4 between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Aaron Rose, half a block from Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, 811 Kai Street. Attention Saints fans, don’t let pest and termites invade your home field. Trust the team at Red Pest Solutions to tackle those unwelcome visitors. Call the red man today for unbeatable pest and termite control. Score peace with no pest. Visit redpest.com. Redp.com. All right, welcome back to New Orleans. Football. It is now time for the get Gordon question of the day. If you need help, make sure you check out Gordon Mccernin. Injury attorneys. Make sure you get Gordon. The question of the day, what happened to giving Taesm Hill more touches? him only touching the ball once all day needs to change, the question says. Do you agree with that take? Yeah, I thought it was really weird, too. And I I really think this is we’ll find out over time and sample size. I really think this was probably one of those h happen stance things. I bet most of the Taesm Hill touches are in the the portion of the play sheet under third and short. Um and and we saw him carry the ball six times in his first game back and then throw one. uh when it looked like he was going to run seven touches total in the first game back which shocked me in nine snaps played. He did play more snaps in this game, but they just there were not third and shorts in this game. That that’s what I was uh uh I meant to look up and get a total, but just scrolling through the game box here. That really creative touchdown he ran was on third and one. There was another third and one later that they did that Spencer Rattler keeper kind of looked like the tush push without the push. But then, unless I’m missing something, I don’t think it was ever shorter than third and four again for the rest of the game. So, I have a feeling they probably just if they got in different situations in this game, we would have seen six and seven ta some touches. Uh, and the game didn’t go that way. Obviously, they abandoned the run in general. They weren’t running the ball well in general in this game that much. So, I bet it’s a happen stance thing. Um, but I think either way, we’re looking at a guy who’s going to be play around 10 12 snaps and we’ll get around four to six touches, uh, you know, at least for for the next few weeks until that grows. I’m going to say something that’s that’s that’s probably controversial and it’s probably going to upset the the audience. And look, they’re they’re one and five now. And like it’s just kind of they are they are what they are. And I understand this is this is just me talking. I’m not saying what they did was wrong. I’m just saying my preference. Like Kell Moore should be trying to win a game for his team. Like they should be going all in for that. They should be trying to win every game at this point. So like I understand all hands on deck. I Third and four from the 50. Give it to Taesm. Third and four from the the 30. Give it to Taesm. Anywhere in there. Give it to them. Give it to them. Get the first down. Keep the drive alive. Keep going. When you get down to the 10 yard line, I I want the Saints to be focused on building a Super Bowl champion team. And to be a Super Bowl champion team, you have to score touchdowns in the red zone. To score touchdowns in the red zone a year from now, two years from now, Taesm Hill is not going to be on your team anymore. At some point, you got to have your quarterback throwing the ball into the end zone and getting touchdowns. And the Saints, for whatever reason, do not want to lean all the way into like, hey, Rattler, go go go throw this. They want to do Philly special. They want to give it to Taesm. They want to try to score. And I like I get it from Kell Moore’s perspective. I’m not criticizing him, but I’m just saying for my for my own edification, for my my analysis, for Spencer Rattler’s growth, for Spencer Rattler to get better, for the Saints to be a better team, for them to feel like they have a a a top 15, top 18 NFL starting quarterback. Rattler’s got to throw touchdown passes in the red zone, and he has to become effective down there. You’re now one and five. boy, man. Like I I I hope you’re just like okay with taking on the bumps and bruises of there and allowing him to develop that aspect of his game and being willing to maybe not get seven sometimes because you’re investing in getting more sevens down the line. I would like to see them lean into that more going forward and allow him to finish drives. Like I was saying, I want to see him throw picks. I’m I’m okay with him going to the red zone. And look, I’m probably being a bit of a hypocrite cuz I’d probably be like, “Oh man, that was bad in the red zone on a show.” But like in the long-term purview of the of the view of the Saints, if they’re going to win another Super Bowl, their their quarterbacks got to be good in the red zone. To be good in the red zone, you got to practice in the red zone. To practice in the red zone, you got to be able to do that in games and and take the bumps and bruises. You’re one and five now. It’s not going anywhere. You aren’t making the playoffs. Boy, I would like to see them give that ball to Spencer next time instead of takes some hell down in that area of the field. Totally fair argument. I’m not going to try to talk you out of it, but if you told me you have to score a touchdown, I would do what they did. If you’re telling me I want to develop a quarterback, I’d do what you did. And and that’s going to be a constant battle all year long. I do like I think they’ve been on the right side of that equation more times than not, but they’re obviously not 100%. Yeah. I mean, I think I think you’re kind of at a point now where where maybe it should start to way a little bit more the other way, too. Like, you’re now one and five. If you win this game, you can lie to yourself and say you got a shot. The the Philly special game, what game was that? was the Bills. You’re trying to go out there, you’re trying to steal a win there. If you do, like your season’s in in potentially a different place, then you win the next week against the Giants. All of a sudden, it’s like, man, they might have a shot here. Like to to maybe try to get to like, you know, 500 or whatever. And and there’s merit in chasing that. I think at one and five now you’re looking at it, you’re going forward. One in five teams basically never make the playoffs like that one commanders team, I think, maybe did. Um it it doesn’t happen often. Uh, so like at this point, like the same thing that’s leading you to put Isaiah Stalird in there for Pete Werner, like I would hope that would lead you to to saying we’re going to let Spencer throw this instead of going to to Taesm Hill and let him be terrible in the red zone for a game or two if he has to because then maybe the third game he’s he’s better. But yeah, I’m not criticizing K Moore for it. I I don’t even disagree with his decisions. I just I think for me sitting here like not having skin in the game, it’s easy to say, but I also think you’re at a point now where where it’s like you have to get better at the red zone and long term like if you’re really trying to build something that has to be a part of his game unless you don’t think it can be part of his game and you’ve already decided that and this is this is a cover up. But if you do think it can be part of his game, just let him let him do it and let’s see let’s see where he can go from there. Let Tasem scoring from the one which I think he’d probably do in a lot of cases. It was they ran the ball on first and goal from the nine and they ran the ball on second and goal from the five and then they ran the ball on third and one. So, it’s three straight plays down there. Yeah. And it’s a winnable I’m not criticizing the approach. I’m just saying like walking out of that I would have I would have liked I would have liked Rattler to have something where we’re we’re able to look at it and see what he can do. Maybe he maybe he could have shown something there. I just want to I want to know I want to know what the quarterback is more than I want to see them go, you know, 5 and 12 instead of 4 and 12 or whatever it’s going to end up being cuz T some scores in the in that area of the field and they still lost the game anyhow. All right, that’s going to do it for today’s show. Uh tell me how much you hate that take in the comments on YouTube. We’ll talk to you next time. [Music]

Nick and Mike discuss which of the Saints’ recent performances was most indicative of the secondary’s talent and which was a fluke.

– Expectations for Spencer Rattler against Dennis Allen’s Bears defense
– What to make of Chris Olave’s up-and-down start to the season
– Should Taysom Hill get more touches?

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