Sinking Saints plumbed new depths in a lopsided loss

Sinking Saints plumbed new depths in a lopsided loss — and have another tough road game up next

Sinking Saints plumbed new depths in a lopsided loss — and have another tough road game up next

All right, now it’s time for our fleet supply express delivery segment. We are delivering James Hurst for analysis on one of the worst games that I’ve seen in *** very long time. James, I mean, just big picture, when you watch this game, Saints are 0-3. Where do you go from here with this team? I think truthfully you have to throw this game out. You’ve got to quickly move on, you got to find *** way to forget about it because it really wasn’t the same team that we saw the first two weeks. The 1st 2 weeks, they were competitive, um, they were aggressive, they were attacking. And we didn’t see that today. If you had to drop *** game plan for what to do in *** tough environment, the Saints did exactly the opposite big plays on special teams, penalties on offense, inconsistency on defense, no pressure on the quarterback. The Seahawks had their way in all three phases today. James, the Saints are now the most penalized team in the NFL. No shocker. They had like 8 in the first quarter today. How do you fix that? Can you coach that out of them? Do you bench guys? I know that sounds extreme, but really, when you’re the most penalized team in the league, it seems like something’s got to be done. Definitely so. I think from *** schematic standpoint, the coaches have to find *** way to help the players. Maybe that’s less shifts, less motions, keep the cadence more simple. You can’t switch it up, which I might add is *** disadvantage for an offense. But when it’s 1 in 15, 1 in 20 throughout all three games that you’ve played this far in the season, we can’t overcome that. We’ve seen that we can overcome that, so we’ve got to find *** way to do it, um. So it starts with the coaches, the scheme, and then the players, they’ve got to be accountable. I don’t know what that looks like, um, you know, sometimes it’s guys running in practice, sometimes it’s guys finding *** spot on the bench when it, uh, when it happens over and over and over again with the same guys, uh, but it can’t happen. It’s, it’s not sustainable for an offense and you can’t expect them to go out and put long drives together when they’re repeatedly behind the chains 5, 10 yards. Spencer Ryler yet to win *** game in the NFL, yet you feel like through these 1st 3 games and these 1st 3 losses that none of them are really his fault. I mean, what is your takeaways from him now through 3 games and kind of what you’ve seen from him so far. Yeah, I totally agree with that. I’m, I’m not putting the majority of the blame on him. Um, from an offensive standpoint, I would love to see the skill positions create more separation, break more tackles, give the offense *** little bit of *** spark. I mean, you saw today the Seahawks played *** too high defense and they challenged the Saints to put *** long drive together and go down the field, and they couldn’t do it because of penalties. Sacks, tackles for loss. Um, so I’m not putting this all on him. I think we did see maybe *** small step back today. Look, it was *** tough environment. The game got out of hand early. He was pressing really hard, throwing into tight windows. There were *** number of his throws that were interception worthy that might have got called back by one of the 20 penalties in the game, um, or tipped and went out of bounds. So we saw *** little bit of of what. Happens when he’s behind and he’s pressing the ball down the field, maybe into some some throws that aren’t smart or aren’t advised. So you, you hate to see that, but I don’t want to put it on him again when it’s 21-0 early in the first quarter, it’s like what do you expect from your quarterback? You’ve got to push, you got to try to score touchdowns, and we saw that fall apart today. James, you played *** lot of football. You played on some really good teams here in New Orleans and with the Baltimore. Ravens, how tough of *** job does Kellen Moore have keeping this together? He’s got *** lot of really established veteran players, Cam, DeMario, uh, Alvin, but he’s got *** ton of young guys. I mean, they’re to me at *** really awkward spot right now. Do they go just play the young guys? Do they, do they keep the, the older guys engaged? I mean, this seems kind of like *** tough spot for *** young coach. It really is, especially *** first year coach, uh, with his new team. He, um, to no fault of his own, he doesn’t have the full rapport of *** coach that’s been there 1015 years and maybe has won *** Super Bowl or *** playoff contending coach. Um, so he’s got *** lean on those older veteran players in the locker room. Because at the end of the day those players can have the most effect on the other guys in the locker room, so it’s all about keeping their morale, keeping them involved. Obviously on this roster, um, some of those old guys are the best players on the team. So obviously you can’t risk benching any of those guys to get *** look at *** younger guy. You’ve got to keep them on, um. You know, keep them up. Just give him energy as, as the coach. You have to bring the energy that you expect from your team. So it’s got to start with him, with how he leads his actions more than his words, I think we do *** lot of good for this team right now. I mean, listen, Sam Darnold, Mac Jones, kind of some of those mid-tier quarterbacks have looked really good against the Saints defense. Now you’re going to Buffalo to face the reigning MVP in Josh Allen. I mean, talk about the challenge ahead for the Saints and how really just hard it will be to get *** win next week. It’s going to be incredibly difficult. I don’t think anyone in the country is going to expect the Saints to go in, especially after this week’s performance, and even challenge the Bills in that game. Um, the Bills are probably the best team in the NFL right now, the most complete team for sure. Uh, we’ve seen the, the secondary exposed now two weeks in *** row, and now you’re going against the reigning MVP and Josh Allen on the road and another incredibly difficult stadium to play in. So now that we’ve got that experience, hopefully we’ve got some of those kinks on the road. We’ve got those ironed out *** little bit, but look, it’s gonna require from the defense. The defensive line is going to have to pressure the quarterback in order to help the secondary out. We’ve seen that the secondary so far hasn’t been able to cover receivers down the field over the middle of the field. Um, poor tackling has been *** consistent issue this season, so the D line, it has to start up front. It’s very old school and cliche, but that D line, I know Cam Jordan is telling them the game goes through the D line up front, so they’ve got to be able to stop the run like they did today. But then pressure the quarterback as well. Get Josh Allen off the spot if they want any chance in that game. All right, James Hurst, great analysis. I’m just gonna throw this out there. I know you got *** master’s degree. You’ve lost weight, but the Saints could maybe use *** veteran offensive lineman to get him in line. So if you’re thinking about *** comeback, they could probably use you. Just let us break it first if you’re coming back. Yeah, yeah, that’s *** deal. We, we got *** deal on that. All right, James, thank you. OK.

By Brett Martel, The Associated Press

New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore wants to believe that his team can turn an ugly, lopsided loss into a galvanizing opportunity to get right.That does happen in football sometimes, and Moore didn’t have to look back a whole calendar year to cite an example from his own, personal experience.Last Sept. 29, the Philadelphia Eagles — with Moore as their offensive coordinator — lost 33-16 to Tampa Bay to drop to 2-2. After that, Philly won 15 times in a 16-game stretch that ended with a Super Bowl triumph.“You play football long enough, you’ve dealt with a game like we dealt with on Sunday,” Moore said, referring to New Orleans’ 44-13 loss in Seattle. “We can all lean on a bunch of different examples.“They’re great opportunities for us to pivot, re-evaluate, lock in together and get really improved,” he added.Moore, in his first season as an NFL head coach, hasn’t celebrated one victory since green and silver confetti was raining down on him in the Superdome after the Eagles’ title clincher over Kansas City last February.While a playoff push would appear unrealistic, the Saints (0-3) opened this season with a pair of losses by a touchdown or less, providing hope they weren’t far off from winning a game.Then came Sunday’s debacle at Seattle, replete with untimely penalties and botched execution that helped the Seahawks race to a 21-0, first-quarter lead.Moore said he spent the long plane ride home from Seattle reflecting on what his next steps should be.“How we respond is going to be really, really impactful,” Moore said. “There’s too many examples of teams that have gone through challenging games like this and they’re sometimes really good momentum shifters.“If your team responds the right way, this can be a good little pivot for our team to get better and draw closer to each other,” Moore said.What’s workingThe Saints defensive front has been solid against the run in the first three games and was especially so against Seattle, allowing just 87 yards rushing to a team that was playing with a multiple-score lead for more than three quarters.Seattle running backs Kenneth Walker and George Holani had 26 carries between them and combined to average just 2.5 yards per carry.What needs helpAt the top of an evidently long list is team discipline.The Saints committed 11 penalties for 77 yards in Seattle and now have been penalized 31 times (tied for the NFL high in that category) for 211 yards in three games.“We have to play cleaner football. We have to execute at a much higher level,” Moore said. “There’s got to be urgency with this. We’ve got to get it corrected.”Special teams looks like an issue as well.The Saints had a punt blocked and another punt returned 95 yards for a touchdown. One Saints kickoff was returned 60 yards. And kicker Blake Grupe missed a field goal for a third straight game.Moore said the blocked punt was simply a matter of Saints players “not being on the same page.”“It was a combination of people,” he said. “There’s not just one person that blatently doesn’t block a guy.”Stock upTight end Jack Stoll, a fifth-year NFL player out of Nebraska, scored his first career touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Spencer Rattler in the fourth quarter.“Jack did a phenomenal job,” Moore said. “He got to the back corner in a scramble drill, found the void in the zone and catches a touchdown as a result.”Stock downThe unit directed by Saints first-year special teams coordinator Phil Galiano is coming off one of the worst performances in the kicking game that New Orleans has had in a long time. The Saints had gone 222 games spanning nearly 15 years without having a punt blocked, which had been the longest active such streak in the NFL before it was snapped on Sunday.InjuriesThe Saints played without starting right tackle Taliese Fuaga because of knee and back ailments that could continue to affect his availability this week.Meanwhile, Chase Young has yet to play this season after straining his calf during a Week 1 practice.“Sometimes those are tricky injuries,” Moore said. “He’s doing everything he can. I know it’s his desire to be out there as soon as humanly possible, but … we’ve got to do what’s right for him, not just this week, but from a season-long perspective.”Key number1 — The number of times in franchise history that the Saints have given up as many as 38 first-half points, as they did Sunday in Seattle.Next stepsThe Saints visit unbeaten Buffalo on Sunday before returning home to face the New York Giants.

METAIRIE, La. —

New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore wants to believe that his team can turn an ugly, lopsided loss into a galvanizing opportunity to get right.

That does happen in football sometimes, and Moore didn’t have to look back a whole calendar year to cite an example from his own, personal experience.

Last Sept. 29, the Philadelphia Eagles — with Moore as their offensive coordinator — lost 33-16 to Tampa Bay to drop to 2-2. After that, Philly won 15 times in a 16-game stretch that ended with a Super Bowl triumph.

“You play football long enough, you’ve dealt with a game like we dealt with on Sunday,” Moore said, referring to New Orleans’ 44-13 loss in Seattle. “We can all lean on a bunch of different examples.

“They’re great opportunities for us to pivot, re-evaluate, lock in together and get really improved,” he added.

Moore, in his first season as an NFL head coach, hasn’t celebrated one victory since green and silver confetti was raining down on him in the Superdome after the Eagles’ title clincher over Kansas City last February.

While a playoff push would appear unrealistic, the Saints (0-3) opened this season with a pair of losses by a touchdown or less, providing hope they weren’t far off from winning a game.

Then came Sunday’s debacle at Seattle, replete with untimely penalties and botched execution that helped the Seahawks race to a 21-0, first-quarter lead.

Moore said he spent the long plane ride home from Seattle reflecting on what his next steps should be.

“How we respond is going to be really, really impactful,” Moore said. “There’s too many examples of teams that have gone through challenging games like this and they’re sometimes really good momentum shifters.

“If your team responds the right way, this can be a good little pivot for our team to get better and draw closer to each other,” Moore said.

What’s working

The Saints defensive front has been solid against the run in the first three games and was especially so against Seattle, allowing just 87 yards rushing to a team that was playing with a multiple-score lead for more than three quarters.

Seattle running backs Kenneth Walker and George Holani had 26 carries between them and combined to average just 2.5 yards per carry.

What needs help

At the top of an evidently long list is team discipline.

The Saints committed 11 penalties for 77 yards in Seattle and now have been penalized 31 times (tied for the NFL high in that category) for 211 yards in three games.

“We have to play cleaner football. We have to execute at a much higher level,” Moore said. “There’s got to be urgency with this. We’ve got to get it corrected.”

Special teams looks like an issue as well.

The Saints had a punt blocked and another punt returned 95 yards for a touchdown. One Saints kickoff was returned 60 yards. And kicker Blake Grupe missed a field goal for a third straight game.

Moore said the blocked punt was simply a matter of Saints players “not being on the same page.”

“It was a combination of people,” he said. “There’s not just one person that blatently doesn’t block a guy.”

Stock up

Tight end Jack Stoll, a fifth-year NFL player out of Nebraska, scored his first career touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Spencer Rattler in the fourth quarter.

“Jack did a phenomenal job,” Moore said. “He got to the back corner in a scramble drill, found the void in the zone and catches a touchdown as a result.”

Stock down

The unit directed by Saints first-year special teams coordinator Phil Galiano is coming off one of the worst performances in the kicking game that New Orleans has had in a long time. The Saints had gone 222 games spanning nearly 15 years without having a punt blocked, which had been the longest active such streak in the NFL before it was snapped on Sunday.

Injuries

The Saints played without starting right tackle Taliese Fuaga because of knee and back ailments that could continue to affect his availability this week.

Meanwhile, Chase Young has yet to play this season after straining his calf during a Week 1 practice.

“Sometimes those are tricky injuries,” Moore said. “He’s doing everything he can. I know it’s his desire to be out there as soon as humanly possible, but … we’ve got to do what’s right for him, not just this week, but from a season-long perspective.”

Key number

1 — The number of times in franchise history that the Saints have given up as many as 38 first-half points, as they did Sunday in Seattle.

Next steps

The Saints visit unbeaten Buffalo on Sunday before returning home to face the New York Giants.