From 1967 to 2005, the New Orleans Saints had won just one..Count them..one playoff game and just two division titles. They were a joke. They invented paper bags with eye holes cut in for their faces and were probably the first NFL team to rewrite their name as an insult..Saints to Aints.
But a funny thing happened, they got a QB..A fricken franchise QB. You can talk all you want about Sean Payton, but without Drew Brees, we aren't talking about one of Bill Parcells' coaching disciples. Since Brees joined the Saints, they have won 75 games, two division titles, three playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl title. He has three seasons of 5,000 yards passing and he's pretty much what changed the losing culture down there. It is and will always be a 1-man team with Brees bringing out the best of everyone.
If he was on the Bills for the last 7 years, the Bills are winning divisions and going deep into the playoffs. That's all you need sometimes. Just find a QB and the rest falls into place because the QB will accentuate the talent around him.
I think outside of the skill guys (WRs/TEs), both these teams are pretty even, but once you get to the QB..It is over. Game. Set. Match. 5 TDs for Drew Brees is just insanely stupid.
I like Thad for what he is and I do think he's overachieved and can be a long-term backup for us, but he's not someone you are going to hitch your wagon to. Today showed that. Until the Bills find that elite QB, it is going to be tough to take them serious as far as being a legit contender. 7-9? Sure..But 11-5? Need an elite QB to do that. I don't know if that guy is on this roster yet, but they need to find him or they will be revisiting the Saints history prior to Brees coming to town.
—-In all seriousness, I don't think you can blame the Bills defense for the way they played. Yes, it sounds insane when your QB goes for 5TDs, but I thought they held their own and got pressure on him. The Bills had four sacks and knocked down Brees six times. Nickel Robey continues to defy the odds with being a heck of a find for an undrafted CB. They only surrounded 29 receiving yards to Thomas/Sproles. Graham burned them in the redzone, but other than that, he was neutralized from what they normally get from him. Kyle Williams was a beast today with 1.5 sacks and 9 tackles. Yes, 9 tackles for a DT is insane! Five of those tackles came on the Saints gaining 2 yards or fewer. Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus brought a ton of heat as usual. How about with 4:35 left in the 2nd quarter, the Saints had just 54 yards in total offense.
Yet..They still give up 35 points. Damn. I can't believe I just read all those fun defensive stats and they still gave up 35 points. That's just how good Drew Brees is. At the end of the day, good QB play always trumps good defensive play.
–Outside of the Brees factor, I think penalties, offensive line (More on that later) and turnovers really hurt Buffalo. Yes, as simplistic as it sounds, the Bills are still shooting themselves in the foot. 6 penalties for 45 yards doesn't sound awful, but when 3 of those penalties result in an automatic 1st down, that will kill you. Also, having offsetting penalties on a Brees INT and a holding penalty negating a TD bomb to TJ Graham doesn't help either. Oh, and when you turn the ball over 3 times against the Saints..that's not going to help. In other words, don't be stupid assholes!
—I don't ever wanna see Jerry Hughes play coverage 30 yards down the field. No LB should be 30 yards down the field to cover a WR. EVER! Not Manny Lawson or Ray Lewis. That's just a blown coverage and assignment. Love you, Pettine. But get that shit in order.
–I really thought Fred Jackson was prime to have a good game based off his first few drives. #22 had 42 yards rushing in the first quarter alone, yet, he was only able to get 3 yards rushing on 10 carries the rest of the way. The Bills should have stuck with the run a little more than they did, but I understand why they had to get chunks of passing yards since they were trailing for most of the game.
–Guys..I'm not going to pretend to know what the hell I'm talking about when it comes to what makes the OL work. Is it because of the system? The QB making quick reads? The guys upfront? Whatever it is, it hasn't been working for the Bills like it did the previous years. Thad Lewis, who you have to admire for his guts, was pummeled into the ground non-stop today. Whether it was blitzing or not blitzing, the Bills have issues with protecting the QB.
They have given up four sacks or more in 4 straight games. The Bills 4 sacks given up today brings their total up to 28. Last year..That number was at 30..for the entire season! Do the math and the Bills are on pace to give up 56 sacks this year, which would shatter their team record. Kids, you can't blame Collin Brown anymore because he's bagging groceries or playing in the CFL right now. And it is not just the pass protection that has issues. Over the last 3 games, the Bills have averaged just 3.5, 3.0, and 4.0 yards a carry on the ground. I know, Spiller/Jackson have been playing hurt, but these numbers need to go up if the Bills are to have a chance scoring points.
—Scott Chandler…Nice pass catching TE (7 catches on 72 yards)..but woof on the blocking! I get that the Bills wanted a TE to stay back there to block because their line couldn't protect, but it would behoove them to just have Lee Smith pass protect and have Chandler lined up in the slot.
—Thad Lewis has fumbled the ball six times in his last 3 games. Need to carry that ball around the office for the next 7 days, son.
—The Bills have given up 20TD passes this year. That's tops in the NFL.
—Doug Marrone needs to get glasses for his assistant coaches upstairs when it comes to figuring out if they should challenge or not. From ESPN, he's 0-4 this year when he throws the red flag.
Final word: Well..we kind of expected this, right? Obviously, if you watched this game, you'll know that the game was a lot closer than the scoreboard indicated. They were in it for the most part and if they can cut down on the turnovers and mental mistakes, they can play with a lot of teams. Anyways, it is over.
Now..we go against the Chiefs. A game I was looking more forward to before the Saints game even kicked off. Why? Because I think the Bills can beat the Chiefs..if CJ spiller is 100%.
To me, this is probably the game of the year for the Bills. It is big game in terms of where the fans mindsets will go for the rest of the season. If they lose to go to 3-6, the season is pretty much over and we are playing meaningless football while reading draft guides. If they reach 4-5, then the rest of the football has meaning, especially with the Steelers, Bucs and Jags on the horizon.
To me, meaningful football in November is a hell of a lot better than reading draft guides.
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