New Orleans Saints Need help for Playoffs, but Focus on Selves Entering Final Two Regular-Season Games
‘I have no idea where everything is going to stand by the time we get to the Tampa Bay game, but that’s what we control. We control how we get ready to go play that game’
The New Orleans Saints (7-8) will take a long weekend off before starting preparations for a division game against Tampa Bay (7-7) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, next week. Coach Dennis Allen stated on Friday that the team’s only option is to simply keep trying to control what it can because its chances of winning the NFC South Division and a postseason berth now depend on the actions of other teams.
The Buccaneers and New Orleans had the same record going into Thursday night’s 30-22 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Saints will require outside help to pull into a tie over the weekend and then be back in position to move up into first place with a win the following Sunday (the Buccaneers play Jacksonville at home on Sunday).
After the game on Thursday, Allen said, “It was frustrating in that we didn’t play better than we did, but it’s the performance we put out there.” “Both of us must accept responsibility for that performance, after which we must go on and make the required adjustments.
“We’ve got two more division games (New Orleans will play the Falcons in the Caesars Superdome the weekend following their trip to Tampa). I have no idea where everything is going to stand by the time we get to the Tampa Bay game next week, but that’s what we control. We control how we get ready to go play that game, so that’s where our focus is going to be.
“Our guys are going to come in here next week, ready to roll. We’ll put together a plan to go win against Tampa Bay and then we’ve got to go down there and execute and get the job done. And that’s what we control. We don’t control anything that happens with any other team, we control what we do and that’s where our focus is going to be.”
Total control slipped away against the Rams, as New Orleans totaled 339 yards overall and just 35 rushing (on 16 carries), turned over the ball once and failed to convert on all three fourth-down attempts en route to falling into a 30-7 deficit.
“We just weren’t consistent enough in any phase of the game to give ourselves a real chance in the game,” Allen said. “I just felt like there were some things we did offensively where we moved the ball, and yet, we stalled out on third down once we got across midfield.
“We went in with a little bit of an aggressive mind-set, knowing that we were going to have to possess the ball against this team, knowing that we were going to have to score touchdowns. We went for it on fourth down, obviously we didn’t get it. I put the defense in a couple of bad positions in that particular situation.
“On the defensive, I believed it to be a little discrepancy. Give the Rams credit; they executed a number of plays. They made some plays that involved contested throws and catches, where they made the play while we missed it. Furthermore, there were instances in which we failed to perform as required and were found out. I simply believe that overall, the game is just too inconsistent for us to win.”
Allen said the Saints need to be better at establishing the running game, which averaged 2.2 yards per carry on 16 attempts. The longest run went for five yards.
“We have not run the ball well enough, which has made us have to rely way too much on the passing game,” he stated. “We’ve definitely improved as a play-action passing team, but in order to become a more well-rounded offensive unit, we still need to improve as a running game. That needs to take place.
“I believe that in order to create some movement and seams in the running game, we need to improve our performance up front. Numerous aspects are involved in the running game.
It goes without saying that the queue needs to move and make room. We need to improve our outside blocking performance. Additionally, we need to get better at hitting the ball where it has to be hit in order to set up some plays. That is the area of discrepancy.
“There are several plays in which nine or ten players are doing well, but there are also plays in which one or two players fall short of expectations and the play is ultimately unsuccessful. That we haven’t been able to run the ball more effectively is frustrating.”
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply