The State of the Pelicans

People who are causing the Pelicans to lose:

1.  Brian Roberts:  There are certain players who seemingly put up decent numbers, but for some reason, their teams always seem to lose, and other players play worse when they are on the court.  These players are usually high scorers on losing teams.  Brian Roberts is one of these players.  He is able to hit the occasional mid-range jumper on offense, many of them being spot-ups.  He is able to set-up the occasional alley-oop to Anthony Davis, but what player isn't?  And he is also able to draw an occasional offensive foul when defending.

Those virtues are all fools gold.  When he is in the game, the offense does not flow.  Too often does he dribble pointlessly to look for his mid-range jumper, and when he notices it isn't there, then he looks to set up a teammate.  When that happens, many times, one would think he would be working to do so with a player such as Eric Gordon, Anthony Davis, or even Tyreke Evans, but too many times does he dump the ball off to players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Greg Stiemsma, or Alexis Ajinca, resulting in a bricked jumper/missed layup, and a subsequent defensive rebound.

On defense, too often does Brian Roberts get torched by opposing point guards.  He is able to do absolutely nothing to disrupt the play at the top of the key, which usually results in a layup by the point guard that he is assigned to guard, putting more pressure on our twin foul machines, Greg Stiemsma and Alexis Ajinca.

Brian Roberts is a good player on a bad team.  He will never be key contributor on a playoff contender, and shouldn't be on our team.

2.  Alexis Ajinca and Greg Steimsma:  They are both inept.  They draw way too many fouls.  Opposing point guards who can make free throws have it so easy.  Since they have Brian Roberts defending them, it's rather easy to drive to the lane, where they will be met by Steimsa and Ajinca, who many times, are in the game at the same time.  Most of the time, it will end in a foul, and they will be at the free throw line for two easy points.  Too many times do they foul the opposing center, and too many times are they simply beat by them, and burnt on pick and rolls.  Too many times do they stand under the basket and allow buckets.

Moreover, they bring nothing to the table offensively.  Ajinca is slightly more competent offensively than Steimsma, but that's like saying mud tastes slightly better than dirt.  Steimsa brings absolutely nothing to the table, and neither does Ajinca.  Steimsma has absolutely no confidence in his ability, and many times, Ajinca has too much confidence in his.

Ajinca is slightly better on offense, but that isn't saying much.  And Steimsa is slightly better on defense, but that isn't saying much either.  They are both bad.

3.  Al-Farouq Aminu:  There really isn't much to say about his game.  I cringe every single time he takes a jump shot.  If he takes one shot per game, it's still too often.  Al-Farouq Aminu is pretty much useless in half-court sets.

Sometimes, he is able to make a lay-up, and he is effective when he runs the floor.  Sometimes, he is decent on defense, but that doesn't happen often enough to warrant him being a serviceable small forward.

A player like him would be a solid role player, if he had a better motor.  If he were one of those "hustle", he would be fantastic on defense.  Frankly, a player with Aminu's skill set can't afford to not be known as such.  I find my self saying "if" far too much with Aminu.

There are small forwards out there who are more of a threat offensively than he is, and/or who are more consistent on defense, and would thus be a much bigger asset for a team.

4.  Eric Gordon:  For a player with his salary, he is far too passive on offense.  There is no excuse why he shouldn't be averaging more than twenty points a game.  He is fantastic at taking the ball to the basket, and he is terrific shooting spot-up three pointers.

Eric Gordon should be a player that takes over basketball games, but too many times does he disappear.  A player like him should demand that the ball be in his hands, but he doesn't do that.

He usually starts strong, taking the ball to the basket, but many times, he fades as games progress.  He takes far too few three pointers.  He almost always makes the wrong decision when he has the ball in transition, and is an average defender.

Personally, I like Eric Gordon as a player, but he is not worth his salary, and players with similar skill sets come cheaper than he does.

5.  Monty Williams:  I realize that he isn't a player, but he is on this list for his trust in players like Brian Roberts, Greg Steimsma, Alexis Ajinca, and Al-Farouq Aminu.  He is on this list, because he insists on sitting better players.

There is no reason why Austin Roberts shouldn't be receiving Roberts' minutes.  He may not have as effective of a jump shot, but at least he is somewhat able to get the right players involved in the game, and at least he is a competent defender.

There is no reason why Jeff Withey shouldn't be our starting center at this point in the season.  He is sort of a threat on offense, and at least he shows skills that defenses have to take into account.  At the very least, he is competent on defense, and is somewhat of a disruption around the basket without needlessly accumulating fouls.  He is already a better shot blocker, and has quicker feet than Ajinca and Stiemsma.  

There is no reason why Darius Miller shouldn't be taking minutes from Aminu.  At the very least, defenses have to account for his ability to make three-pointers.  At least he is somewhat competent on offense, and I would love to see what he brings to the table defensively on a consistent basis.

The fact that Monty Williams actually and purposely has lineups with both Ajinca and Steimsma out on the court at the same time shows that he is clueless in putting our players in a position to win.  He may be the right coach for other teams, but I am starting to think he isn't the right coach for the Pelicans.  

Thoughts on the Saints Following the Loss at Seattle

1.  With the amount of money that the Saints have invested in Drew Brees, being one of the highest paid players in the league, and being that he is a future first-ballot hall of famer, one would think he would be able to overcome the rain and the wind in the first half in order to throw the ball where it needed to be.

I was really disappointed in his play in this game, especially in the first half.  He is supposed to be the man that would carry this team, and he was unable to do that.  I acknowledge that his play improved in the second half, but it was too little too late.

Russell Wilson played well despite the elements.

With a qb that is paid as highly as Drew Brees, one would think that he would be able to play more consistently well when on the road.  This past season, Drew Brees developed a knack for throwing crucial interceptions on the road, which ultimately costed us games against inferior opponents, such as the Rams and the Jets.

I guess it could be worse.  At least Joe Flacco, with his enormous salary, isn't our quarterback.  That would really suck.

2.  The Seahawks were simply the better team last Saturday, and throughout the year.  In the NFL, the difference between a good team and a better team is a team's ability to turn the ball over on defense, their ability to avoid costly mistakes/turnovers, and their ability to capitalize on the other team's mistakes.

The Saints simply couldn't do it when given opportunities last Saturday.  Thomas Morestead had a punt that went less than twenty yards.  Shayne Graham missed both of his field goal attempts.  Those things were not counted as turnovers, but they may as well have been, because in a game of this magnitude against an elite team, such mistakes are just as costly as a turnover.

As for the turnover, Mark Ingram fumbled the ball in Saints territory, which led to a Seattle touchdown.  That was probably the play of the game, because the Saints were thought to be playing well, and were in the game, but it was over after that.

The Seahawks were able to make field goals, convert on third downs, and stop the Saints on third and long.  The Saints weren't able to do those things.

The Seahawks had a twenty yard punt themselves that the Saints were unable to convert it into anything, much less use it as an opportunity to seize the momentum.  The defense also had numerous three and outs which could have been momentum changers, but once again, the Saints offense couldn't do anything with the opportunities.

3.  The Saints defense deserves almost all of the credit for the Saints' turnaround in 2013.  It was the defense that held their own on the road, and not the offense.  It was the defense that was put in bad positions, because of mistakes by the offense.  And we are accustomed to seeing the complete opposite, so kudos to Rob Ryan.  I'm looking forward to seeing the defense grow with another year of working under his system.

With that being said, all season, the Saints defense had almost no ability to force fumbles, and get interceptions, which could have been the difference in some of the Saints' losses.  Going forward, the they need to find guys, regardless of position, who can force turnovers.  The Saints must acquire another db, whether it be a safety, or a cornerback that can snag interceptions.

It would be nice to see Cam Jordan and Junior Gallette swat at the ball when bearing down on a qb, before bringing him down.  It would also be nice to acquire an aggressive safety/cornerback with soft hands, who can snatch interceptions.  The Saints would be unstoppable with those two things.

4.  Going forward, the Saints absolutely must improve the personnel on the offensive line.  This cannot be understated.  There were far too many holding penalties that crippled drives.  There were far too many instances where Saints offensive linemen missed blocks.  And there were far too many instances where they were simply manhandled by opposing defenders.

Although he was a Pro Bowler, Ben Grubbs was horrible, and got man-handled by opposing interior defensive linemen on numerous occasions.  Jahri Evans had far too many holding penalties.  Zack Strief is serviceable, but there are better players out there.  Brian De La Puente simply isn't getting the job done at a high enough level to be a starting center on a Super Bowl contender, such as the Saints.  Terron Armstead's play towards the end of the season was encouraging, but it would be great if the Saints brought in a veteran to provide some competition to see if he can seize that starting left tackle position.

Priority number one, and it isn't even close, will be to draft and/or acquire via free agency a few mauler-type offensive linemen with a mean streak, who get downright nasty when run blocking, and who can protect Drew Brees.

The Saints' offensive line was the reason for the Saints struggles on the road.  Period.  And going forward, they will be the difference in whether or not the Saints ever return to the Super Bowl in the foreseeable future under Sean Payton.

5.  With all that being said, I have complete trust in Sean Payton and Micky Loomis.  As long as they and Drew Brees are a part of the Saints organization, they will always be contenders for a Super Bowl win.

I love Coach Payton's quote on the window of opportunity to be Super Bowl champions.  He said, "And honestly, the window (of opportunity), as long as I am head coach here, we're trying to slam it open always."

I got so fired up when I read that, and I already can't wait for next season to start.

Big Game in Seattle

It's do or die.  I realize it's cliche, but it's certainly true regarding the Saints.  Throughout the year, the Saints have not played well on the road, but the Saints have played well when they needed to throughout the year as well.

The Saints offensive line was absolutely crushed in New York by the Jets in a game where they exploited our deficiencies in the offensive line, and in the following weeks, the Saints responded, and showed significant improvement in the running game, particularly in the play of Mark Ingram.  

They were destroyed in Seattle, and responded with an enormous win at home against Carolina.  

The Saints struggled on the road, and they earned the perception of not playing well in the cold weather, and once again, the Saints responded last week with a fantastic win in Philadelphia in twenty-five degree weather.  

They will have to respond once again this Saturday in Seattle, a place where they were previously trounced by the Seahawks 34-7 on national tv.  

What notion will be stronger regarding the Saints? Will it be their struggles on the road?  Or will it be their ability to respond well to adversity, and setbacks?

For some reason, I like the chances of the latter.  It seems like I've been wrong regarding the Saints almost all season, and have said that they have no shot at making it to New York this year, after believing they were a Super Bowl caliber team.  We'll find out which is correct this Saturday.  

I like the fact that the Saints are going into Seattle for the second time.  They will know exactly what to expect from the hostile Seattle crowd.  

I like the fact that the coaching staff had the luxury of implementing what turned out to be sort of a "trial and error" in terms of gameplanning during that regular season game.  They've previously game planned for Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, and were effective in limiting Lynch, but were the opposite of effective in limiting the ability of Russell Wilson to burn the Saints by throwing the football.  I feel good about our staff having an extensive knowledge of what worked, and what didn't.  

If can give you that feeling after such a beat down, it's Coach Payton, Joe Vitt, Rob Ryan, and company.  

I also like the fact that the weather wasn't ideal in their previous visit, much like it won't be this time.  

The Saints have been there before, so nerves should effect them less. 

The one single discouraging fact is that the previous game was not a close one.  Seattle embarrassed us in the previous meeting.  Make no mistake about it.  If it were a close game, minor adjustments could be made.  Players would be able to have the feeling that "If I just play a little better than last time, things could be better."  The Saints don't have that luxury. 

They will have to exercise some enormous demons going into this game.  Sean Payton will have to completely throw out the previous game plan, and start over, because obviously, the previous one didn't work, and wasn't effective in the least bit.  The players will have to execute this new completely revamped game plan, and it will have to be done flawlessly. 

Drew Brees must not throw any interceptions.  I realize that the Saints survived two of them in Philadelphia, but they certainly won't be able to do that again, especially in Seattle.  Drew Brees must play a near-perfect game in order for us to win.  

The Saints defense must force turnovers from the Seattle offense.  If that doesn't happen, we will not win.  

Our patchwork crew of defensive backs must not allow any big plays.  I feel a lot better knowing that Keenan Lewis will play.  Corey White will have to play the game of his life.

Our offensive line must protect Brees.  We need an enormous game from Terron Armstead, who played well against Philadelphia.  

The offensive line must be able to open up holes for Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson, and maybe Pierre Thomas.  They must eliminate all holding penalties, and that comes with winning all the important one-on-one battles.

Drew Brees and company must find a way to make big plays early on in the game to eliminate the crowd noise.  Once again, Kenny Stills and Robert Meachem must step up.  Those two, in particular, must come through for their teammates, and make big plays when they get opportunities, because they certainly will get them, knowing that Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Darren Sproles will receive most of the attention in game planning from the Seattle defense.  

I certainly feel good about the fact that we have Sean Payton as our coach, and a furure hall of famer at quarterback in Drew Brees, on our side.  I like Payton better than Pete Carroll, and I like Brees better than Russell Wilson.  

I also like the spirit of the Who Dat Nation.  I got chills when I read about the banner that was flown over New Orleans this week that stated simply to "believe."  I also got chills when I read that thousands of Saints fans were waiting to cheer on Saints players at 4am as they flew into New Orleans after their victory over Philadelphia.  Saints players and coaches aren't just playing for themselves, they are fighting for a city.  That is an advantage, and can't be understated in a game of this magnitude.  

I said it in my Twitter NFL predictions earlier this year that "The Seahawks are a sham," and who better to prove that than Sean Payton, Drew Brees, and the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round of the playoffs in Seattle.  What a huge game!  I love football.  

I BELIEVE.  WHO DAT?!  GEAUX SAINTS!!!!   BEAT SEATTLE!!!

A Big Win in Philly

I'm rather surprised about the Saints win against the Eagles in Philadelphia last Saturday.  Recent history told us the Saints would not play well.  They had poor showings on the road agains Carolina, St. Louis, New York, and Seattle.  Although throughout Sean Payton's tenure as the coach of the Saints, the Saints historically played well on the road, this season, prior to Saturday night, that was not the case.

Drew Brees threw two interceptions in the game, and the Eagles had zero turnovers.  Normally, on the road, losing the turnover battle is a recipe for a loss.  So what happened?

1.  Drew Brees wasn't at his best, but the Saints got consistent running from the running backs, despite the fact that Pierre Thomas was injured.  Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson were incredible.  Ingram probably saved his career on Saturday night, and Robinson had sort of a coming out party on the national stage.  Ingram has been playing well lately, and it was good to see him come through in the playoffs.

Also, we got no fumbles from the running back position.

2.  The offensive line was opening up holes for the running backs, and getting a push up front.  They won the battle of the line of scrimmage, and that was instrumental in allowing the running backs to make plays.  Also the fact that the running game was a factor took a lot of pressure off of Drew Brees.

3.  Kenny Stills and Robert Meachem caught what was thrown to them.  Meachem's only catch was for forty yards, and turned out to be an enormous play.  Kenny Stills played well also, and was certainly a factor.  His catch on the deep out route where Drew Brees threw the pass over the defender, and over Stills' shoulders was one of the more beautiful passes that I've seen from Brees. The Saints needed those two players to come through, and they certainly did.

4.  The Saints' front seven won the battle of the line of scrimmage.  Holding LeSean McCoy to only seventy-seven yards was enormous.  As always, Cam Jordan and Akiem Hicks played like studs.  Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne were both solid.  The defensive front seven has been the most consistent unit on the Saints this year, and Saturday night was no different.  They came to play, and were an enormous factor in this win.

5.  Keenan Lewis has to be one of the most underrated players in America.  Deshawn Jackson did absolutely nothing while he was in the game.  While Lewis was playing, Corey White played well enough, but after his injury, and when White was asked to cover Deshawn Jackson, we were in trouble.

I am praying that Lewis is able to play in Seattle next week.  With our depleted secondary going against Russell Wilson, we will not win that upcoming game without him.  We somehow survived a ridiculous amount of injuries to integral players in the secondary, and somehow, they have continued to play well enough, but if Lewis is out against Seattle, we won't be able to survive, and it will take an absolute miracle to win there.

Kenny Vaccaro could have helped, but we have a lot of depth at the safety position.  Raphael Bush is solid, and Roman Harper is experienced and seasoned.  I'm less worried about the safety position, than I am about the cornerbacks.

To me the biggest play of the game was the dropped pass by Riley Cooper.  Nick Foles threw a perfect pass that landed right in Cooper's hands, as he was wide open, and had room to run for an enormous gain, which could have been a devastating play for the Saints.  Instead, the Eagles were forced to punt, and the Saints subsequently took it down the field, and scored a touchdown.

Sean Payton is among the best coaches in America.  His teams make no excuses, and don't allow the past to effect their play in the present when it's "do or die."  I crack up when I picture the video he made of Drew Brees and other Saints players playing well in cold weather environments during their college days, with "Winter Wonderland" playing in the background.  It's sort of humorous, but it was effective, and it worked.

He knows how to relate to the players not only to motivate them, but to enable them to put the past behind them, and be in an optimum mental state for the upcoming game.

The running game, and the offensive line have been liabilities all season, and with Drew Brees throwing two interceptions, and not being his normal pin-point accurate self, they stepped up, and performed well enough for the Saints to win, despite the fact that the turnover battle was lost.

I can't say enough about this team's resolve, mental toughness, and their ability to step up and play well despite adversity.  This game proves that the Saints are mentally tough, and when you combine that with one of the best quarterbacks in America, along with one of the best coaches in America, anything can happen in one game.

The Saints will have even bigger demons to exercise next week when they go into Seattle, where they were absolutely dominated 34-7 by the Seahawks last month.  It's a huge week, and again, anything can happen.

More on the upcoming game against Seattle later this week.

Explaining my Fanhood Regarding LSU Football

I would like to say that I am rather passionate about the teams that I follow, so much so that I don't blindly cheer when my team scores a touchdown, or get blindly excited, because they merely won one game.  Although it is indeed very exciting, I am not one of those fans.

Many fans call fans like me "spoiled," which couldn't be more incorrect.  Many of those fans mistake competitiveness for entitlement.  I am being competitive, which is what any fan is supposed to be.

I closely follow the big picture.  I follow the things and events that lead to wins and losses.  I want my team to win as often as possible.  I want them to be set up to win in the future, and when I see something that can potentially inhibit that, I will be unhappy.  I want my team to be on track to win a championship, after all, isn't that the point of the game?

Currently, LSU is not on track to win a championship any time soon.

What bothers me most about most LSU supporters is that they cheer just as passionately, almost more so, for the team that is playing against Alabama, as they do for LSU, the very team that they claim to be a fan of.

Allow me to be as clear as possible about this.  The fact that they do this doesn't bother me.  It's great to passionately cheer against a team that is in direct/indirect competition with your team.  The thing that is extremely troubling is the reason why they do this.  They will not admit it, but it has now become accepted that Alabama has the superior football program.  Everybody, including LSU fans, knows that with their current teams, Alabama would beat LSU nine out of ten times.    

So now, they have sort of a little man/little brother syndrome towards Alabama.  They have to rely on other "big brothers" to beat the big bully in the neighborhood, because they can't do it themselves.

The most excited I saw LSU fans this year was not for an LSU win.  It was when Auburn ran the field goal kick back to beat Alabama in the last second of the Iron Bowl.  A close second was when Oklahoma beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl yesterday.  A very distant third was our victory over Texas A&M.

To me, that is a shame.

This particular recruiting class presented an enormous opportunity for LSU to close the gap with Alabama with players like Leonard Fournette (who we have a commitment from), Speedy Noil, Gerald Willis, Cameron Robinson, Malachi Dupre, Hootie Jones, and a few others.  All of these guys are difference maker-type players that LSU absolutely must have to get them back to elite status.

The losses of Louisiana's numerous top prospects to other schools reveals to us that LSU is not on track for a championship, much less on track to take the west from Alabama.  The coach of a team on track for a championship would seize the opportunity that this talented senior class in Louisiana provided.  A coach of such a team would not allow most of those players to play for teams that he is in direct competition with, and resort to "plan B or C," especially when he is losing a considerable amount of his star players on his current team.  

Remember those ridiculous t-shirts that Alabama fans made after their first consensus number one recruiting class under Nick Saban?  On them, it said, "Fear the future!"  Much like those tacky t-shirts forecasted championships for Alabama, this current LSU recruiting class merely forecasts that LSU fans will continue to get more excited about Alabama losses to other teams, than they will be about a win by their own team.  That is not evidence of a fan-base following a team that is on track for a championship.  That is evidence of one that follows a team that will probably continue to finish second.

Now if you are excited about that, you are certainly entitled to feel that way.  If you aren't as competitive as I am, and enjoy following a team that is second rate, then you are probably satisfied with the work that Les Miles and his staff is currently doing.  Again, many of those fans call fans like me "spoiled," and they are certainly entitled to their opinions.

I, on the other hand, am not wired that way.  Isn't the whole point of the game in college football to win the SEC/National Championship?  When I see that my team is on track to be a champion, I can take losses much easier, and I get a lot more excited when my team wins.

That's why, lately, I haven't been as excited about LSU wins as other fans.  That is why I take losses a little differently.  I acknowledge that LSU is on track to be a winning team, but unless Les changes something, we will continue being a team that finishes second to Alabama, and maybe even third/forth behind Auburn and Texas A&M.

Something has to change.

The Myth of LSU's "Fence" around Louisiana

Make no mistake about it, landing Leonard Fournette, was huge, but at the same time, losing Speedy Noil, Gerald Willis, and Cameron Robinson is even bigger.  In a year where Louisiana had it's best crop of high school talent in years, Les Miles, Frank Wilson, the rest of the coaching staff, and LSU as a whole were unable to capitalize.

In a time where LSU is becoming rather desperate to keep up with Alabama for power in the west, that is a huge disappointment.  In a time where Texas A&M is rising in prominence, and with one more big year, could be building a "fence" around the state of Texas, a state where LSU regularly picks it's players, it's disappointing.  In a time where Auburn has been to two national championship games in four years, again, it's disappointing.

LSU is slipping, and a big reason is because of the myth of the "fence."  This year isn't unique.  Last year, we lost out on Landon Collins, who at the time, was the top player in the state, to Alabama.  In the game in Tuscaloosa against Alabama, with Vinnie Sunseri hurt, Landon Collins stepped in to play, and showed LSU first-hand exactly what they missed out on.  He showed LSU, and the state of Louisiana that he is a big-time player.  Imagine if he were patrolling the LSU secondary in a season where LSU was replacing Eric Reid.  He certainly would have helped against Georgia, and Ole Miss.  He wouldn't have made a difference against Alabama, but imagine a one-loss LSU team in 2013-14.

It goes back to the loss of John Curtis star, Joe McKnight, to USC, the top player in America at the time.  It was the first time that that "fence" around Louisiana became penetrable.  I laugh every time I think about the argument that so many LSU fans made at the time, "But we have Richard Murphy.  We don't need him."

Give me a break.  He would have made LSU better.  Although Murphy wore the fabled number 18 jersey, at the same time, Joe McKnight was torching defenses, and went on to play for the Jets.  I'd rather have McKnight, and as he looks back, I'm sure Les would have preferred the same.

Les has lost out on others such as Travon Reed, Eddie Lacy, and Kenny Bell.  Some went on to have success, and some didn't.  But the line between success, and failure is so thin in Division-1 college football, and who knows what they could have done at a different place, and in a different situation, such as staying home in Louisiana.

The disappointing thing is that in previous years, it was only one or two players that LSU wanted going other places to play, but this year, in a year where Louisiana had it's best crop of talent since the class in the early 2000's that produced Marcus Spears, Andrew Whitworth, Michael Clayton, the late Marquis Hill, and Rudy Niswanger, and in a year where Alabama is now who they are, in a year where Auburn and Texas A&M are surging, and in a year where LSU cannot afford to lose the top players in the state of Louisiana to other universities, LSU didn't only lose out on one or two of the top guys, they lost out on three of their top four, maybe even four of their top five players.  That hasn't happened since the days of Gerry Dinardo and Curley Hallman.

Let's look at why.  Let's start with a top-tier player that LSU was able to land, Russell Shephard.  At the time of his recruitment, he was a top-five player in America, coming out of Houston, Texas.  LSU fans had such high expectations for him, but he rarely got the ball.

LSU fans would contend that he was a "bust," but I disagree.  I contend that Les, Gary Crowton, and Greg Strudrawa had no idea how to properly use him, and had no idea how to coach up Jordan Jefferson and Zach Mettenberger in order to get him the ball down field.  When he was in the backfield, or in the slot, every single person on the field, sidelines, and in the stands knew he was getting the ball.  They knew exactly how he would get the ball, and they knew exactly where he was going with it.  He never got a shot neither as a kick returner, nor as a punt returner.

You would think the coaching staff would be thinking of any way possible to get a player such as him the ball, and would be looking for ways to give him the ball in an offense that, at the time, was sorely lacking in big plays.  If he weren't sturdy enough, or big enough to handle the rigors of handling the ball several times in a game, you would think they would be doing everything possible to bulk a player such as him up.  A player of his caliber, with the potential to bust a touchdown any time the ball was in his hands, never got the ball, much less even saw the field.

There is no disputing the fact the he was indeed an impact player while at LSU, because he was able to win a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 53-man roster as a wide receiver, despite not being drafted.  That shoots down any argument that anybody would have that would be based upon the notion that he was not a good player.

Before Cam Cameron came on board this year, on offense, it was alarmingly easy to accurately predict exactly what play LSU would run based on who was in the slot, and the running back that was in the game.  When Spencer Ware was in the backfield, it was a run straight up the middle, or a toss pitch.  When Michael Ford was in the game, it was a misdirection toss to the outside.  In a rare moment when Russell Shephard was in the slot...  you get the picture.  Before Cam Cameron, that was LSU's offense for several years.  You can look back to Keiland Williams, Charles Scott, and even to the days of Steven Ridley, and see the same things.

For years, before Cam Cameron, LSU's qb's, particularly Jordan Jefferson, Jarrett Lee, and even Zach Mettenberger were unable to get the ball to the wide receivers.  We had stars like Terrence Tolliver, yet another top-ten-in-America player, who never was able to get the ball, because of our inept quarterback play.  And it was also because the fact that our wide receivers were just as predictable on passing plays, as our running backs were on running plays.  The fact that our qb's were so poorly coached, and were absolutely inept in leading an offense didn't help matters either.

I acknowledge that high school players tend to be young, brash, naive.  But they are not blind, and they are certainly not stupid.  They see all these things.

Bringing in Cam Cameron to run the offense has helped things, but it was obviously too little too late.  If it weren't, the "fence" wouldn't be so penetrable.

High school recruits want two things, beside being with pretty girls, which every SEC campus can provide.  They want to win, and they want a chance to be in the NFL.  LSU dropped the ball in games against Ole Miss and Georgia, and were absolutely annihilated in Tuscaloosa by Alabama.  Recruits see that.

Recruits can see that top players like Terrence Tolliver and Russell Shephard weren't used, and struggled to make NFL rosters without being drafted.  Tolliver didn't make an NFL roster last season.  Recruits are, no doubt, able to notice that LSU dropped the ball, and were unable to get the most out of the players that they did have who were top-tier recruits.

The fact that this "fence" around Louisiana is vulnerable, shows that LSU football is in a vulnerable state.  Again, LSU has not lost out on this many of the top players in Louisiana since the days of Gerry Dinardo and Curley Hallman.  I certainly hope we are not on our way back to those days.  It's certainly alarming, considering how other teams in the west are surging, and we seem to be fading.  

No matter how you spin it, losing Speedy Noil, Gerald Willis, Cameron Robinson, and even Hootie Jones is huge, and will hurt the program.  They certainly are guys who would have helped us significantly.  We can hold out hope on Malachi Dupre, but history tells us that John Curtis guys don't favor LSU, so I'm not doing so.  It's disappointing, and the future, and like it or not, in Baton Rouge looks less bright than what it should be.

Geaux Tigers.  Forever LSU.

Playoffs

No matter how rough things are for your NFL team, it's always exciting when they are in the playoffs, even if it's a wild card birth.  Even though I don't feel excited about the Saints' chances, I know how excited I get, and the rest of America gets about the playoffs, whether or not the Saints are in it, so I am fired up regardless.  As I said in a previous post, anything can happen.

The Saints are definitely capable of playing well in Philly, and winning like they are supposed to do.  Recent history proves that they won't, but the Saints have one of the best coaches in the NFL in Sean Payton, and they also have a future hall of famer at quarterback in Drew Brees who has won in the playoffs before, so again, anything can happen.

The Saints have already played in Seattle and Carolina, so if they get by the Eagles (a huge 'if'), they will have the experience of playing there before on their side, even though both experiences were negative.  But a well coached team with a great qb, can learn from their mistakes in a game where the stakes aren't as high, and be better prepared for a game when it's 'do or die.'  Hopefully, that will be the case with the Saints.  

I desperately want to see the Saints in the Super Bowl in New York, because if we get there, I like how we match up against the Broncos, who, on paper, should be the team to advance there.

Again, words can't express how fired up I am about the Saints being in the playoffs.  It's a clean slate. What happened in the regular season no longer matters, and the Saints simply have to take care of business, and win.  Here is what needs to happen:

1.  Drew Brees cannot throw interceptions.  Period.  When Brees throws interceptions, the Saints lose.

On the flip-side, we must have big plays in the passing game.  When that happens, the Saints win.  

Robert Meachem and Kenny Stills must step up, and make plays.  In the playoffs, defenses will be game planning to stop Jimmy Graham, Marques Colton, Darren Sproles and Lance Moore.  Kenny Stills must play like a veteran, and establish himself as a star in this league.  Robert Meachem must catch everything that is catchable.  

Drew Brees must not force passes, and take less gambles.  If a play isn't there, he must throw it away, or even take a sack.  

2.  The offensive line must open holes for the running game.  The Saints don't have to necessarily be committed to it, but it must be enough of a threat, so defenses will have to take it into account.  In cold weather games, the running game is so important.

At this point, although they haven't, Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans must play like the Pro Bowlers that they were chosen to be.  They must man up, and win their individual battles against the respective defenders that they will be assigned to.    

The offensive line must protect Drew Brees, and give him time to throw.  When that happens, forced passes are minimized, and thus interceptions will be minimized.  

The offensive line MUST step up.

3.  Roman Harper, Corey White, and Malcolm Jenkins must not allow big plays, and stay healthy.  We cannot afford any more injuries in our already depleted secondary.  We cannot afford blown coverages.  We cannot afford to give up any big plays.  

Luckily, Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins have been there before, so there will be no fear from them.  Corey White, on the other hand, must play the games of his life.  The secondary must get interceptions.  It will be a lot more difficult to win when they are not doing that.  The secondary must step up big time.  

The Saints have their work cut out for them to make it to New York.  At least their first two games will be on the road, and at least one of them will be in a cold-weather environment, and every possible destination will be outdoors.  That will not be in the Saints favor.  

Historically, the Saints have been a good road team, but for some reason, that has not been the case this season.  The Saints must find out exactly what it is that is causing them to play less than their best away from the Dome, and fix it.  If anybody can, it's Sean Payton and Drew Brees.  

I really hope the Saints show some heart, and know that Whodat Nation is behind them.  They must put the past behind them, play focused football, and bring the Lombardi back to New Orleans where it belongs.  Anything can happen.

WHO DAT???!!!