Game 3: Packers @ Saints - Sunday, September 27th, 7:20PM

[trwi7]

Don't Falcons it.

[FVBrewerFan]

I'm a Wisc sports fan, I can't be expected to watch this osk.

[bjkrautk]

Can't recover a ball that doesn't go 10 yards. Great job not jumping on it by the hands team.

[yourout]

Heck of a win.

[adambr2]

That will do.

[HiAndTight]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

[PinaMadness]

I don't think we'll ever see another type of onside kick used again.

[PeaveyFury]

I know there are a lot of questions about Brees and the Saints now, but you get the feeling that this will end up being a significant win when we look back in January.

[homer]

CollinsWorth's son looks like he's doing a Chris Collinsworth impersonation

[nodakfan17]

I don't think we'll ever see another type of onside kick used again.

I thought the same thing. Hard to believe teams has been doing it wrong for years.

[HiAndTight]

I know there are a lot of questions about Brees and the Saints now, but you get the feeling that this will end up being a significant win when we look back in January.

 

 

Yeah, it could be huge. The Saints are a loaded team. You take away a WR'er who had 150 catches last season...

 

But now IF things go well, they'd most likely have to come through GB...that's not gonna help Brees noodle arm out much.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

 

It may be worth the hands team putting their kicker over there and just telling him to boot that squib ball straight out of bounds. Don't even mess with trying to recover it or wait passively to see whether it gets 10 yards downfield or not

[nodakfan17]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

 

It may be worth the hands team putting their kicker over there and just telling him to boot that squib ball straight out of bounds. Don't even mess with trying to recover it or wait passively to see whether it gets 10 yards downfield or not

I believe that’s a penalty ... you can’t intentionally kick a loose ball.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

 

It may be worth the hands team putting their kicker over there and just telling him to boot that squib ball straight out of bounds. Don't even mess with trying to recover it or wait passively to see whether it gets 10 yards downfield or not

I believe that’s a penalty ... you can’t intentionally kick a loose ball.

 

Doh...yeah never mind. Those kicks take so long to get to where the opponent can even recover it legally and players have to space out so much that your best bet would be to go after the guys closest to the sideline right at the kick and then have hands team guys run in behind and either recover the ball or knock it out of bounds.

 

Very solid road win against a quality opponent...sure they were without Thomas, but the packers were down key startes on both sides of the ball, too.

[HiAndTight]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

 

It may be worth the hands team putting their kicker over there and just telling him to boot that squib ball straight out of bounds. Don't even mess with trying to recover it or wait passively to see whether it gets 10 yards downfield or not

 

 

It took me about 3 times reading this to figure out what you were saying...but yeah, that makes a lot of sense. That rule would be changed next year, but it's a good idea.

 

Though I'd rather see the athletes try to bat the ball out of bounds.

[HiAndTight]

Watching that ball spin on the white...I can understand much better how the Falcons blew that onside kick last week.

 

Not how they gave up all the rest of the points and comebacks, but...that part of it.

 

It may be worth the hands team putting their kicker over there and just telling him to boot that squib ball straight out of bounds. Don't even mess with trying to recover it or wait passively to see whether it gets 10 yards downfield or not

I believe that’s a penalty ... you can’t intentionally kick a loose ball.

 

 

It's a penalty, but I don't believe they get to kick again.

 

Teams used to be able to kick again if they kicked the ball out of bounds...even onside kicks.

[PeaveyFury]

A few very early thoughts:

 

1)The Saints ran the ball exceptionally well, over 6 yards a carry. And for the third straight week, the opposing coach bailed on the run in the second half. So inexplicable in a close game. I expect that from the transient coach-for-a-day Matt Patricia-types, but Sean Payton is a pretty decent offensive mind. I get it, you have a HOF QB (though clearly in the decline of his career), but that was some Mike McCarthy-level abandoning the run there. When they come up against a guy like Shanahan who showed twice last year that he's committed to his game plan and will just run it down our throats like everyone else should, that's when they'll get trounced.

2)The defense is ugly, but they're getting the one turnover or stop or whatever that allows the team to win. They've got to figure out the run defense, especially if Kirksey is out for any length of time.

3)This offense is unreal. I sound like a broken record so far this year, but for how pedestrian it looked last year, it's so great to watch.

4)TE's stepped up huge today. Sternberger, Tonyan, and Lewis all made big plays on a day without Davante.

5)I thought NO's offensive game plan of running at Z was super smart. And it was, and he still made the big play that turned the whole game.

6)On a day where the Saints clearly decided to take MVS out of the game, Lazard was as great as he needed to be.

7)King had a rough day, and Summers had a bad play on Kamara's crazy run (and wasn't alone), but guys like Summers and Burks filled in and made some nice tackles late to help seal it. King and Sullivan blowing up that swing/screen on third down on the drive before the Packers' last TD was huge. Keke played very well, and hopefully will take snaps away from Lancaster/Lowry when Clark is back.

 

Edit to add

8)I'll jinx this something terrible, but Crosby has been so, so good since his Lions disaster in 2018. I barely broke a sweat on any of his kicks today, even the two longer ones. Really nice to have what appears to be a competent ST group overall this year thus far.

[young guns]

It's a penalty, but I don't believe they get to kick again.

 

Teams used to be able to kick again if they kicked the ball out of bounds...even onside kicks.

They would. Penalty on the receiving team results in the option to redo the play. Penalty on the kicking team means no second chances.

[nodakfan17]

I can hardly complain about last night’s game, but I’m surprised AJ Dillon didn’t get any carries (especially considering the number of short yardage situations).

[PeaveyFury]

It'll be interesting to see what their strategy is with Dillon. I suspect it'll be to add a fresh-legs bruising running back to punish defenders in the December cold, but you'd think you'd be getting him SOME time now, even if it's just 2-3 touches per game. It's possible he's just not up to speed on the offense yet with the limited off season?

[LouisEly]

I don't think we'll ever see another type of onside kick used again.

Both were executed on artificial turf. Will the ball spin the same way on grass?

[LouisEly]

It's possible he's just not up to speed on the offense yet with the limited off season?

That's my guess. The Packers offense is pretty complex, and it takes a while to get on the same page as Rodgers. Plus, he needs to prove that he can pass block before he'll be trusted out there.

[homer]

Packers should have a pretty nice three headed tight end situation when Deguara comes back. Big Bob and Jace looked great last night.

[nodakfan17]

Darrius Shepherd was the #3 receiver last night. He was on the field for 23 offensive snaps (37%) vs just 4 snaps (6%) for Malik Taylor. Lazard and MVS each played >90% of the snaps.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

A few very early thoughts:

 

1)The Saints ran the ball exceptionally well, over 6 yards a carry. And for the third straight week, the opposing coach bailed on the run in the second half. So inexplicable in a close game. I expect that from the transient coach-for-a-day Matt Patricia-types, but Sean Payton is a pretty decent offensive mind. I get it, you have a HOF QB (though clearly in the decline of his career), but that was some Mike McCarthy-level abandoning the run there. When they come up against a guy like Shanahan who showed twice last year that he's committed to his game plan and will just run it down our throats like everyone else should, that's when they'll get trounced.

2)The defense is ugly, but they're getting the one turnover or stop or whatever that allows the team to win. They've got to figure out the run defense, especially if Kirksey is out for any length of time.

3)This offense is unreal. I sound like a broken record so far this year, but for how pedestrian it looked last year, it's so great to watch.

4)TE's stepped up huge today. Sternberger, Tonyan, and Lewis all made big plays on a day without Davante.

5)I thought NO's offensive game plan of running at Z was super smart. And it was, and he still made the big play that turned the whole game.

6)On a day where the Saints clearly decided to take MVS out of the game, Lazard was as great as he needed to be.

7)King had a rough day, and Summers had a bad play on Kamara's crazy run (and wasn't alone), but guys like Summers and Burks filled in and made some nice tackles late to help seal it. King and Sullivan blowing up that swing/screen on third down on the drive before the Packers' last TD was huge. Keke played very well, and hopefully will take snaps away from Lancaster/Lowry when Clark is back.

 

Edit to add

8)I'll jinx this something terrible, but Crosby has been so, so good since his Lions disaster in 2018. I barely broke a sweat on any of his kicks today, even the two longer ones. Really nice to have what appears to be a competent ST group overall this year thus far.

 

Without the 49-yard run from Kamara the were 19 for 73 rushing. They did a nice job bottling up the cute stuff from Hill and generally weren't getting gashed for 7 and 8 yard gains all night. Personally I'd rather see some containment and a big play here and there vs. just constantly getting hammered. Plus he is a special player that does that sort of thing all year.

 

The defense isn't great right now, but I am OK with that. There just has to be some reason for hope and you have to finish the year better as a unit than you start. If you're top 12ish by the playoffs that may be good enough.