Welcome everyone to another edition of #4Downs!
1st Down: Failure to Capitalize on Turnovers
The Saints had a chance to make it a bigger lead than 14-0 in the first quarter. There were three turnovers for the Saints in the late afternoon matchup against the Panthers. The Saints wound up only getting seven points off of it. This is how that broke down: punt, scoop and score, punt. This was the biggest difference in the game, not missed calls. If you win the turnover battle, but not get anything out of it, you’re probably going to lose nine times out of ten.
2nd Down: Stephone Anthony Has Arrived
A lot of people have been talking about rookie linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha, but fellow rookie Stephone Anthony has shown a lot of growth and it was evident Sunday against the Panthers. Forcing a fumble and taking it to the house is one thing, but being the first player in the NFL to recover a blocked extra point and run it all the way back for two points is even better. Add the fact that he also recorded 10 tackles, four of which were solo, Anthony was making a statement. Him and Kikaha are going to be the future of this Saints defense.
3rd Down: Brandon Browner Gotta Go
Here’s a quick stat for you: Brandon Browner is the record holder for most penalties in a single season. The scariest part of that: There’s still four games to go in the regular season. Browner has proven that he was a massive waste of money and was a mediocre player surrounded by solid players.
4th Down: Where Was This Fire?
The Saints played like this was their Super Bowl on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. The Saints had nothing really to lose at this point and were trying to knock the sole unbeaten team in the NFL. Where was this fire all season? This team showed that there is a lot of potential on this team to win games. But there’s no fire on this team. Perhaps it’s an issue that starts with the coaches. Dennis Allen has simplified the defense and there’s still busted coverages. There’s still tons of penalties that shouldn’t be happening. The offensive gameplan is stale. There may be heads rolling in terms of the staff at the end of the season and that’s another reason why there’s not enough juice with this team.
-Clint Domingue