The New Orleans Saints lost in the most frustrating of ways in Week 3, and in going over the tape the frustration only got worse.
That's because it was the small details, the execution that wasn't there during a second-half collapse against the Packers, as Deuce McAllister explained on WWL this week with Bobby Hebert and Mike Detillier. That's what has to change in Week 4 and beyond if this Saints team wants to be on the right side of the playoff bubble for the first time in three seasons.
Listen to the full conversation with Deuce McAllister in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
"You didn’t execute, and so man, it’s so many little things like that that you just see after going back and watching it, or even just watching it [live]," McAllister said. "That’s the frustrating part.”
There are levels to that, as well, and it's not all on the play-calling. Deuce points to a screen that appeared to be set up perfectly one play prior to Derek Carr going down with an injury. Rookie Kendre Miller snared a high ball with Andrus Peat and Erik McCoy in position to block, and Michael Thomas downfield in position to set up a potentially huge play. But an outside defender evaded the two linemen. Failed play.
"The play call was perfect," McAllister said. "You just didn’t execute."
Later, on first and 14, the Saints ran a jumbo formation with Jameis Winston running a play-action fake to Miller. Landon Young was isolated on the outside against Rashaan Gary and was beaten with a speed rush. It's an example of Miller doing exactly what he was told to do, but one of the examples of what you lose without Alvin Kamara on the field, who would likely have felt more empowered to deviate from him assignment to give help on Young's block.
"The picture tells you the story," McAllister said. "You’ve just got to understand what the picture is saying. It’s frustrating, but you say all that … they’ve got to play better, and it’s not one player. You’ve got to put them in positions where they can play better."
Both instances were examples of plays that could've worked, but failed for small, correctible reasons.
The good news is that Alvin Kamara will be making his return from suspension in Week 4, and even if Carr can't suit up due to a shoulder injury, that will be a welcome addition to the offense for a variety of reasons.
"He’s a special player, but he’s got to be special," McAllister continues. "And the one thing that Tampa Bay has that has at time neutralized him is speed, and that speed at linebacker. And so it’s just going to be interesting, can you get him in space, can you get him in run lanes, and then what other mismatches can you create."
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EXPECTATIONS IF JAMEIS WINSTON STARTS
"I want [Jameis] to go and play with no stress, no pressure, no thoughts of ‘hey, look, I can’t make this mistake’ or ‘I can’t do this.’ Take care of the football," Deuce said. "The look that you see, I know where I’m going with the football. If my primary isn’t there, I know where No. 2 is and I know where my outlet is. So I just want you to go out there and play free and be able to just go and say, ‘hey, look, I’m going to give my guy a chance, but if I don’t like something, I don’t have to force the football.’ “
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ON IMPORTANCE OF COMMITTING TO THE RUN GAME
"The Saints, here’s the thing, you’ve got a blend on first and second down and have the option to be able to run the ball," Deuce said. "You can’t put yourself in 1st and 15 or get negative yardage on every run that you have, because that’s just going to deteriorate. The other thing is … if you’re not running the football and you’re always 3 and out, 4 and out or I’ve got 5 plays and I’m out, what are you going to do to your defense? You’re going to wear them down, and so you have to be able to be committed to running. I know particularly in the second half, they didn’t have nearly as many runs as they wanted, but you’ve got to be committed to it, and you’ve got to, hey, we may not get a lot of opportunities, guys, so we’ve got to come out and produce.”