It's not that the Saints lost to the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans - it's how and why they lost that is the story.
The only moment when it appeared the Saints and the fans in the dome were going to see a heated battle by the Saints was when Alvin Kamara ran out to initiate the massive "WHO DAT" chant at the beginning of the game. That was the moment we all could not wait for the Saints to take the field and destroy the Bucs. But the spirit of that moment was not a predictor of what was to come.
Even though Derek Carr seemed off and tentative from the beginning, the Saints offense took the opening drive and marched into the Bucs' territory only to settle for a field goal. That field goal would be the best the Saints offense would do all afternoon - they’d eventually settle for 3 field goals.
The Saints defense showed an equal lack of spirit and allowed the Bucs' QB Baker Mayfield - not a future Hall of Famer - to throw 3 TD passes. The Bucs beat the Saints 26-9.
Much of the afternoon Carr was off, or receivers dropped passes or let balls fly through their hands. The key highlights in the game were not enough to offset the feeling of deep disappointment from the fans. Loud boos came from the crowd as the Saints left the field at halftime. Hopes that the boos would inspire the team to come out and own the 2nd half were quickly dashed when the Saints had to settle for a 2nd field goal.
On our talk show this afternoon, phone lines were lit up like a police lineup, with fan after fan echoing my observations about whether Derek Carr was really ready to play. Hurt with a shoulder injury the week prior in a come-from-ahead loss by the Saints, Jameis Winston was expected to start and fans were shocked to see Derek Carr start the game.
Did the team prepare a game plan with Jameis Winston and Carr was put in at the last minute? Was Carr still injured? Did Coach Dennis Allen push for Carr to play because of his allegiance to Carr when both were with the Raiders? These were all legitimate questions.
After the game, Coach Allen was calm in his analytical reasons for the Saints loss. Coach Allen basically said the Saints didn't play well, and the blame starts with him. What was so striking about Coach Allen's post-game press conference was the passive manner in which he explained the loss. I realize that every individual handles things differently - but this is football and fans want a coach to show some signs of being angry and frustrated that the team lost.
Ranting and raving can be wasted energy, but when a team has a second frustrating loss, fans expect a sense that the coach is not complacent and determined to turn things around. As a fan, I know I"m not alone in saying that I don't get that sense from Dennis Allen.
I realize that the temperment of a head coach may not be a true reflection of their worth, but as fans, that's all we have to go on. Saints fans are starving for any clues that from top management to the coaches to the players, this Saints team that was so highly regarded before the season began is not as complacent with a 2-2 start - which could very easily be a 4-0 start.
Where's the passion?
