Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
The New Orleans Saints are 2-8 entering the bye week. It’s a perfect time for The Times-Picayune Saints’ writers to sit at the roundtable and give our thoughts on the season so far. What grade would you give the Saints so far this season? Jeff Duncan: D. I picked the Saints to go 4-13, but their start has been even worse than I expected. They’ve been non-competitive in so many games, trailing almost from start to finish in seven of 10 games. I didn’t expect many wins, but I thought the team would be more competitive, especially on offense. Luke Johnson: It’s a D-plus with a chance to earn extra credit. Nobody expected the Saints to be good this season, but I did expect them to be competitive — this was not going to be a team that tanked for draft positioning. They’ve shown an ability to punch above their weight class, but it’s hard to feel good about a team that has only topped 20 points twice in 10 games. That said, there is a chance to turn that around after the bye with a favorable schedule. Matt Paras: C-minus. It has been ugly at times, but this is the outcome I expected. The roster has holes across the board and have been limited at quarterback, even though Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough have shown flashes. Rod Walker: D. And that could stand for discipline, which the team has lacked at times when penalties come at the most inopportune time. Or it could stand for drops, which seemed to be a problem for anybody Spencer Rattler tried to throw to. Or it could stand for debacle, which is how you could describe the trips to Seattle or Los Angeles. This grade really isn’t about the won/loss record. It’s more about how the team arrived at the record. How would you assess the job first-year coach Kellen Moore has done so far? Jeff Duncan: Moore has done an admirable job of managing a difficult situation and keeping a positive mindset throughout the season. So often, it feels like he’s coaching with one hand tied behind his back due to the limited experience and talent on the roster. That said, I’d like to see him be more aggressive and passionate. Teams reflect the attitude of their coach, and Moore’s laid-back, go-along-get-along demeanor isn’t very inspiring. To Moore’s credit, the Saints have remained motivated and “on board” with what he’s preaching. Luke Johnson: There are a lot of things I like about Kellen Moore and the way he’s handled things. His science-based approach to injury, for one, has clearly had a positive effect. I also believe the players have his back, which is important. But there have been some really head-scratching game management moments this season that Moore hasn’t really had great answers for. He is going to have to closely assess his process and performance in that area this offseason. Matt Paras: He’s still finding his way. The positives: His approach has kept team morale at a good place despite their record. And I think he’s demonstrated a clear plan for developing players — something that was missing in recent years. But what’s up with his game management? There have been some outright bizarre decisions, notably how he handles the end of first halves. Rod Walker: Ten games into the season and I’m not sure about his coaching philosophy. Is he a risk taker or more conservative? It’s hard to know sometimes when you watch some of his decisions. But I think it’ll get better with time. And he deserves his props for the team still playing hard for him. This team could’ve easily quit on him after the 1-8 start, but they haven’t. In fact, I expect them to fight even harder after the bye. What has been the biggest surprise (good or bad) about this season thus far? Jeff Duncan: I fully expected the offensive line to be the strength of the team, but it hasn’t turned out that way. The run blocking has been sub-par and the pass protection inconsistent. Injuries to Erik McCoy and Taliese Fuaga have obviously had an effect, but this unit still hasn’t performed nearly as well as I expected it to, and it’s a big reason why the offense has struggled so mightily this season. Luke Johnson: I’m with Jeff here. I was fully bought into the offensive line being a floor-setter for this offense, but that just hasn’t been the case. Kelvin Banks has been a relative bright spot — he’s had his share of struggles, as rookies do, but he looks like a building block — but the rest has not looked great. It looks like they’re going to have to invest in the position next offseason yet again. Matt Paras: The fact Taysom Hill was ready to play five weeks into the season after suffering such a serious knee injury last year takes this for me. But I’ve also been surprised by how little of an impact he’s had since his return. That’s maybe to be expected of the 35-year-old coming off a major surgery, but he hasn’t juiced the run game like has in the past and Moore seems not quite sure what are the right ways to use him. Rod Walker: The offensive line would have been my answer, too. Just to switch things up, I’ll say special teams. What happened in Seattle was something I would have never expected from a Saints team. Also, Blake Grupe’s slow start surprised me. After watching Grupe throughout training camp, I predicted he would be a Pro Bowler this year. The last few weeks have been better for him, so maybe he will finish strong. If you had to give a mid-season team Most Valuable Player, who would it be and why? Jeff Duncan: Demario Davis has been the most consistently productive and reliable player on the team. He’s the emotional and spiritual leader of the team and rarely misses a game. To see him still playing at an elite level at age 36 is inspiring. On a team without many true stars, Davis remains the brightest one for the Saints. Luke Johnson: I was talking about this very topic with someone the other day, and I had a really difficult time finding a Saints MVP. I think the answer to this point (and I’m stealing this from my friend) is Demario Davis. The Saints defense has been the more consistent unit, even if it has been just OK, and Davis’ consistency and leadership plays a big part in that. I will say if Chris Olave continues to string together strong performances he will ultimately be the team’s MVP. Matt Paras: If we had done this after six weeks, I think the unanimous choice would have been Spencer Rattler. But there’s no way you can give it to a guy who lost his job two games later. So, how about Rashid Shaheed? He was clearly valuable to the Seattle Seahawks, and he netted the Saints a favorable return. That’s a win for a rebuilding team. Rod Walker: The worst part about your name being last in alphabetical order is that everyone else gets to take your answers first. I’m going to go with Demario Davis, too. His 91 tackles rank third in the NFL. Not bad for a 36-year old. If Chase Young hadn’t missed games with an injury, he’d be making a strong case for this honor.
