By Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank | WhoDatNation.com
Well, Who Dat Nation, here we go again.
Another week. Another football game. Another chance for our New Orleans Saints to prove they’re actually capable of playing sixty minutes of NFL football.
And after watching this team stumble to a 1–4 record, I’ve got to tell y’all something.
I’m running out of cigars, patience, and excuses.
Last week, I told the Saints to show me something different.
Instead, Minnesota came into the Superdome, held our offense to 142 total yards, and handed us our third straight loss.
Now we’re heading to New York to face the Giants.
And guess who’s waiting for us?
JAMEIS WINSTON!
That’s right. Our old quarterback.
The man who spent four seasons wearing the black and gold is now running the offense for the New York Giants.
And if you think Jameis wouldn’t love to beat his former team, I’ve got some beachfront property in the Ninth Ward I’d like to sell you.
But here’s what really makes this game interesting.
Saints owner Gayle Benson has finally said publicly what Saints fans have been screaming at their televisions for weeks.
This is unacceptable.
And now I’m wondering something.
If the Saints go to New York and lose to Jameis Winston, are some heads finally going to roll?
When Mrs. Benson Starts Talking, You Better Listen
I’ve been following this football team for a long time.
And one thing I’ve learned is that when the person who signs the checks starts publicly expressing disappointment, everybody in that building ought to pay attention.
This week, Gayle Benson made it clear that the Saints’ performance isn’t meeting expectations.
And you know what?
GOOD!
Because it isn’t.
We’re 1–4.
We’ve lost three straight games.
We’ve lost every home game we’ve played this season.
And we’ve managed to turn two special celebrations of Saints history into afternoons we’d all rather forget.
First, the twentieth anniversary of Domecoming.
Then, Drew Brees being honored in the Saints Ring of Honor.
Two incredible occasions.
Two embarrassing losses.
Now Mrs. Benson has spoken out, and on Friday she even showed up at practice.
Reports say she and Coach Kellen Moore shared a hug and a conversation.
That’s nice.
I’m glad everybody’s getting along.
But Tony from the Westbank has a question.
Can somebody hug this football team into blocking, tackling, and scoring touchdowns?
Because if that’s all it takes, I’ll drive to New Orleans myself and start hugging people.
Seriously, though, I don’t believe Gayle Benson showed up at practice just to create headlines. Owners visit practices, and Moore says they’re on the same page.
But nobody should mistake her support for satisfaction.
She wants results.
So do I.
And so does every Saints fan who’s spent money on tickets, jerseys, parking, and overpriced stadium beer.
Jameis Winston: Of Course It Had to Be Him
Now let’s talk about Jameis.
I always liked the guy.
Say what you want about his football decisions, but Jameis Winston never lacked personality.
He could make you jump out of your chair with a beautiful touchdown pass.
And five minutes later, he could make you throw the remote across the living room.
That’s Jameis.
You never knew exactly what you were going to get.
But the man loved New Orleans. He embraced this city, our fans, and our football team.
And now he’s getting another opportunity as the Giants’ starting quarterback.
Through his three starts, New York hasn’t lost with him running the show. They’re 2–0–1 in those games.
And the Giants are 3–1–1 overall.
Meanwhile, we’re 1–4 and still trying to figure out how to put together a decent offensive drive.
Tell me that doesn’t make your stomach turn.
Here’s the thing about Jameis.
He can be unpredictable. He can take chances. He can throw a football into a window that probably shouldn’t be attempted.
But he can also get hot.
And if our defense lets him get comfortable Sunday, he could have one of those afternoons where everything starts clicking.
I don’t want to see Jameis celebrating on the sideline while our defense stands around looking confused.
Not this week.
Not against our former quarterback.
And definitely not with the whole city already wondering what’s wrong with this team.
Tyler Shough Needs Help. NOW.
I’ve been hard on Tyler Shough lately.
But let’s be fair.
Against Minnesota, he threw for only 96 yards with two interceptions.
That’s terrible.
No argument.
But what exactly is he supposed to do when the offensive line can’t protect him and the running game can’t get going?
Football isn’t a one-man sport.
Shough needs time to throw.
He needs receivers getting open.
And he needs a running game that forces defenses to think about something besides rushing the quarterback.
Alvin Kamara has been dealing with a back injury, and Chris Olave has been dealing with an illness. Both are listed as questionable heading into Sunday.
That’s not exactly encouraging.
But injuries or not, Kellen Moore has to find a way to put this offense in a position to succeed.
Short passes.
Quick decisions.
Better blocking.
A little creativity.
Something!
Because if I have to sit through another game where the Saints struggle to reach 150 yards of offense, somebody better check my blood pressure.
And while we’re at it, let’s stop acting like every defensive coordinator in the NFL has discovered some secret formula.
When your offensive line can’t block, the opposing defense doesn’t need a secret formula.
It just needs to show up.
The Defense Has an Opportunity
Here’s some good news.
Jameis Winston can be pressured.
And the Giants have had problems protecting him.
That’s an opportunity for our defensive front.
Cam Jordan and company need to make Jameis uncomfortable from the opening series.
Don’t let him settle in.
Don’t let him stand in the pocket all afternoon.
And for the love of everything black and gold, when somebody has the football in his hands, TACKLE HIM!
We’ve seen too many missed tackles, too many big plays, and too many drives where the defense seems to forget how to get off the field.
The Giants aren’t some unbeatable powerhouse.
They’re a team finding ways to win football games.
Something we used to know how to do.
And that’s what bothers me.
You look at these two teams, and I don’t believe the Saints are so lacking in talent that they should automatically lose.
But right now, New York is playing with confidence.
And New Orleans?
We’re playing like a team waiting for something bad to happen.
That has to change.
Will Heads Roll If We Lose?
Now let’s get to the question everybody’s thinking about.
If the Saints lose to the Giants on Sunday, does somebody lose his job?
Maybe.
But I wouldn’t bet my last cigar on it.
Kellen Moore is still trying to establish himself as the head coach of this football team. And firing coaches every time things go wrong isn’t exactly a recipe for building a winning organization.
But there has to be accountability.
And I’m not just talking about the head coach.
I’m talking about everybody.
The coordinators.
The position coaches.
The players.
The front office.
When a team starts 1–4, nobody gets to point fingers and pretend they’re innocent.
And here’s something else.
Losing to Jameis Winston wouldn’t automatically mean somebody deserves to be fired.
But losing to Jameis while looking as unprepared and confused as we did against Minnesota?
That’s a different conversation.
Because at some point, the question stops being whether this team has talent.
The question becomes whether the people running it know how to use that talent.
And if the Saints fall to 1–5, Mrs. Benson is going to have some difficult questions to ask.
She might not make changes immediately.
But I guarantee you the fans will be demanding answers.
And they should.
Tony’s Prediction: My Heart and My Head Are Fighting Again
All right, here comes the part where everybody gets to laugh at me.
I’ve picked the Saints to win the last two weeks.
And both times, they’ve made me look like a fool.
Against Atlanta, I believed the Domecoming anniversary would inspire them.
Wrong.
Against Minnesota, I believed honoring Drew Brees would light a fire under this team.
Wrong again.
Now we’re playing the Giants.
On the road.
Against our former quarterback.
And I’m supposed to make another prediction?
Good Lord.
My heart tells me the Saints are better than 1–4.
My head tells me they haven’t shown much evidence of that lately.
But there’s one thing I keep coming back to.
The Giants are beatable.
Jameis can make mistakes.
And this Saints team has enough talent to win a football game if the offensive line holds up and the defense actually tackles somebody.
So here goes.
Tony’s Prediction: Saints 20, Giants 17.
There.
I said it.
Again.
Maybe I’m stubborn.
Maybe I’m crazy.
Maybe thirty-plus years of Saints football have finally done permanent damage to my brain.
But I’m not picking Jameis Winston to beat my Saints.
Not yet.
And if they prove me wrong again?
Well, I might have to let somebody else make next week’s prediction.
Final Thoughts From the Westbank: The Time for Talking Is Over
I want to finish with something serious.
Gayle Benson is right to be disappointed.
The fans are right to be angry.
And Kellen Moore and his players have every right to believe they can turn this season around.
But belief doesn’t win football games.
Blocking does.
Tackling does.
Execution does.
And when you keep losing, somebody eventually has to answer for it.
I don’t want to see anybody lose his job.
I don’t enjoy watching coaches get fired or players get released.
I want to see this team WIN.
I want to see Tyler Shough develop into the quarterback we believe he can become.
I want to see Alvin Kamara have room to run.
I want to see Chris Olave making big catches.
I want to see Cam Jordan and this defense make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
And most of all, I want to watch a Saints game without wondering how they’re going to find a way to lose it.
Is that too much to ask?
Sunday, October 18. MetLife Stadium. Noon New Orleans time.
Saints versus Giants.
Jameis Winston versus his old team.
Gayle Benson watching.
Kellen Moore feeling the pressure.
And Tony from the Westbank sitting there with his cigar, hoping somebody finally gives him a reason to smile.
Because if we lose this one, the question won’t just be whether the season can be saved.
It’ll be whether somebody’s job can be saved.
Come on, Saints.
Don’t make me regret picking you again.
WHO DAT!
— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
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