Thoughts on where we've been and where we need to go.

Watching the game made me realize we are repeating some of the same exact mistakes we made last year.

1) We aren't keeping contain on the QB. This looked like and EXACT copy of the opening game last year against the Falcons where the ends (Jordan and Galette last year and Jordan and Kikaha this year) tried to be heroes and make plays by themselves instead of working as a team.

They either rushed outside and tried to do an inside move giving Palmer HUGE space to run to the sideline to extend plays (and no DB can cover that long that often), or they rushed inside an couldn't get off the block to get back outside giving Palmer HUGE space to run to the sideline to extend the play.

STOP TRYING TO GET THE SACK YOURSELF AND STAY IN YOUR frickING RUSH LANES. Palmer actually looked pedestrian when we kept him in the pocket.

This also eliminated the push up the middle, taking Hicks completely out of the game.

2) We are looking for the deep ball first almost every play, and when we aren't it's usually a screen. That lets the defense play the deep ball first and when Brees starts reading down the receivers are already stopped and the defenders already running back up to them. How many plays did we see where Brees waited 3-4 seconds and then took the short route but the defender was on top of the receiver?

This is the same exact issue Brees had last year, only he doesn't have Graham to chuck it up to in double or triple coverage (which is a good thing imo once we actually fix the read progression).

3) Payton should quit calling plays. He looked bad in 2013, last year, and is starting off bad this year. Against lesser teams we are getting away with the bad play calling but against teams with more legit defenses or secondaries it's killing us. Let Carmichael do it. He did well enough in 2009 when he took over and again in 2012. I think he even called plays in the great 2011 season.

In particular Payton calls too many screens when he sees one or two work, he tries to force plays to certain guys with certain play calls, we way too often go pass on first and run on second (do we think teams have not caught on to this?), and we refuse to run the ball in short yardage.

New issues I saw:

1) We should not play zone. We got scorched on the first two drives playing way too much zone. When we went to predominantly man defense we played much better. Looks like we already recognized the issue and are fixing it.

2) We lack speed on offense. We looked for the deep ball way too often with only one deep threat. When Spiller comes back it will help spread the defense horizontally and somewhat vertically, but we really need to bring Joe back to help take the top off. Just Cooks is not going to cut it. We had Stills last year who could do it but he's gone.

3) We need to teach better technique to the DBs. Browner I get because that's his game, but these young DBs should not be copying his style.

And the good:

Ingram and Robinson can both be legit pass catchers. Add in Spiller and you have 3 backs that could be in any down.

The line looks miles better. The run blocking was spotty but we were too predictable with our calls and it looked like they knew run or pass every play. Pass blocking was miles better. Brees had all day on most of the snaps but was reading the progressions wrong (you have to adjust at some point).

Anthony and Kikaha are going to be super legit. Get one more LB and we will have a very good corp.

Jordan played well minus trying to force things too much and getting out of his lanes letting Palmer escape.

Snead NEEDS to get way more snaps. 18 (14 on routes) is not enough.

Kicker looks good so far. May be legit.