re: Grade CSP for this year

If this is the grading scale, and it's not on a curve (No single coach in the NFL was better than A (93-96 range)...

A+: 97-100
A: 93-96
A-: 90-92
B+: 87-89
B: 83-86
B-: 80-82
C+: 77-79
C: 73-76
C-: 70-72
D+: 67-69
D: 65-66
F: Below 65

I'd give Payton an A- this year and I was the "nice professor" and rounded up his 89.5 to a 90.
He dealt with the most ridiculous bad luck in terms of significant injuries and bad luck with COVID and came out with a winning record and an epic Rams collapse from a playoff berth.
He had this team at 5-2 (the 2 losses to the 2 worst teams on our schedule to that point) prior to the Jameis injury. Yes the circumstances going into Carolina were tough, but we got smoked by what very obviously was a horrid team.
Those 2 losses were obviously very significant in the end, as just beating them and starting 7-0 would have made for an 11-6 record and the #5 seed going to LAR for wild card round. We lost to those teams, which is 5-6 points off the grade and the difference between the A- and an A.
In my mind, he lost another two to three points by trying to force the square peg (Taysom) into the round hole (a 90% Brees-style offensive gameplan). Had he really embraced letting Taysom play to his strength and helped Taysom's passing by making him a legit threat to run every play (a la Lamar Jackson being able to make easy completions against primarily zone defenses because they can't risk turning their backs to LJ when they turn and run with receivers.) If Payton employs that strategy from the get-go, we likely beat Dallas for another win and another way to get into the playoffs. That's potentially 3 more wins total with better coaching/game-planning, and getting just one of them results in a playoff berth.

All that said, we have a fantastic coach who regularly has us "in the thick of it" and who has no "clear" superior in this league -- even Belichick! For a long time I think we all thought he was head-and-shoulders, but just like Brady having the most super bowls doesn't alone make him a GOAT, Belichick having all of his doesn't either. They did it together and obviously Tom had a larger hand in it than I'd like to admit (my dream scenario last year was that Tom and the Bucs would FLOP, and that the Saints would beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl... cest la vie...)

The "Butterfly effect" is an interesting thought when reviewing the 2021 season (and 2020 even if we wanted to go back that far in relation to CGM's injured ankle and how much that neutered last year's team...).
Had Mike Thomas gone and had his ankle surgery in March like the team wanted, perhaps he )and his insanely special ability to get open and keep the chains moving and making this offense so incredibly effiecient) changes the course of our season and we are facing a playoff bye as the 1 seed in the NFC. Perhaps he makes it back on the field by week 4, when we blew an 11-point 4th quarter lead to the NYG at home and instead a more effiecient offense closes things out with a win. Perhaps he makes it back on the field by week 8--that week that Jameis tore his ACL. Perhaps Jameis doesn't need run as much to move the chains and is able to play the full season without tearing his knee. Perhaps being on the field at that point and moving forward, he is able to make Trequan and Callaway high-level #2/3 WRs (I think they both have high-level #2 potential, and NOT having the attention on them that they did this year would alone made for a much more efficient offense. If CGM is back for any of the games in the 5-game losing streak, I feel very strongly we probably win 4-5 of those games... Even with Ian Book at quarterback in week 16 I think we have a much better shot of winning the Miami game.

Had CGM been available as early as week 4 and certainly by week 8, I think we are either the 1 or 2 seed, NFC South Champs FIVE TIMES STRAIGHT, and on a list of contenders that no other team in the league is listed above us on--meaning we are at least as good as the best and potentially should be viewed as the prohibitive favorites...

What an insanely frustrating "Butterfly Effect" that is to think about indeed...


Sean gets an A-, barely. I expect another A/A- coaching job next year with a healthier, less UNLUCKY, team and a division title and legit Super Bowl run!

WHODAT!

A.

He took an anemic offense and 4 diff QBs and still came out 1 game shy of the playoffs. Impressive.

ETA: Defense was stellar

A

Arguably his best coaching season of his career

He’s at his best when he has to be.

He was on cruise control for many seasons with a HOF QB

Wait, what?? You give Payton an A? Hell has truly frozen over.

coach of the year.

with all the bullsit he's had to deal with

Coach of the year.

Not sure if you payed any attention or not, but Jameis got hurt, then Siemian got hurt, and Taysom was hurt for a bit. We had to start a 4th string rookie 4th round pick in a game due to injuries and covid. Now explain how that is on Sean Payton...

SP- B, great coaches don’t loose to sheets teams and it cost us.

Allen -A

quote:

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What say you?

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Likely Payton's biggest achievement that will get no discussion is keeping the Michael Thomas discussion to zilch.

It's like MT13 has has just been sweeped under the rug for the time being. CSP has managed to keep a lid even with all that went on in the off season that could have been a much bigger deal.