NFL Tampa Bay Bucs vs. New Orleans Saints (4 Viewers)

[BlueSpruce]

Today I watched my Bucs win this game. At the beginning of the game, I was impressed with how the Saints defensive team managed to prevent the Bucs from scoring a touchdown 4 times in a row while the Bucs ball was one yard away from the end zone. The Saints then got posession of the ball and ironically their quarterback's pass was deflected off the fingertips of a Bucs defensive player and he ran the ball in to score the touchdown they had previously failed to get. The Saints never recovered after that interception, but they seem to have the toughest defense in the league. Now they only need a good offense to make it to the playoffs.

 

[NauticalGent]

Standby for a lesson on what "real" football is and how American ballers are wimps compared to their Rugby counterparts...

 

[The_Doc_Man]

As a native New Orleanian who remembers the first Saints game, we've gone through highs and lows.

One year, 2010, our defense had it together AND we still had Drew Brees as a quarterback. At least for that year, they did good. My wife and I were watching that Superbowl game live (Saints vs. Colts) when Tracey Porter intercepted Peyton Manning's pass and scampered down the sidelines, staying in bounds,for a pick-6. Now, wifey isn't that much of a football fan, but suddenly in our den, watching TV, I heard this voice like the crack of thunder, screaming "GO SAINTS GO!" It was so extreme that I cringed for a moment. But she was back to normal in the next moment.

The scene I remember from that game most fondly is the aftermath, when Drew Brees had his new baby son with him on the field after the game, with confetti and streamers filling the background of the shot. The little guy had a set of big headphones to protect his ears. Drew was holding his son, tears streaming down his face, talking about how proud he was to be able to demonstrate for his other kids the value of working towards a goal. He was (and still is) a class act.

But @BlueSpruce - you are right. The Saints have a decent defense. The local consensus is that while we surely could use some better offensive talent (and what team couldn't?), the real problem is in the offensive coaching staff.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Standby for a lesson on what "real" football is and how American ballers are wimps compared to their Rugby counterparts...

I know Rugby. I regularly watch the Kiwis and South Africa games on Sky, but I have been a long time Tampa Bay Bucs fan.

 

[NauticalGent]

Not knocking your post, but the rest of the world does not share our love of the "patty-cake" version of rugby. Given the diversity of this forum, expect a fwe digs...

Dont let that stop you, we need some excitement here

 

[BlueSpruce]

As a native New Orleanian who remembers the first Saints game, we've gone through highs and lows.

One year, 2010, our defense had it together AND we still had Drew Brees as a quarterback. At least for that year, they did good. My wife and I were watching that Superbowl game live (Saints vs. Colts) when Tracey Porter intercepted Peyton Manning's pass and scampered down the sidelines, staying in bounds,for a pick-6. Now, wifey isn't that much of a football fan, but suddenly in our den, watching TV, I heard this voice like the crack of thunder, screaming "GO SAINTS GO!" It was so extreme that I cringed for a moment. But she was back to normal in the next moment.

The scene I remember from that game most fondly is the aftermath, when Drew Brees had his new baby son with him on the field after the game, with confetti and streamers filling the background of the shot. The little guy had a set of big headphones to protect his ears. Drew was holding his son, tears streaming down his face, talking about how proud he was to be able to demonstrate for his other kids the value of working towards a goal. He was (and still is) a class act.

But @BlueSpruce - you are right. The Saints have a decent defense. The local consensus is that while we surely could use some better offensive talent (and what team couldn't?), the real problem is in the offensive coaching staff.

Yes, 2008 to 2011 were good years for the Saints. Drew Brees is certainly one of the GOAT quarterbacks.

Here's what GoogleAI has to say about Saints current offense and their coaching staff:

The main problems with the Saints' offensive coaching are
an inconsistent identity, inability to consistently finish drives, poor red zone performance, and a lack of explosive plays. Specifically, the offense struggles to convert in the red zone, generate big plays downfield, and execute effectively at the beginning of games, suggesting issues with play-calling, coordination, and preparation under new coach Kellen Moore.

 

[BlueSpruce]

Not knocking your post, but the rest of the world does not share our love of the "patty-cake" version of rugby. Given the diversity of this forum, expect a fwe digs...

Dont let that stop you, we need some excitement here

No worries, mate, I have long understood the Brit/Yankee stigma since we started throwing tea overboard in Boston harbor, all the way to our victory in the war of 1812

 

[NauticalGent]

victory in the war of 1812

Lol, at the risk of sounding like a history buff - insufferable know-it-all, our "victory" in 1812 was more of Britains way of saying "we made our point, lets pack it in."

 

[BlueSpruce]

Lol, at the risk of sounding like a history buff - insufferable know-it-all, our "victory" in 1812 was more of Britains way of saying "we made our point, lets pack it in."

History says otherwise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

Although the brits came close to destroying our nation's capitol building, a hurricane swept through and the brits retreated back to their damaged ships, bad karma. That plus our victory at New Orleans was the last straw for the brits and they retreated to never again invade the US.

 

[NauticalGent]

History is relative...

 

[AngelSpeaks]

History says otherwise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

Although the brits came close to destroying our nation's capitol building, a hurricane swept through and the brits retreated back to their damaged ships, bad karma. That plus our victory at New Orleans was the last straw for the brits and they retreated to never again invade the US.

You forgot The Beatles .

 

[BlueSpruce]

You forgot The Beatles .

I think Beattlemania did more damage to the US than the brits did in the colonial and 1812 wars combined.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

To be honest, I believe that a contributor to the Battle of New Orleans was that the British soldiers decided "these bloomin' idiots live in a place where the mosquitoes and alligators are the two most numerous local animals and the 'land' is mostly swamp. We can't possible win against people crazy enough to willingly live this way." They were therefore seriously demoralized. But heck, at least Johnny Horton gave us a neat song to commemorate the battle. Seriously, a large number of the British casualties were from mosquito-borne swamp diseases.

We showed our enemy that we could be gentlemen, though. When General Packenham was killed in battle, we preserved his body in a barrel of rum and returned him to England for burial. We sent him home in good spirits.