After getting their second win of the season, the Saints came into week 4 to face off against a familiar coach. The Vikings and Coach CEO haven’t had the most success so far this season, however, Coach Burn wasn’t taking this team lighty. The game plan was to contain Dalvin Cook and make Kurt Cousin throw the football. The game plan went well in theory, however, right off the bat the interceptions from Winston reared their ugly head. The interceptions piled on throughout the game, as Winston and Coach Burn had no answer for the Vikings pass rush and secondary. The catalyst for all of this was when superstar tackle Ramczyk went out with an injury.
The combined might of Smith and Hunter on the edges resulted in Winston getting either sacked or pressured on every throw. They also clogged up the running lanes as Kamara had nowhere to run. Smith and Hunter had two sacks a piece, with 4 different players in the Vikings secondary grabbing interceptions. The Vikings offense was contained well, with Cook being held under 100 yards rushing, and Cousins being held under 250 yards passing. All of this didn’t matter because they didn’t have to put up spectacular statistics with the way their defense was playing.
The Vikings rolled all the way, and the game ended with a final score of 32-14. Winston ended the game with 5 interceptions thrown and under 150 yards passing, while Kamara only ran for 79 yards. This isn’t the way that Coach Burn wants to run his offense, however, it’s clear that something has to be done about this Saints offensive line. If they continue to block the way they do with Winstons inability to run, then it will be a long season. Coach Burn promised some adjustments going into their next game versus the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks roster leaves a lot to be desired, however, their coach is one of the best in the Premier Madden League. Coach Burn came into the came with a gameplan to throw the ball against a defensive line and secondary that should award the Saints some mismatches. The Saints offensive line should be able to handle anything that the Seahwks can throw at them. Just like the previous game, this game plan should have worked in theory, however, it failed miserably. The Seahawks came out with extensive pressure on Winston and company, while their secondary matched the receivers step for step, due to their blazing speed.
Winston was under duress all game, which includes the right side, a spot that should have had no issue with superstar right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. He was beaten multiple times which led to two one on one sacks from right end Mofe. We don’t want to take anything away from Mofe but in no world should he be beating a superstar tackle given their obvious ability differences. This was just the tip of the iceberg as the Seahawks sacked Winston five times on the day. The pressures led to sacks and interceptions. This combined with the efficient offensive play by Coach Z led to a 31-13 win for the Seahawks.
The offensive line has been a struggle point all season and it’s starting to mess with Winston’s head. He is feeling the pressure and making inaccurate throws, or bad reads which lead to interceptions. This combined with the fact that Kamara only was given 13 attempts rushing is hurting the Saints offense. Kamara could be seen on the sidelines visibly upset with his opportunities. Coach Burn assured him that he is still a focal point of the offense and promised to include him in the game plan next week versus the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals have been playing great this season, riding the coattails of their superstar running back Mixon. Coach Burn installed a game plan that involved stopping the inside run, while running the ball inside on the offensive side of the ball. He wanted to keep his promise, getting Kamara the football anyway he could. It seems to be a pattern in all of these games as the game plan was good in theory however, circumstances in this game forced the game plan to go haywire.
The Bengals moved down the field quick and easily, taking the lead. They did exactly what coach Burn gameplaned for, however, the Saints defense couldn’t get a blockshed or make a tackle. On offense, Kamara was the focal point starting off and the Saints were getting into a rhythm, until a gang tackle on Kamara, stripped him of the football. The Bengals would easily score on that ensuing possession. On the next Saints possession, the game plan was still, Kamara, however on first offensive play after the previous fumble, Kamara fumbled for a second time. The two fumbles changed the game as Winston was forced to pass and his inaccuracies showed. He wasn’t sacked but he was pressured and ended up throwing 4 interceptions.
The Bengals did whatever they wanted on offense, which led to a final score of 49-21. The offensive line played better than the last two games, however, Winston is still feeling the pressure. The Saints offense has to retool and rework their gameplans. This team is built to win now with a lot of veterans on this team. They shouldn’t be getting blown out in games like this.
The past three games have shown that the Saints are not a top team in the league at the moment and their 2-1 start was just an effect of playing struggling teams within their division. Coach Burn will have to take a hard look in the mirror and come up with a way to turn things around quickly. This team isn’t getting any younger, and next season they will be hindered by the fact that they have no cap space and no first round pick. Coach Burn could be heard in the locker room, talking about what the team can get in the trade market. We also heard rumblings of a potential trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. We will see what transpires here, however, up next the Saints face off against the Arizona Cardinals.
