[MTK]

Originally Posted by WillH

Ok. I honestly feel as pessimistic as everyone else, but I've been thinking about some contributing factors to this absolute embarrassment of a game. Not that coaching, execution, discipline, and effort and quite possibly talent aren't emphatically the biggest factors at hand, but there are other factors that are worth considering perhaps.

First, most obviously, it was Brees' night. Everyone in that stadium knew that.

Yes the Redskins knew that, and if you're a team with a good culture that should not have had a significant impact. I honestly can't tell if it did, but I can't imagine it not especially how things played out.

I'm not saying this was a home job. Even if I can point to several calls that seemed questionable, I could say that about any game really. That said, some of the calls suggested to me that their focus on what type of penalties they were looking for may at least have been subconsciously swayed.

The fans knew it; that crowd was a factor from the beginning. They weren't just loud, but they were emotional. This team, that city, and Brees have a special relationship.

The Saints knew it. They were all playing as one for a significant moment that meant more than just a record. In a league where there is not a significant gap in talent, special moments can tip the scales.

Brees knew it. This man is one of the few greatest QBs of his generation and somewhere on the list all time. He was not just playing for the record. He was playing for his team and his city. When a player like Brees is inspired their level of play is elevated beyond their typical excellence. It didn't matter who he was playing, this was going to be a big night for him.

I'm not excusing anyone, the team fell apart, Alex looked terrible, and Jay is on thin ice, but this was a much more difficult task than I really appreciated going into the game. It is possible that this is a really bad growing pain game exacerbated by a collision course with circumstance. Right now it feels like the wheels are coming off. This team needs to get themselves right real quick. Jonathan Allen is encouraging. The next couple weeks will tell us, but Jay Grudens job will depend on it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Aka they ran into a buzz saw