January 22, 2007

Running From Their Problems

Saints, Patriots pick bad time to forget football's most basic plays.

By John Miller

This Sunday’s losers, the Saints and Patriots, had one thing in common: no running game.

In my preview, I said the Saints should give Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, undoubtedly two of the best backs in football, around 40 combined carries if the rushing game was effective. Unfortunately, the Saints never ran it enough to find out if it would work. McAllister had six carries for 18 yards, and Bush had four for 19. Against Philadelphia the previous week, McAllister was outstanding. He made great cuts and pulverized anyone in his path, rushing for 143 yards on 21 carries. After reading Gene Wojciechowski’s outstanding piece featuring McAllister right before the Philadelphia game, I was convinced McAllister would steamroll his own grandmother to bring New Orleans a Super Bowl.

Instead of relying on the balanced attack that led the Saints to a league-high 391.5 yards per game, coach Sean Payton put too much pressure on the passing game. Granted, Drew Brees was arguably the NFL’s best quarterback this season, but throwing 49 passes compared to 12 runs was foolish against a defense as good as the Bears. Brees’ task was even more daunting considering the game was played on the grass equivalent of a Slip ‘N Slide.

Also, where were the numerous reverses the Saints ran all year?

Obviously, the Saints never led, and that was one reason they practically abandoned the run, but the game wasn’t out of reach until the fourth quarter. The Colts were down 21-3 in the second quarter but didn’t stop running. Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes both had 14 carries.

Actually, that makes the Patriots’ lack of a rushing attack even more dumbfounding. Unlike the Saints, the Pats had the clock on their side. More running plays would have helped a New England defense that was clearly exhausted in the fourth quarter, and it would have given the Colts’ explosive offense less time to come back.

The Pats’ running game was mostly ineffective, except for Corey Dillon’s 35-yarder on fourth and one and a few Kevin Faulk draws. But rushing usually gets easier as the game goes on, not harder. When you’re playing the worst run defense in football and you’ve got an 18-point lead, you have to run the ball at least half the time.

Although Payton and Bill Belichick are intelligent guys, they outsmarted themselves this weekend. Sure, Belichick might shove a camera into my eye socket for writing that, but I think even he knows I’m right.