Tag: losses

Saints’ toughest offseason departure is a tie between two veterans

Andrus Peat and Michael Thomas are the biggest departures of the Saints’ free agents. Thomas was the better talent while Peat leaves a big void in the offensive line:

Deciding who was the toughest departure for the New Orleans Saints came down to Michael Thomas and Andrus Peat. Balancing talent, importance and availability led to these two veterans being tied at number one.

Fans have been calling for Peat’s departure for years, but now that he’s gone, it feels like a “be careful what you wish for” situation. Peat was serviceable at left tackle in 2023 after taking over for Trevor Penning.

The Saints drafted Taliese Fuaga in the first round to now man that position and sent Penning to right tackle. You can’t help but wonder if keeping Fuaga at his natural position and retaining Peat at left tackle wouldn’t have yielded better results. Penning’s performance will likely determine the answer to that.

The Saints also have uncertainty at left guard. With all of the uncertainty on the offensive line, Peat could have been a valuable asset.

The loss of Michael Thomas is tough to quantify. He’s barely played a season’s worth of games in totality over the last four years. He showed he could still be productive, even if it wasn’t to the degree we were once accustomed to.

Thomas elevates the floor and ceiling of the receiver room. This is Chris Olave’s room, but Thomas gives you another player you feel can takeover a game on occasion. Thomas is easily the greatest talent to walk away from the team in 2024, but his injuries lessen his stock. Peat may have been frustrating, but the offensive line in a state where he would have been useful.

The best talent versus arguably the player creating the biggest void ends in a tie. Michael Thomas and Andrus Peat share the distinction of being the toughest departures this offseason for the Saints.

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Ranking Saints’ toughest offseason departures: No. 2, Jameis Winston

Saints fans know the value of a backup quarterback, but to boil Jameis Winston’s impact down to that wouldn’t tell the whole story:

Jameis Winston may not have played a meaningful down for the New Orleans Saints had he stayed, but his departure for the Cleveland Browns is still heavily felt.

Winston was the Saints’ backup quarterback and one of the better backups in the NFL. He stepped in for Derek Carr on two occasions in 2023, but he didn’t start any games. Saints fans have enough familiarity with backup quarterbacks to know the value of the position.

Go look at how Winston’s backups performed in 2021 and how Teddy Bridgewater performed when filling in for Drew Brees. Drastically different products that yielded drastically different results.

Winston is replaced by Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler. A training camp battle between the two will decide who fills that role. It’s hard to feel as confident with two unproven players at backup instead of a former Pro Bowl quarterback.

Boiling Winston’s impact down to what he did on the field is inadequate. It’s not even his biggest contribution to the team. Winston’s role took a step back last season, but he continued to galvanize the team. Leading the charge to get Jamaal Williams a touchdown in the season finale is one of the best examples of this.

Winston has always had a strong personality. It endeared him to his teammates and the fans. Locker room vibes are highlighted with post-game parties, but they can have an impact on team morale. Winston was a player who kept the vibes and morale high. They’ll have to replace that as well in 2024.

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Notre Dame football: Most painful losses in recent memory

It’s not that each loss occurred but instead, how. The end result for all: pain.

If you’ve been a fan of Notre Dame football for the last couple of decades then heartbreak is something you’re used to.

Since winning their last national championship in 1988 there have been some extreme highs but none included hoisting the championship trophy at season’s end (although some could have).

There have been some heartbreaking losses since then. Some have costs chances at national championships, some have simply just ended in anguish and pain.

Which was the worst though?

After losing to Ohio State in truly incredible fashion we thought we’d take a look at some of the candidates and let you decide which one stings the worst.

Patrick Mahomes not worried about other top AFC teams losing in Week 1

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes told reporters his thoughts on the Week 1 losses of top teams in the AFC.

For a short time after the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, the sky was falling for some.

That is, until multiple top AFC teams lost their first games as well. Following Week 1, these teams were 0-1, among others: the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers.

All of those teams were expected to be 1-0 by most (or at least by sportsbooks setting betting lines) after Week 1. But with those top teams earning losses, maybe the pressure is off the Chiefs a little bit.

Or is it?

“Not really,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said during Wednesday’s press conference. “You never know what’s going to happen in this league. People lose every week. It’s parity, that’s what this NFL is about, and everybody can beat everybody. You have to come in with the mentality that you’re going to play your best football.

“I thought we lapsed in that this last week, and we were playing a good football team and they beat us. I don’t worry about those other teams around the league because you never know who’s going to be at the top at the end of the year whenever you are trying to find your seeding. You just try to go out there and be the best you can be and stack as many wins as possible.”

The NFL is unexpected, and Week 1 might be the most difficult week of the season to predict. Teams haven’t found their identities yet, many injuries have yet to occur, and several players haven’t had time to grow and break out.

So while the Chiefs, Bengals, and Bills — the consensus top three AFC teams prior to the season’s start — are all winless for now, don’t worry. Those three could easily be back on top by Week 18 (or even by Week 8).

Ranking Saints’ 15 offseason departures, from least to most significant

Ranking the New Orleans Saints’ 15 offseason departures on the roster and coaching staff, from least to most significant:

The New Orleans Saints have lost a lot this offseason — both in players and members of the coaching staff. Sure, they’ve made plenty of additions, but a ton of continuity has walked out the door the last two years. At the same time, change isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But this team still has holes to fill. Here’s our take on each of their offseason departures, ranked from least to most significant. The Saints have more work to do in building their roster so it can get where they want to go in 2023:

Broncos eyeing Saints assistant Declan Doyle for tight ends coach vacancy

CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that Sean Payton’s Broncos are eyeing Saints assistant Declan Doyle. Doyle recently repped the Saints at the Senior Bowl:

Another New Orleans Saints assistant coach could soon be on the move to join Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. Anderson reports that Payton’s Broncos are considering Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle for their tight ends coach vacancy. Doyle has been seen as an in-house candidate to replace Dan Roushar in that position for New Orleans, and he recently represented the Saints while coaching tight ends prospects at the Senior Bowl college all-star game.

He would be another tough loss for the Saints after assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief left for a promotion on Payton’s staff in Denver. Roushar is one of several former Payton assistants who are in consideration to join him with the Broncos, so there’s a very active siphoning of talent going on from New Orleans to Denver.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had previously said the Saints would block any lateral moves for departures, but promotions like Strief and Declan (if he is offered the job) would take the ball out of their court. They also won’t receive any compensation for these losses because only the hiring of minority candidates to head coach and general manager positions qualify for the NFL comp picks policy.

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Seahawks near bottom of Football Outsiders’ watchability ‘fun index’

After an offseason that saw many changes, the Seattle Seahawks now rank near the bottom of Football Outsider’s watchability “fun index.”

The Seattle Seahawks have undergone major changes this offseason, dealing their franchise quarterback to the Denver Broncos and releasing longtime defensive superstar Bobby Wagner, who promptly signed with the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

Seattle did have a successful NFL draft, but the rookie additions may not have an immediate impact this season.

All that being said, will the Seahawks be enjoyable for fans to watch this year?

Not according to Football Outsiders, who recently ranked all 32 clubs based on their “fun index.” The Seahawks scored a mere 3.5, landing them at No. 26 overall in the league.

“Watching the Seahawks will be like going out for beers to cheer up a recently separated pal,” writes Mike Tanier. “‘Uh-uh, he started drinking before I got here. Oh no, he’s straight-up asking a barmaid his daughter’s age out. Maybe we should go get some coffee, buddy? Please stop sobbing.”

“Drew Lock, in this metaphor, is the Tinder date who is just using the Seahawks for a free dinner.”

Well, none of this sounds particularly exciting, but this is only one man’s opinion.

Single-game tickets are now on sale, so you can find out the Seahawks’ fun factor for yourself.

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Chiefs’ all-time record against each opponent in 2022

The #Chiefs have a winning all-time record against their opponents in 2022. Find individual W-L records for each opponent here:

The Kansas City Chiefs have a winning all-time record against the opponents they’ll face during the 2022 NFL regular season.

During the illustrious history of the franchise, the Chiefs have won 359 games, lost 306 and tied five against their opponents next season. They have winning records against each of the three teams in their division and the one team that used to be in their division prior to the 2002 realignment.

How do the wins and losses break down for each individual opponent in 2022, though? Take a look down below to find Kansas City’s all-time record against each:

Ranking the most painful Georgia losses of the last 10 years

Ranking the most painful Georgia losses of the last ten years. This one will be hard to read.

Oh boy, this one’s going to be tough to read. It’s been 40 years of suffering for Georgia fans, but the last ten years in particular have been filled with heartbreak and gut-wrenching defeats.

And 90% of the time, Alabama’s to blame for that pain.

Here’s a very sad trip down memory of the lane of the five most painful Georgia losses over the last ten years.

For now, Pete Carroll won’t be making ‘wholesale changes’ with Seahawks

Staring at a 3-7 record on the year, for now, Pete Carroll won’t be making “wholesale changes” with the Seattle Seahawks.

After the Week 11 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Seahawks have slumped to a record of 3-7 on the year and dead last place in the NFC West. While the blame for the team’s recent failures should be spread around fairly, it’s not surprising coach Pete Carroll is willing to take the lion’s share himself.

Carroll was asked whether or not he might need to tweak his coaching style to right the ship this season.

“It’s a really good question because we have done things in a particular way with commitment, based on the philosophies and the approach of how we do things,” Carroll said Monday. “When things aren’t working out right, you have to be open to whatever you have to do. We have to do whatever we have to do and that’s competing to me. I’m not trying to stick to the script, I’m trying to do what’s right.”

The Seahawks still have a statistical shot of making the playoffs this year, although their chances are slim at best and Carroll isn’t going to overhaul Seattle’s entire philosophy for the second half of the season.

“We aren’t going to make wholesale changes at this time, but the subtle changes that we make to try and enhance our chances of doing better,” Carroll stated. “That’s what is at hand, and I am wide open to whatever.”

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