The New Orleans Saints are learning that not every first-time head coach has the moxie of Sean Payton as they struggle through an 0-3 start under Kellen Moore. What stuck out as much as the scoreboard in the 44-13 lopsided loss to the Seattle Seahawks was a lack of discernable anger, or any emotion from the players.
That wouldn’t have been a silent sideline in Seattle under Payton. Not that Moore should be attempting to emulate him, but the team looks like it could use some fire that starts at the top.
Much was said about the addition of an offensive young mind in Moore, and that Xs and Os ability certainly matters. But think of someone like Dan Campbell. He has his finger on the pulse of his team and frankly, is the heartbeat. He got the Detroit Lions to believe in themselves when no one else did.
That’s what Moore needs to learn. He might also take a page from Campbell’s book of aggression on fourth downs rather than kick meaningless field goals that felt like dress rehearsal for some practice reps.
There is plenty to discuss about what the Saints lack on the field. They aren’t a promising roster of young talent that just needed the right mind to employ it. New Orleans is amidst a rebuild that requires the bottom of the pyramid first.
What is the culture of the Saints? It’s hard to point to one that’s existed since the Payton and Drew Brees era. It was clear that under Dennis Allen, the team was lacking discipline and heart. Alvin Kamara plainly called out the lack of attention to detail in practice with players jumping offsides and the like.
The team under Allen didn’t seem to have any fight. They didn’t have any answers to what it takes to win on the field under interim coach Darren Rizzi, but the team had some bite to them.
Things reverted to an emotionless sideline that Moore didn’t seem to try and reverse throughout the loss last Sunday. When a team has fight, they start with the little things they can control.
There’s been an alarming number of procedural penalties that New Orleans has committed among their 31 total accepted penalties that are tied for a league worst. It’s one thing to go back and break down film where you got beat by a scheme. It’s another to watch an offense march themselves backwards.
They need discipline as much as they need energy to find a spark. Moore is responsible for that. First, he needs to find himself as a head coach. It’s not all his fault that the Saints are 0-3. But his response to last weekend, and how that translates – or not – through the demeanor of his team, will tell a lot about whether they’re staring at 0-17.