For the third-straight season, the New Orleans Saints were eliminated from the playoffs via a walk-off score by the opposing team. As emotional as the Saints previous two postseason exits were, this 26-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings likely came with a different type of disappointment for the Saints organization, and the New Orleans Saints coaching needed to be better.
This team was picked by many to reach the Super Bowl, even after they fell short of clinching a first-round bye in the playoffs. The 2019 Saints getting eliminated from the tournament in the Wild Card Round at home is nothing short of wasted potential.
While there were undoubtedly some poor individual performances on the field, it’s time to question the Saints coaching in playoff action. This team has grown in talent over the last three seasons, and yet it keeps getting eliminated in the same manner.
Sean Payton has taken the Saints franchise to previously unfathomable heights during his tenure as head coach, but something has to change in the preparation and game-management of postseason games.
New Orleans Saints Coaching Staff Needs to Be Better in Playoffs
Sluggish Offensive Starts
A Saints offense that averaged 40 points per game in its final four regular season games scored just three points on its first three drives in their Wild Card game. The Wil Lutz field goal on the Saints first drive was largely made possible by a fumble recovery by safety Vonn Bell, which set New Orleans up at the Vikings 37-yard line. The offense made it down to the Vikings four-yard line, but Drew Brees was sacked on third and goal.
The Saints offense also had trouble getting started two years ago against Minnesota in the Divisional Round. In that game, New Orleans was shut out in the first half due to two Brees interceptions and a missed field goal. On this occasion, New Orleans managed to enter halftime with 10 points on the board. But points were left on the field thanks to nearly identical setbacks: a Brees interception and a missed field goal.
The Saints start in last year’s NFC Championship game wasn’t much better. While they scored 13 points on the Los Angeles Rams in the first quarter, they failed to score a touchdown after a Demario Davis interception set the Saints offense up at the Rams 16- yard line. The offense was also unable to add any points to their lead in the second quarter as the Saints defense held Los Angeles to 10 first half points.
Offense Underperforming When it Matters Most
In general, the Saints offense has been sub-par in its last three postseason appearances. New Orleans started the 2017 postseason with an impressive 31-point performance in a win over the Carolina Panthers, but in the four playoff games since then (three at home), the Saints haven’t scored more than 24 points.
To their credit, New Orleans executed an impressive 10-point comeback on Sunday and a 17-points comeback against the Vikings in 2017. However, the Saints offense is the strength of the team and it should not consistently sputter early on in games.
This unit has had great talent in each of the last three postseason appearances. The fact that the offense is unable to be more productive in the most important games falls on the Saints coaching staff.
Ugly Endings
Everyone has seen the Minneapolis Miracle along with the hit last year on then-Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis that should have generated a pass interference penalty. The Vikings game-winning touchdown from Sunday will now be how this game is remembered. But like the Saints last two playoff exits, there’s more to the story.
New Orleans had a great opportunity to score a touchdown in the closing minutes of regulation. The offense took over down three points with 1:55 left and one timeout. They made it to the Vikings 26-yard line with 33 seconds remaining, but then made a series of critical mistakes.
Instead of calling the timeout after a 14-yard catch by Jared Cook, the Saints opted to spike the ball and wasted 12 seconds while getting set. To make matters worse, Alvin Kamara was penalized for a false start, which pushed the Saints back five yards and took 10 seconds off the clock. New Orleans could have saved those 10 seconds by using their timeout then. Lutz kicked the game-tying field goal after one more offensive play.
The situation was similar in the 2017 playoffs. New Orleans made it to the Vikings 24-yard line with 33 seconds left in regulation and were attempting to burn more clock before kicking a potential game-winning field goal. They faced a third and one on the next play and picking up a first down would have forced the Vikings to use all of their timeouts. However, a Kamara handoff was stopped for a loss, giving Minnesota just enough time to respond with the miracle play.
While the missed call against the Rams last season would have all but handed the Saints a win, they couldn’t have managed the remainder of that game much worse. Los Angeles responded with a game-tying field goal on the ensuing drive which sent the game into overtime. New Orleans got the ball first in overtime, but Brees threw an interception four plays into the extra period. The Rams then only needed to gain 15 yards for the game-winning field goal.
There’s no particular player or unit to blame for most of these late-game blunders. The Saints have simply been unable to make a play on either side of the ball when the season has been on the line. The reason for this is unclear, but it’s up to the coaching staff to end this trend.
Looking Ahead
New Orleans benefited from a series of coaching changes a few years ago. From 2015-2016, the organization let go of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, longtime assistants Joe Vitt and Bill Johnson, and special teams coach Greg McMahon. The Saints should evaluate their current coaching staff again this off-season for any weak links that might be holding the team back.
The solution is probably more complex than that though. The Saints coaching staff has proven numerous times over the last three years that they can out-duel the league’s best teams. However, the Saints have put forth questionable offensive game plans to start each of their last four playoff games.
At this point, it would be worth re-evaluating their early game offensive strategies in the postseason. Additionally, something needs to change in the way critical, late-game defensive situations are handled.
This loss will significantly reset expectations for the Saints next season after the team entered the last two seasons as popular Super Bowl picks. While they should still be playoff contenders, fans and media alike will be hesitant to invest in this team.
The narrative around the Saints in January used to be that they couldn’t win on the road in the postseason. Now, after exiting the postseason at home two years in a row, there’s little incentive for anyone to bet on the Saints to reach the Super Bowl.
The organization’s brain trust has aggressively retooled their roster over the last few off-seasons. But the New Orleans Saints coaching must be better in future postseasons. Now it’s time for them to evaluate themselves and figure out how to capitalize on an elite roster.
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