Saints Kellen Moore can't coach scared vs 49ers if they expect to win

During his WWL interview, HC Kellen Moore was asked to shed light on his decision not to use the three timeouts at the end of the half vs Cardinals.

"It was a difficult decision as you go through that. We felt like us getting the ball in the 2nd half, they still had all three timeouts, so they could have flipped that thing around a little bit," said Moore.

Was that worry?

If so it explains why Moore sought to control the outcome by conceding.

It's a strategic maneuver that simultaneously reeks of concern for the opposing team rather than forcing them to weather our storm.

Understandable, first game jitters.

However, fortune favors the bold, and it would be wise for Moore to coach with that in mind moving forward.

Does anyone remember how Ron Rivera got his nickname Riverboat Ron? He stopped being conservative and started being as aggressive as analytics would allow.

Moore needs to tap into the same energy he embodied last year when the Eagles came into the dome and had the gall to go it on 4th down three times.

Channel his inner Riverboat Ron

Take the handcuffs off the offense, let Rattler use his legs, and call 4-6 shot plays for him to attack downfield, unconcerned with if he hits them or not.

Just send a message that the 49ers will have to defend every blade of grass, all game.

Big time players make big time plays

And big-time throws need big time catches. Juwan Johnson is good, but he ain't big time.

Saints need a big-time possession receiver.

Kamara's still Madison Square Garden as a runner, and Kendre Miller is showing up as a high quality #2, but there needs to be a complimentary chain-mover to AK that can make tight window catches while Rattler learns.

Most teams pair a young QB with a quality pass catcher, either a savvy and trusted veteran or a young highly drafted stud.

And for the most part New Orleans tried.

They first attempted to sign Cooper Kupp, then were kept on hold by Keenan Allen. During the draft there was real interest in Isaac Tesla and Tet McMillan too, but the Panthers took McMillan one spot ahead of them at #8, and the Lions did the same and traded up for Tesla at #70

Shortly after learning of Allen's return to the Chargers, they settled on trading for Devaughn Vele and claiming Trey Palmer, but ultimately the Saint's ended up with a room full of speed threats and Juwan Johnson.

That's not enough and for now, the other two are unknowns with potential!

Vele obviously has the wingspan to be an effective possession receiver. During the game he caught one of his two targets and drew a PI on the other.

Palmer on the other hand is intriguing as he offers the speed of the top 3 guys paired with an ability to play above the rim in contested catch situations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0qwFfiYQl8

Getting both up to speed and increasing their opportunities needs to happen sooner than later.

Saints almost complete comeback but fall short, lose to Cardinals 20-13

Is there a such thing as a satisfying loss?

Cam Jordan looked youthful in Brandon Staley's defense adding 1.5 sacks and upping his career total to 123.

Alvin Kamara still has premium gas in the tank, averaging 4.1 ypc and scoring the Saints 1000th TD from scrimmage

Demario Davis tied for the team lead in tackles with 9 and looks well on pace to continue his decade long stretch of 100 + tackle seasons.

The old heads showed up, but so did the youth of the team with 13 penalties for 89 yards on the day. The penalties were so much of an issue that you probably forgot that we ran the tush push and converted, didn't you?

The Saints margin for error is slim, and they can't afford the sloppiness.

Spence Rattler, the biggest question mark during the off-season looked competent vs the Cardinals defense and nearly outdueled his similarly sized counterpart Kyler Murray. Rattler was 27-46 for 208 yards and had a big boy throw up the seam to Juwan Johnson that should have been caught for a TD

That play underscores one of the bigger issues with the offense, Saints don't have a go to guy at receiver.

The receivers as a unit accounted for 17 catches on 39 targets for 126 yards. Seems like a good haul until you realize Michael Thomas once had a game where he had 16 catches on 17 targets for 180 yards.

If you're going to deploy an undersized group of receivers at least lean into their strengths.

Moore refused to call plays that attacked down the field, so the Cardinals sat on routes and delivered multiple big hits. Chris Olave was the recipient of a shot from Will Johnson that gave a flash back of Reggie Bush getting decapitated by Lito Shepherd in 06.

As much as I ranted about the defense giving up some plays post-game, the Saints were 1 of 11 teams to hold their opponent to 20 points or less, and they're the only team who lost.

The offense must be better.

However, the team as a whole showed signs of competitiveness that weren't always visible under Dennis Allen and appear to be headed in the right direction under Kellen Moore.

Starting RT Taliese Fuaga left the game with a knee tweak.