What the hell was that saints DB doing?! Just catch diggs in the air inbounds and time runs out

I wonder if NOLA fans were wanting #43 to be the lone guy lining across the Vikings when they did the useless kneel down at the end of regulation.

ApachePilot said:

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What the hell was that saints DB doing?! Just catch diggs in the air inbounds and time runs out

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From the endzone angle he was pulling up to not get a PI...why he didnt do that and stand up is a mystery though

I thought he was going for a body block tackle, but after the game Jimmy Johnson said that coaches preach NO P.I. on a game ending play and it looks like that's what he was doing by avoiding the hit on the receiver. No matter what the coach said, it was still an awful play.

Coverage scheme looks like the biggest problem here. How do you let the Vikings #1 or #2 receiver get one on one coverage at that point in the game? You've got a DB engaging with some receiver on about the 45 yard line; why? A catch and run out of bounds at the 45 is a win for the defense--that guy should be double covering Diggs, he has plenty of time to break back and charge the guy farther upfield if he decides to stay in bounds.

William is going for a clean tackle and hoping to corral him in bounds or break up the pass--Diggs has plenty of time to step out of bounds and set up a game winning field goal if he doesn't dive for him.

As it turned out, he obviously would have been better off letting him catch the ball and hoping the kicker misses, but he couldn't know that in the moment. Rookie safety never should have been left on an island, at any rate.

Not only did he miss the tackle, he also took out another Saints db who could have run the guy down.

The defense was set up so he couldn't get out of bounds

Defensive call wasn't the problem. Williams blew it

BMX Bandit said:

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The defense was set up so he couldn't get out of bounds

Defensive call wasn't the problem. Williams blew it

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That's a stupid plan. They never should have let Diggs get to the 35 yard line, and even if Williams makes a good play, he probably still catches the ball and gets out of bounds (or Williams just interferes with him)--either way, the Vikings have a field goal try they can make (a better outcome that what happened, obviously, but still not all that good).

They should have lined up all their defenders around the 40 and had the safety just tackle anybody who runs past the 45 or so--who cares about a defensive PI call there? The best the Vikings would have had is a Hail Mary pass into the end zone.

tackling someone at the 45 yard line? you are kidding, right?

The Vikings had a TO left correct? Even if he tackled him the Vikings would've had a make-able FG for the win with 4 seconds left.

Looking back they only rushed Keenam with 4 DL... Should've blitzed or dropped a couple of more guys into coverage.

BMX Bandit said:

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tackling someone at the 45 yard line? you are kidding, right?

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No, of course I'm not kidding. If they just knock Diggs down there, it draws a flag and the Vikings can throw a Hail Mary or try a 62 yard kick (which Forbath can't make). There wouldn't be enough time left for another play.

PooDoo said:

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The Vikings had a TO left correct?

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No, they were out of timeouts.

Then they really screwed the pooch with that call.

Twitter is pretty good today

Sorry but this play should never happen. Everyone should be deep. DB lost his mind. You are the deepest guy. You do not let anyone past you. If I was a saints fan I'd be sick.

The section of Saints fans at the :24 mark. Ouch.

ApachePilot said:

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Sorry but this play should never happen. Everyone should be deep. DB lost his mind. You are the deepest guy. You do not let anyone past you. If I was a saints fan I'd be sick.

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Not really. I thought this too until I realized the situation.

If that's how they defend this play then the Vikes simply make a completion underneath and get out of bounds for a FG attempt to win it. They couldn't just drop everyone back because of the FG possibility.

They played it perfectly up until he didn't tackle the guy.

He also managed to take out the other DB!

Ag_07 said:

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ApachePilot said:

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Sorry but this play should never happen. Everyone should be deep. DB lost his mind. You are the deepest guy. You do not let anyone past you. If I was a saints fan I'd be sick.

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Not really. I thought this too until I realized the situation.

If that's how they defend this play then the Vikes simply make a completion underneath and get out of bounds for a FG attempt to win it. They couldn't just drop everyone back because of the FG possibility.

They played it perfectly up until he didn't tackle the guy.

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Again, the Saints absolutely should not have set up one on one coverage on the Vikings best receiver in that situation. There is no justification in the world for having the free safety cover Diggs there.

Once they allow Diggs to get to the 35 yard line with a catchable ball, they have already failed. Safety tries to make a game ending play there, but they never should have allowed him to get to that part of the field. Jam him at the line, hold him if you have no better option. Can't let your season come down to a one on one tackle in space--that was a crap play call.