After a 2-5 start, New Orleans is on the verge of calling it quits for the season. Despite being in arguably the worst division in football, they can salvage the season by winning the division, but let’s take a look at why this team can’t close games.
NO. 1 LIABILITY: OC/COACHING
Pete Carmichael has struggled with play-calling. He has no idea when to run and no idea when or how to scheme the passing game. In the second half, he played ”not to lose” against Cincinnati, and what did they do? Lose. The biggest issue is that he’s juggling peak Alvin Kamara, the best running back in football. He begins drives with AK on the sideline, on top of sidelining AK in the red zone… on top of sidelining AK on third down… It makes no sense.
Ingram and Taysom should not be taking as many touches away from AK as they are, in any case. This season, AK has surpassed 105 scrimmage yards in three consecutive games, averaging more than 4.5 YPC. Again, this is while he is sharing touches and snaps with a couple of other guys.
Despite having a QB room full of players with vastly different intangibles, Pete has stated that the playbook is essentially the same regardless of who is at QB (??). The offensive numbers have improved over the last month, but the turnovers remain, drives stall on second-and-long runs that go nowhere, and, most importantly, this team settles for field goals far too often. It’s the same story… every… week…
No. 2 LIABILITY: SECONDARY
Nowadays, this secondary gives up big plays for fun. In the name of depth, the front office made the mistake of releasing BOTH Marcus Williams and Ceedy Deuce. That depth is no longer present.
Lattimore injured his abdomen while attempting to make a play for someone else, Adebo. Adebo has missed games in addition to being average when he does play. Tyrann Mathieu is a shell of himself who consistently misses tackles. Roby has been decent, but he still gets beaten at inopportune times.
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NEWS NOW: The Maple Leafs’ coach has revealed three key players.
Particularly when it comes to specific players who haven’t quite found their footing on the team this season. When the calendar turns to a new year, it’s a great time for everyone to regroup and refocus on what’s ahead. As 2024 begins, here are three players who need a fresh start and must turn things around for the Maple Leafs in the new year.
This is most likely the most obvious. Ilya Samsonov, who was recently placed on waivers, is at the top of the list of players who need a fresh start and to find their footing in 2.
The biggest question for Samsonov since the start of the season has been whether he can repeat his performance from last season. Instead, he has struggled to string together any sort of consistent winning streaks and has struggled to make even the most basic of saves. His positioning, timing, and awareness are not NHL-caliber, costing the Maple Leafs games and points in the standings. It’s taken a long time, but some time in the American Hockey League could help him regain his former form.
Samsonov has the second lowest save percentage (.862) and goals against average (3.94) among goalies who have played at least 15 games this season. In all situations involving goalies who have played 400 minutes, he has the third worst goals saved above average at -15.40, and his high danger save percentage of.745 ranks him 59th. He fared much better in those areas and overall in key statistical categories last season.
The big question is what went wrong with Samsonov. Was he influenced by arbitration? Was losing the starting spot to Joseph Woll the last straw? It’s fantastic that he’ll be able to get the help he needs to regain his form. Hopefully, he finds it because he has previously proven to be a difference maker in goal.
Tyler Bertuzzi appears to be struggling offensively. Given how he was brought in to be a factor in the top-six, he’s having difficulty finding consistency with the Maple Leafs. He has only six goals and 14 points in 34 games with the team and is on pace for 33 points this season.
Not exactly the type of output you’d expect from someone who has averaged 40-50 points per game throughout his career and scored 10 points in seven postseason games for the Boston Bruins. He was brought in at the start of the season to provide that edge and intensity while also serving as a strong secondary scorer. While he hasn’t been as consistent and has faced some criticism, it’s not all that bad given how important he is when the Maple Leafs have the puck.
Bertuzzi does not require a reset in terms of overall play. However, he may fare better in terms of point production. He’s doing everything right offensively, getting his chances and looks while also contributing down low and along the boards. It’s just a matter of not getting bounces on a consistent basis. Despite not producing this season, he has the best Corsi for percentage (55.05), expected goals for percentage (60.51), scoring chances for percentage (60.00), and high danger chances for percentage (63.46) on the team when he’s on the ice at five-on-five with a minimum of 200 minutes played.
Hopefully, in 2024, the bounces start going his way more frequently. If it does, keep an eye on him because he has been a valuable addition to the second line.
T.J. Brodie’s importance on the back end has grown as the Maple Leafs’ defense has been below-average in their own zone. Given his ability to break up plays and provide a solid defensive game, he has struggled this season.
Brodie has a history of pinching at the wrong time, being late to tie up players, and missing assignments. Given what we’ve seen in the past, this isn’t the same Brodie we’ve seen in terms of being a consistent, two-way player. He’s in the final year of his contract, with a $5 million cap hit. You have to wonder if the Maple Leafs will look elsewhere for a replacement who can eat minutes, play a similar style, and keep up with the pace.
His performance in 33 games has been a roller coaster. He’s allowed 31 goals against at five-on-five, seven more than he did last season (38) and has already surpassed his high danger goals against total of 17 (16 last season). It’s obvious, but his defensive game needs to be more consistent in 2024.
