Ouch … Local fans experience agony of defeats

New Orleans Saints:

Quarterback: Against one of the league’s worst passing defense, Drew Brees threw four interceptions – two of which were returned for touchdowns. Sure, Drew got a ton of yards in garbage time against a prevent defense, but Brees is now the NFL’s leader in interceptions. Mr. Madden is smiling somewhere in California.

GRADE: D-

Halfbacks: Chris Ivory only had 48 yards after a big week last week. But the Saints abandoned the running game too early, despite falling into a first quarter hole.

GRADE: C+

Receivers: An explosive offense that is usually lights-out, the Saints didn’t hit a single pass for 30 or more yards. But that had more to do with the Saints’ offensive line than the team’s receivers who did about all they could in the game.

GRADE: B+

Offensive line: The Saints couldn’t run the football, nor pick up the Browns’ blitzes to get the passing game going. The Saints’ offense is 100 percent predicated on timing and if they can’t block, they can’t win. Period.

GRADE: F

Defensive line: The Browns would have had only about 60 yards rushing if not for a 60-yard fake punt, so the defensive line played pretty well.

GRADE: B

Linebackers: The Saints’ leading tackler among linebackers was Marvin Mitchell with three tackles. If your linebackers aren’t making tackles, then who is?

GRADE: D

Defensive backs: Colt McCoy is a good looking young quarterback, but he couldn’t find much of a rhythm against the Saints’ secondary, no matter how injury depleted they are.

GRADE: B+

Special Teams: From the long trick punt return to the long fake punt, the Saints’ special teams failed time and time again Sunday and gave the Browns life.

GRADE: F

Coaching Staff: It’s sort of funny how simple the story for the Saints’ success is. When they run the football well, they win. When they don’t, they lose. It’s really and truly that simple. But with that said, the Saints fell behind 10 points early on and totally abandoned the run, despite the team’s inability to protect Drew Brees. The Browns’ staff and all their trick plays, too, truly outclassed Sean Payton in this one.

GRADE: F

OVERALL GRADE: When you’re the defending Super Bowl champions and you’re playing a 1-5 football team in your home stadium, you should win and win big. There’s no other way around it.

TEAM GRADE: D

LSU Tigers:

Quarterbacks: When the only passing touchdown you have is from a halfback, that’s a problem, especially when your opponent is No. 11 in the Southeastern Conference in pass defense.

GRADE: D-

Halfbacks: Likewise, when your halfbacks have just as many passing yards as they do rushing yards, that’s a problem, too. Sure, Jordan Jefferson rushed for 70 yards, but last time I checked, he was a quarterback – if that’s what they call it these days, anyway.

GRADE: C-

Wide Receivers: When the football was thrown on target (a truly rare occasion), LSU’s receivers couldn’t bring it in. With struggling quarterbacks, you cannot have six drops in a game. Three of those drops came on third down to end drives and one deflected into the defense’s hands for an interception. That’s inexcusable.

GRADE: D

Offensive line: Had they blocked Nick Fairley, they’d have had a different game. But, they didn’t, and LSU suffered because of it.

GRADE: C

Defensive line: Auburn rushed for more than 400 yards. Most of those 400 came without the quarterback or halfback even being touched until they were 10 yards down the field. This is an easy one, here.

GRADE: F

Linebackers: LSU had three separate plays where they missed four or more tackles. Add it up, that’s 12 missed tackles in just three plays. That’s not even counting the other 60+ snaps Auburn took. LSU was in the right position almost all game long. They just couldn’t fight off blocks and couldn’t tackle.

GRADE: D-

Secondary: Cameron Newton cannot throw the football. At least not against LSU, anyway. Good effort from these guys.

GRADE: B+

Special Teams: These guys were LSU’s saving grace all game. The Tigers downed one punt after another inside Auburn’s 5-yard-line, which ultimately prevented the game from being a slaughter.

GRADE: A+

Coaching Staff: On offense, the playbook was stagnant minus the trick play for a touchdown. On defense, the game plan was OK, the guys just didn’t tackle. One can blame the coaching staff for a lot of things, but tackling is just something players have to do on their own.

GRADE: C+

OVERALL GRADE: Ultimately, what was supposed to happen did happen. LSU lost by seven when they were six-point underdogs. But it’s how the Tigers lost that has everyone baffled. A team known for their tackling all season long, LSU’s defense made Auburn’s players look like they had Vaseline on their jerseys all game long. I truly think that playing McNeese one week before Auburn did LSU in. The speed of the game was a total 180, and it was evident from the get-go that LSU just wasn’t ready.

TEAM GRADE: D

Nicholls Colonels:

Quarterbacks: True freshman Landry Klann looked really sharp in the second half spelling a struggling LaQuintin Caston, who watered down the group’s grade significantly with three costly turnovers.

GRADE: C-

Halfbacks: Jesse Turner was a workhorse behind the Colonels’ struggling offensive line. Getting 90 yards with that kind of blocking is a plus.

GRADE: B

Wide Receivers: Nine Nicholls players caught passes, but the leader of the group was Turner, who had five catches for 84 yards. The Colonels’ receivers could be better at stretching the field. They’ll get there in time.

GRADE: C

Offensive line: For the second time this season, this group allowed 10 or more sacks in a game. That’s just unheard of levels of atrociousness.

GRADE: F

Defensive line: Central Arkansas couldn’t find a whole lot on the ground Saturday. The Colonels’ d-line has held strong the past few weeks.

GRADE: A-

Linebackers: Likewise, the Nicholls’ backers had a solid performance to keep Central Arkansas off balance throughout the game.

GRADE: B

Defensive backs: Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick is a very, very good quarterback, but he didn’t even get 200 yards against the Colonels, who sometimes struggle in the secondary. That was a good effort for that brutally young group.

GRADE: B+

Special Teams: Nicholls’ coverage units did well, and the Colonels’ hit a big return. Not a bad night for the Nicholls’ special teams.

GRADE: B

Coaching Staff: Let’s be real here: Nicholls outplayed Central Arkansas. They truly did. They outgained them in every single statistical facet of the game. But the Colonels just couldn’t score points because of self-inflicted wounds. The coaches can’t coach experience and Nicholls just has none right now. Give it time.

GRADE: B

OVERALL GRADE: The moral of the story is that a team cannot turn the football over three times and allow its quarterback to be sacked 10 times and expect to win. Nicholls cost itself points and ultimately a win in this one just because they can’t seem to block or protect the football. But honestly, for a mostly freshman and sophomore team, those are correctable errors.

TEAM GRADE: C