How Parking Problem Suggests Saints Have Bigger Problems | Saints

This week, a notice was sent to New Orleans Saints players about an issue at the team facility. Too many of them parked in the wrong place.

The players were supposed to park in the larger, fenced parking lot at the side of the facility, but many of them had been using the front parking lot for some time, which was supposed to be available to the public – such as season ticket holders, sponsors, media and contractors.

What started as a trickle of players parking in the public parking lot had expanded into a flood. At times, parking options were so limited that some players parked in the four disabled spaces in front of the parking lot.

Last week things finally reached a breaking point. Hence the memo.

That it took a decree from above to finally solve the problem after years of neglect tells you everything you need to know about the Saints.

I know what you're thinking: What do the Saints' parking habits have to do with their play on the field?

My answer: Everything.

It reflects much larger issues that have plagued the team for years, such as responsibility, discipline and attention to detail. In my opinion that's why it's 2-6.

The old saying applies here: “How you do something is how you do everything.”

The little things add up to big things. That's why when asked what the Saints needed to do to end their losing streak, Alvin Kamara cited attention to detail as the team's top priority.

“These little details are what win and lose games in the NFL,” he said. “If you don’t do these little details well, it becomes very noticeable and the results are deserved.”

Right now the little things are killing the saints. They manifest themselves on the field in different ways.

The timing of a quarterback's pass to a receiver is just a hair off and incomplete.

A lineman's technique is sloppy at the point of attack, resulting in a waiting call that negates a good run.

A defensive back's poor fundamentals result in a missed tackle in the open field, leading to another big play.

A defensive lineman is freelancing and loses control of an opposing ball carrier outside.

It's not one thing or one player. If it were that simple, the problem would be easy to fix. Instead, it is a different player on a different play at a different time in a different game.

The problem has become so pervasive during the team's six-game losing streak that head coach Dennis Allen addressed the need to focus on details in a team meeting this week.

“As coaches, we need to be more granular in what we teach, how we want guys to do things, and hold guys accountable for doing (the) little things right,” Allen said. “Then it’s up to the players to focus on those details and be able to execute on those details.”

If this were a new problem for the Saints, it wouldn't be so concerning. But the same systemic issues were a problem last season. I wrote about her.

Off the field, the Saints' study habits and attention to detail in meetings were inconsistent.

On the field, the Saints were what Bill Parcells used to call them this teamthe one who couldn't get out of his own way, who regularly beat himself in big games.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis alluded to these “cultural” issues in his 2023 postseason press conference in January.

“Sometimes we don’t do the things we need to do to win, and that’s on me,” Loomis said. “I have to make sure our guys hold themselves to a standard… and I think I've probably neglected that a little bit over the last few years… We've gotten a little too comfortable over the last few years, and that's why I want it uncomfortable make.”

Right now, with the Saints in the midst of their longest losing streak in decades, it's difficult to see much improvement from last year. If anything, the Saints are worse.

This is where the absence of generational leaders like Payton and Drew Brees hurts the Saints the most. For a decade and a half, they were the building's standard-bearers. Her tireless drive and commitment to excellence sets the tone for everyone in the company.

One of Payton's favorite sayings was and is: “Everything counts.” He firmly believed that the way you do something is how you do it. He continues to lead his teams according to this guiding philosophy.

Sometimes his insane obsession made working for and with him a nightmare. He emphasized things like the size of the Christmas tree in the lobby or the color of the rally towels handed out at home games.

But in the end, Payton's diligent attention to detail and ability to hold everyone accountable to those high standards paved the way for the most successful run in franchise history.

“If something bothers him, he's not going to keep it to himself or say, 'I don't want to hurt the guy's feelings,'” Lions coach Dan Campbell — a former Saints assistant — once told me about Payton. “He will get it out there and we will clear the air.

“And believe it or not, that in itself is a big deal because there are a lot of coaches in this league who wouldn’t do that. They're just afraid of it. It takes a lot of courage, man. They're afraid to talk to the defensive tackle who was a little late to a meeting or someone who just isn't making an effort at practice. Sean won't let this go. And that’s another reason why we won here.”

Since Payton left town, those larger themes — attention to detail, discipline, accountability — have gradually disappeared from Airline Drive. It didn't happen overnight, but year after year, little by little, things went wrong. It's human nature to slack off when the drill sergeant isn't there or the substitute teacher takes over.

So who is to blame here? Everyone to some extent. The players need to be better professionals and the coaches, led by Allen, need to hold them more accountable for their actions. But ultimately it starts at the top. This is an organizational matter, much larger than that of an individual player or coach.

In my opinion, this is why the team has struggled to overcome the crisis in recent years, despite bringing in a new starting quarterback and replacing most of the offensive and defensive coaching staffs.

The Saints still have players and coaches in the building doing the right thing and maintaining those high standards. But in a league where the talent differences between teams are marginal, everyone needs to be at the top with the same vigor and focus.

More than anything, this lack of attention to detail and lack of accountability has prevented the Allen-led Saints from replicating the success of the post-Payton Brees era.

That's why they're a 2-6 team with parking issues.