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Thought I'd bring this out in the open. ScottyRo made a very good post in another thread and I'd just like some of you to clear something up for me...

What can any of you say, with some certainty, that you learned from the 1st preseason game that will carry over into the regular season?

Let me hear it. Give me some good answers to this question and maybe I'll jump on the preseason bandwagon. It appears I'm looking at the preseason wrong...

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Not quite the answer I was looking for Gatorman. Come on, give it a try.

Don\'t tell me we need to improve. I know that!!

What did you learn from the 1st preseason game? Give me some good answers. Show me the light???

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I learned that our defense still appears to need improvement. I also learned that we seem to tackle a bit better. I realize tho that we didn\'t scheme for \'em at all and based on the lack of any real game plan via either team there\'s just not much that can be said...definitively; however, that having been said, we DID have problems with the run and we DID have problems with the pass. It\'s a bit too early to asses just exactly WHY we had those problems, but we did have some problems. Then again so did the Jets. So did the Falcons. So did the Bill Parcells led Cowboys. Still, it\'s a practice game, like Tweek...er...Danno mentioned earlier.

The thing I find MOST interesting is all the hubub surrounding our defense all of a sudden. Why, just last year folks were doing everything within the realm of decency (and otherwise) to accuse Brooks of being the \"Great Satan\" and thus responsible for all our woes. NOW, and FINALLY, it seems there are folks willing to look at the REAL source of the problem, which is now as it was last year, our defense! I continue to be amazed! :P

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J.T. has clearly surpassed Bouman in everything in the last 2 years .

Bouman was resigned to a contract extension and J.T. is still the 3rd stringer .

What have we learned .......

Hasbeen is totally clueless when it comes to the quarterback position ...... ;)

Bulger in St. Louis
Delhomme in Carolina

Show me another team that has had it\'s 3rd and 4th string quarterbacks lead another team to the play offs while the original team struggles in the cellar ...... ;)

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Yeah, I definately think Whodat is guilty! :P In fact he\'s probably guilty of lots of things, but I\'d be speculatin\'. LOL

Honestly people, this is ONE (the first) pre-season game. I think we\'re all a bit disappointed with the way the team didn\'t do so well against the run or the pass, but let\'s not overreact. Gatorman, you could be right and the Saints could be lookin\' straight up at another 8-8 season. On the other hand, this team could come together and win 10 games. Either way the first game of the pre-season can\'t be looked upon as an indication either way.

Let\'s try this: Parcells\' Cowboys got shutout 18-0. Anybody wanna weigh in with their thoughts on how the Cowboys might do this year?

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That\'s all I\'m sayin\'. Can we get another? Anyone else see it like this?

Where are the realist?

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Not sure that I learned anything definitive, though I now have some indications of certain things, such as everyone has mentioned (tackling improvements, line seems a bit more solid, Young is the real deal, etc.)

Not sure I agree that we didn\'t game plan for the Jets (especially considering the team is getting off tonight to watch GB, seems like prep and pre-planning to me and I gotta believe they watched tape on the Jets for the same reason) - but no way to prove that and anyway, how much of a game plan can you run in one half?

This game isn\'t end-all, be-all, but I kinda believe that if we had blown out the Jets (I mean, really tore their heads off) these posts regarding the importance of one pre-season (practice, exhibition, what-have-you, etc.) game would have a seriously different flavor, I suspect.

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I read somewhere, and I can\'t remember where (gettin older my the minute) that Haz was gonna gameplan for ONE of the pre-season games but that the team wouldn\'t give up which one. I\'m no expert, which many will agree, but it\'s faily obvious there was no \"gameplan\" for the Jets.

...and you\'re right Gator, you didn\'t just announce your 8-8 prediction after the Jets Game. You don\'t see improvement. I\'m hip man. I didn\'t see much either. I can assure you I was at least as frustrated as you were. I listened to the game on the internet and watched it on the NFL Network twice. I\'ll admit I felt a little better after actually watching the game, but not much.

That having been said, I\'m gonna hold judgement on these guys for a few more weeks. Afterall, some teams don\'t get their stuff together until they\'ve played a bit. This is still a young team (and no, Whodat, it\'s not an excuse).

[Edited on 16/8/2004 by saintfan]

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FF --

I agree that if we had dominated the Jets we would have had some folks proclaiming greatness for the team.

But-- I would NOT have been one of \'em. I know better.

I do use the preseason to evaluate some things. Like: tackling, execution, dropped passes, and penalties.

As the preseason goes on, I\'ll form some more opinions. Whether they be right or wrong. As I\'m sure many other will.

But, I do understand it COULD be misleading. I\'ve seen QB\'s look like probowlers in the preseason and suck in the regular season. And vice-versa!!

I\'ve seen TEAMS execute poorly in the preseason and come out of the gate like gang-busters in the regular season.

I\'ve seen team play the regular season just like they did the preseason.

It\'s just too unpreditable for me to put too much stock in it.

Looks too much like \"fools gold\" to me. Can\'t be buying any fools gold.

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Gettin older , losing your memory and your hand eye coordination is in the toilet too .... :P

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Gator --

The TREND in Saintsville has been to start the regular season like we were Super Bowl bound.

Last year was the first year we sucked at the beginning or the season.

Since Haslett has been the coach, we haven\'t looked good in the preseason. Not that I can remember anyway.

I understand we played poorly last year in preseason and we played the same way when the regular season started. Still doesn\'t mean a whole lot though.

That being said, I don\'t want them to do that again this year in preseason. It\'s discouraging, I\'ll admit.

Time will tell. I\'ve actually been pretty hard on this team this offseason. Even to the point where I was told I was becoming a \"moonshiner.\"

Sometimes ya just can win for losing. ;)

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i learned that our d looked pretty much the same as last year/ some surprising differences were the way the team acted. they acted more into the game. played with more enthusiam. this is something we should have all notice- no more bs penalties. god every year it seems we would start each drive with a penalty before the snap. more discipline. was nice to see. i\'d like to see how our run d plays this week. if it sucks again im going to be worried. but after watching some other teams we actually played a little better then them. the redskins cant sem to move the ball on offense although this latest game was better then their first. n people r picking them for the playoffs. atlanta looked horrible. carolina looked ok but that was against the redskins. so we will see

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Only one thing: No Saints player of significance sustained a season ending injury during the first preseason game.

Nothing more can be gleaned.

SFIAH

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Good answer SFIAH, I think that is the most important.