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saintswhodi 06-01-2005 12:27 PM

Out of sheer boredom, game by game breakdown 2005
 
Hopefully this well get some discussion going.

Game 1, Carolina: Loss. Only cause the Panthers won't be beat up and injured, and improved greatly through the draft and FA. Plus we knocked them out of the playoffs last year, so revenge will be on their minds. This is also the team I feel will win the division.

Game 2, NY Giants: Win. Eli, although I wish you well, behind that line you will still struggle. And your only decent receiver is Burress, Toomer is done. Shockey will prob get hurt tripping on his way out the locker room. The Giants defense is okay. but I see the Saints winning this one at home.

Game 3, Minnesota: Loss. Addition by subtraction was their motto, and their defense was improved across the board. They also got a speedy receiver in the draft, and already had a decent one in Burleson. The size of their receivers will give our corners problems again, and Culpepper is a beast. They beat us pretty good with Randy playing half a game last year in our house, I can't see us beating them with an improved defense.

Game 4, Buffalo: Toss up. Pretty much hinges on Losman cause their defense is a bear. If Losman makes some errors, we can win this game. But if they decide to pound our suspect run defense with McGahee, limiting Losman's impact, could be a loss. Lee Evans is a deep threat and Moulds is consistent in what he does. For arguments sake, let's call it a loss for now.

Game 5, Green Bay: Win. Too many off-season losses on Green Bay's side of the ball, and hopefully the weather won't be a huge factor in October. Plus Javon Walker is holding out, and who knows how long it will be before that situation is resolved. Our offense should look dominating against their defense.

Game 6, Atlanta: Loss. Got better on D simply by adding Hartwell. Lavalais has had a year to grow, as well as DeAngelo Hall. We have some young guys on D, and Vick might fake them into some mistakes. If we can run the ball effectively, we could pull an upset. But for now, this has to be marked as a loss.

Game 7, St. Louis: Win. We beat them last year, we'll beat them again. Their offensive line is, at best, suspect. And their defense is not looking too pretty either. We should win this one easily, provided our secondary doesn't let Torry Holt run free all day.

Game 8, Miami: Win. Miami has a great defense, but still suspect O. They have a star in TB Ronnie Brown, but he is a rookie. Their receivers are so bad they are thinking about bringing David Boston back, their O-line is bad, their DT situation is far from settled, new coach. I think this all adds up to another win for us.

Game 9, Chicago: Win. Another rookie RB, so-so defense, young QB who has been injury prone with no decent back-up, we're at home. Should take this one.

Game 10, New England: Loss. Nuff said.

Game 11, NY Jets: Loss. Weather will be a factor. Curtis Martin can pound the ball. The Jets have a very fast, active defense as well. They may sign Ty Law also. Herm Edwards is a better coach than Haslett. All equate to a loss.

Game 12, Tampa Bay: Win. I don;t see Tampa being a factor for two or three more years. We SHOULD beat them both times in this season. We allknow how that goes. But I am picking us for a win.

Game 13, Atlanta: Win. We have to pull one out against them, might as well be this one. Several factors could play here, our defense gelling late again, Vick being hurt, bring above .500 on the horizon, potential for playoffs, whatever the factors, we win this game.

Game 14, Carolina: Loss. I think they sweep us this year. Just a very good team as it stands right now, and should be competing for the NFC crown, barring injuries. Shelton should be taking over for Davis as the RB if he hasn't already, and he is more of a bruiser. Carolina's main weakness is in the receivers, but if they can run without fear of being stopped, it doesn't matter.

Game 15, Detroit: Win. Even with their shiny new offense, defense is still young and suspect, as well as Harrington. And I have little faith in Garcia even if he does play. And will Rogers even be healthy at this point? They have, on paper, a team that can score buckets of points, but at this point in the season, I think injuries will be a factor on their team, and to key players.

Game 16, Tampa Bay: Win. See above.

9-7, just missing the playoffs. But a couple of games, especially the Buffalo one so early in the season, could turn for us. Or, we could split with Tampa or get swept by Atlanta, so it could be worse. But 9-7 I think is a strong possibility, barring the unforeseen.

4saintspirit 06-01-2005 12:46 PM

Game 1 - Going out on a limb here but -- Saints build on last year's momentum and leave Carolina with a win and a lot of excited hopeful Saints fans


Game 2 -- I know Peyton and Eli you're no Peyton Manning (at least not yet) Saints fans dream of superbowl after a lopsided victory versus the Giants

Game 3 - Minn -- even thugh vastly improved Moss isn't there to torment us -- Saints continue to roll and fool the fans

Game 4 - Buff -- Wow -- Saints intercept New Orleans Loseman 4 times and Bourbon street goes wild

Game 5 - Packers -- Saints over confident and Favre finds his touch back -- Saints fans swear this is an aberration

Game 6 - Atlanta -- Hated Atlanta makes the fans realize that the real Saints are back when Vick finds a way to beat us

Game 7 -- Saints fans back on cloiud 9 as Rams cannot keep up

Game 8 - Brooks blows and Miami comes away with the win --

Game 9 - Bears -- Saints fans have reason to drink as Bears team is easy fodder --- Brooks has great game

Game 10 - Patriots --- Saints fans expect little get less ---Nuff said

Game 11 - Jets -- Saints depressed after rout by Pats -- cannot get it up for the Jets -- Cold weather gives them the fumbles Jets give them the finger

Game 12 - Bucs -- Back on track --- Cadillac runs wild but defense can't stop Deuce either -- Saints win on last minute FG

Game 13 -- Falcons --- Brooks still can't beat his cousin -- Saints fans boo

Game 14 --- Panthers get revenge late in season --- Saints fans dreams of NFC South championship turns to praying for a winning season

Game 15 -- Horn guarantess win -- Saints guaranteed a winning season beating the Lions

Game 16 -- Benson boogie is back -- Saints in playoffs after stomping on Tampa to go 10-6 and earn the last wildcard spot --

Tobias-Reiper 06-01-2005 01:01 PM

Whodi,

Can't argue much with you here... maybe the Falcons and Chicago games.
I was going to say Miami, but that's a home game.. if it were in FL I would've said toss up..

..the Falcons for obvious reasons, the Bears because of coaching and because of injuries to their defense the past couple of years...

.. all in all, I say 8-8 or 9-7... any better than that will be welcomed, of course :)

saintswhodi 06-01-2005 02:15 PM

TR, I attempted to not be overly pessimistic and give us some games cause of our Jeckyll and Hyde nature. I can agree with you on the Chi and ATL games, as those could very well be losses, but I gave us the benefit of the doubt. It's up to the team to pull it off. I think we will know early on what we are dealing with as a team. Carolina is an excellent barometer right out the gate, as I expect them to be among the NFC elite. I can predict 9-7 or better, but due to coaching I expect 8-8 or worse. But 9-7 is a winning record, so I am gonna go with prediction instead of expectation for now.

Danno 06-01-2005 02:57 PM

Pretty good read whodi, I only come up one games difference...

If we likely split the division, then here's how I see it, ignoring the "any given sunday" cliches since they work both ways....

NFC South - 3 wins, 3 losses
AFC East - 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 toss up
NFC North - 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 toss up
NFC 2nd's - 2 wins

9 should win's
5 should lose's
2 toss ups

W- NY GIANTS
W- AT ST. LOUIS
W- MIAMI
W- CHICAGO
W- DETROIT
L- AT NEW ENGLAND
L- AT MINNESOTA
T- BUFFALO
T- AT GREEN BAY
T- AT NEW YORK JETS

If we split the toss ups I get 10-6.

4saintspirit 06-01-2005 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintswhodi
TR, I attempted to not be overly pessimistic and give us some games cause of our Jeckyll and Hyde nature. I can agree with you on the Chi and ATL games, as those could very well be losses, but I gave us the benefit of the doubt. It's up to the team to pull it off. I think we will know early on what we are dealing with as a team. Carolina is an excellent barometer right out the gate, as I expect them to be among the NFC elite. I can predict 9-7 or better, but due to coaching I expect 8-8 or worse. But 9-7 is a winning record, so I am gonna go with prediction instead of expectation for now.

I know I am overly optimistic but I still think 10-6 is totally achieveable -- I do agree with you that the first game against Carolina is going to be the big test -- at least it will test our offense -- Still see the Panthers as an okay offense, able to put up points but not one that is feared -- It will be a good judge on whether our offensive line is as good as advertised and the overall direction of our offense. If the line blocks and Deuce can run the ball and Mr Brooks plays decently I think we have a real chance to win. All in all I think we have better talent than the Panthers or the Falcons -- just not the coaching and consistency

saintswhodi 06-01-2005 03:10 PM

Yup, 10-6 is achievable, and would prob give us a playoff spot. That being said, I think coaching will keep us from getting there. But there are also a couple of games in there that are toss ups like Danno said, so we end up on the right side of those and we could be looking pretty. But this si also the team that lost to winless AZ and winless TB in back to back weeks last year, and if we had won one of those we woulda been in the playoffs, so I am a little leery. Hoping for at least a winning record though. At least.

lynwood 06-01-2005 03:19 PM

Tampa-2 wins we always play them hard
Carolina-2-I think we can sweep them this year. The whole Jake thing means another level of play.
Atlanta- we will split. We've played them close in past years.

That's 5 wins for the division.

NYG-Win-Eli still learning the hard way.
STL- win team on decline and weak offensive line. Martz will blow up.
CHI-win I forsee injuries on that team.Grossman is coming off injury and mushin is old. Bensen is new to nfl so expect a sprain.
DET- Loss This years Chargers-by that i mean surprise team.
GB- Loss - old man goes out in style and is playing us in Lambeau
MIN- Loss-winable but Dante is a competitor
NE- Loss- you know why.
NYJ - Win-Their loss alowed us to not make the playoffs. revenge is sweet.
BUF- win-I don't know much about this team but it's a home game so advantage us.
MIA- Win - with or without ricky

So that's 11 wins if i counted correctly. i'll take a +/- 1

That's being really optimistic. This is a very make or break year for very many reasons. Pressure is on from top down so maybe. Our preseason games have been a good indicator on how our season will be, so i'll update this after those games.

WhoDat 06-01-2005 03:42 PM

Game 1 - Toss up. They started scorching hot for two years and then cold as ice for two years. Seeing as how we're not playing Seattle we have a chance to win this one. I think Carolina is a slightly above average team that is overhyped b/c they have some lovable players. If the Saints run D plays as well as it did in the last 4 of '04, Saints walk with this one. If it's business as usual, this will be a dog-fight with Carolina likely racking up 200 yards on the ground and getting the win.

Game 2 - Win. Giant O-line is going to have a hell of a time with our DEs. Add in a hopefully opportunistic secondary in McKenzie and Smith, stir in a young pressured QB - our defense could score twice. The Saints should win this in a rout.

Game 3 - Win. Yeah, I said win. Minnesota is essentially the Saints on a two year delay. They'll start slow - too many changes on both sides of the ball. I see their defense constantly being out of position. This will be a high-scorer, as the Saints will have a hard time stopping their running backs, but without Moss, forget it. Burlesson v. McKenzie. I'll take that every day of the week. Again, everything depends on our DTs and LBs being able to at least contain the run, so as to keep the defense from being off-balance.

Game 4 - Loss. The Saints don't do well when defenses hit them hard in the mouth. Buffalo's D will do that. Plus, McGahee will be unstoppable, and Lossman is better than many give him credit for. I think Buffalo plays up, the Saints, as is their habit when starting hot under Haslett, have a letdown game about week 4 or 5, and they lose this one. Typical inconsistency.

Game 5 - Loss. Forget it. The Saints strength this season should be running up the gut, in between the tackles. GB has been pretty huge up front for a while. Deuce will be a non-factor and Brooks will try to show-up his mentor, will have 2 INTs. Still, he'll put up yards, but our WRs won't play well b/c the GB corners are physical and that whole team hits.... hard. On D, we simply won't stop Ahman, and Favre combined with their WRs will be too much. Saints in a slump.

Game 6 - Loss. A must have for the Saints turns into a broken remote for Whodat, as the dirt birds play spoilers as usual. Falcons throw for only 127 yards, but Vick and Dunn tear the Saints up for 254 yards on the ground. Crumpler accounts for 97 of the Falcons 127 yards passing. Saints can't get anything going in their new "simplified" offense for the third week in a row. Falcons win 17-9.

Game 7 - Win. What is it about St Louis that brings the best out of the Saints. As usual, the Saints play great the week after they need the big win. Holt is out with a hamstring tear from the week before, yet Martz still decides to throw 55 times despite Jackson and Faulk rushing for 64 yards on 8 carries in the first half. Saints d-line destroys Bulger, and the offense rolls over the Rams defense. Saints by a lot.

Game 8 - Loss. Of course, what else do you expect? Saints are looking at two terrible teams in Miami and Chicago and then the bye. They could be sitting pretty, but as usual, blow something. The Saints are by far the better team, but Miami manages to win just as AZ beat the Saints last year - though this one is a lot closer than the 34-10 beating we got at the hands of Emmit Smith.

Game 9 - Win. Saints play average ball, still look sloppy. But it's the Bears we're talking about here. Saints win.

Game 10 - Loss... barely. The Saints come back off of the bye and surprise everyone by playing great against the Patties. The Saints are up with 2:34 left and looking for an amazing upset... Tom Brady strikes back and everything is right with the world once again.

Game 11 - Win. The Jets continue to be the Jets. Pennington is injury prone, Curtis Martin shows his age, the defense is real tough, but gives up the big play. The Saints win a stunner 24-13.

Game 12 - Win. Tampa is talking about cutting two OTs and some key defensive players. They're not getting better this year. They'll be just what they were last year - a pesky team that is real dangerous. But we have a way with the Bucs. Deuce rushes for 187 and the Saints win a hard-fought battle.

Game 13 - Loss. Monday Night Football. Saints would be 6-6 or 7-5 and in a prime position to make a playoff push. They're playing the Falcons. What other outcome could there possibly be.

Game 14 - Win. Saints have to key the fans on the roller coaster. Carolina is beat up once again, and struggling despite a lot of hype early in the season. Saints give them the big f you for the second year in a row late in the season.

Game 15 - Loss. The Saints and Detroit are fighting for playoff spots. The Saints have 1 playoff win in 38 years. Detroit has 1 in the last 47. Both teams are desperate, highly talented, and need this year to be the year. Detroit is better coached and far more explosive on both sides of the ball. In a game where both teams look like studs at times, and the bungles at others, this may well turn into a who wants to lose more type game. As such, the Saints are the winners of the losers contest. :)

Game 16 - Win. Playoffs may still be possible. TB is beaten and broken. Saints don't lose to them in week 17.


That gives us 8 wins. 7 loses. 1 Toss up. Sounds about right to me. :)

LordOfEntropy 06-01-2005 04:16 PM

Since everyone's sticking out their necks with predictions.....

0/1 Carolina - Loss
1/1 Giants - Win
1/2 Minny - Loss: bigtime blowout (Daunte sets more records)
2/2 Buffalo - Win: Saints surprise everyone
3/2 Green Bay - Win: another suprise, start getting excited
3/3 Atlanta - Loss: Saints totally flat, not quite a complete blowout
3/4 St. Louis - Loss: Saints look totally flat again, excitement gone
4/4 Miami - Win
5/4 Chicago - Win
5/5 New England - Loss (kinda hopeless, isn't it?)
5/6 New York (a) - Loss
6/6 Tampa - Win
6/7 Atlanta - Loss: one of our player's leg broken (who's that ATL coach?)
7/7 Carolina - Win: Saints suprise everyone yet again with a shocker
7/8 Detroit - Loss: Detroit applies the spank to our playoff hopes
8/8 Tampa - Win: finally, a sweep for the Saints

Missed the wildcard by a mere game...... we blame Detroit this time.

Tobias-Reiper 06-01-2005 05:27 PM

.. I'll tell you.. right out of the gate @ Carolina is one of those games that can set the tone for your season for a myrad of reasons...

.. first, the emotions are going to be high, with the passing of Mills and Mark Fields' condition. Side note: sad to see that Mills' passing means nothing to our current Saints.. I digress...

..then you have the Panthers (most likely) at full force, remembering who put them out of the playoffs last year...

..and I would not want to be Aaron Brooks on 9/18 should the Panthers win and should Jake have a better game...

..lastly, a bad loss, and I don't mean scorewise, but those losses when you get your butt manhandle, could really hurt the psyche of the players, should they be still "riding the wave" of last season's finale. I surely hope the coaches are stressing that 2004 was 2004, and that this is a new season...

... I want the Saints to win the game, but I don't expect them to... I just hope that it is one of those close games that build up for the next one..

saintswhodi 06-01-2005 06:29 PM

Exactly my feelings TR. Season opening division game? IT doesn't get any bigger. Best possible way we could open the season cayse it sets the tome right off. Should we win, and I don't expect us to, that could carry our young guys, and our vets, for most of the season. It would be huge to open the season one game up on Carolina in the division win column. Alas, the fall from a loss could be precipitous. All that talk of the last 4 games could be exposed for the smoke it was. But the more I think about how much that one game means, the more excited I get. This is a huge game right out the gate. That can't be stressed enough. IT could give us the mo we need for a special season, or rock us into one of those funks that takes two or three games, some threats, some false love, and some boos to get out of.

xan 06-01-2005 07:06 PM

0/1 Carolina - Loss: Panthers upgraded on both sides of ball
0/2 Giants - Loss: Active free agency, good draft, Eli's soph year
0/3 Minny - Loss: Beat Saints with less last year
0/4 Buffalo - Loss: Better defense, improving offense
1/4 Green Bay - Win: Haslett fighting for life
1/5 Atlanta - Loss: 2nd year in D system and newer, better parts
2/5 St. Louis - Win: No real improvement in Rams vs. last season
2/6 Miami - Loss: New coach, new attitude, host of new and better players
3/6 Chicago - Win: Tougher game than anyone would think, both last in divisions
3/7 New England - Loss: The yardstick game. How far does this team/organization have to go to get to the elite level
3/8 New York - Loss: Jets will contend for wildcard again
4/8 Tampa - Win: Only team worse in NFC
4/9 Atlanta - Loss: Repeat of 1st loss, only ATL will learn something
5/9 Carolina - Win: Some players playing for next year, rivalry
5/10 Detroit - Loss: Too much offense for undermanned Saints D
5/11 Tampa - Loss: Meaningless game

I predict that Haslett will not be the coach in 2006. The defense will be sieve-like, even more than 2004, and several injuries will contribute to the performance. Brooks will not fare well against an all around upgraded NFC South defense, and playing against the toughest division in the NFL (AFC East), will have his worst season as a pro. A simplified offense will translate into a more predictable one, yielding a scenario where Brooks has to be smart for an entire season. A better offensive line on paper doesn't manifest itself on the field as the offense faces 8 in the box. Defenses will accept an inconsistent Brooks rather than a consistent Deuce. McPherson's #5 will be seen in the huddle as early as the loss to New England, where the final playoff nail will be driven. 10-6 makes, with Atlanta (13-3), Minnesota (12-4), Seattle (12-4), Philly(13-3) winning divisions and Carolina (10-6) and Arizona (11-5) pulling in WildCard berths. Saints get top 4 pick in 2006 draft and win the Leinart derby by trading up for 1st pick.

DaRealAbdul 06-01-2005 07:41 PM

I beg to differ...
Week 1 --> Saints win... Never been a Delhomme fan, and both RB's are coming off injured seasons... Deuce goes buck wild... Panthers DE's tamed by the new O-line and everyone buys Brown jerseys...
Week 2--> Eli gets spanked... Horn fights urge to pull out laptop...
Week 3--> Everyone realizes by this week what Moss did for the Vikings... they get kicked in the Whizzinator... Saints win... big, too... WhoDat mentioned above, McKenzie vs Burlesson or Williamson... please...
Week 4--> Bills go down... Losman or McGahee breaks a leg...
Week 5--> Farve decides he really should retire... McKenzie and Brooks have a big day against their former team... Gumbo Ya-ya all over again. (5-0)
Week 6--> Saints finally lose... I dunno why everyone thinks Carolina will win the South... I think it's the Cancer pity other posters were talking about... Falcons have a better shot at winning the division than the Panthers...
Week 7--> Saints come back and barely win to avoid two losses in a row...
Week 8--> Saints beat Saban's team... even though Brown racks up some serious yardage...
Week 9--> Horn gives into temptation, busts out the laptop, Burberry, and Fax machine in the end zone...
Week 10--> Bye week
Week 11--> Spank the Patriots, who by this time, everyone realizes stink this year without their coordinators...
Week 12--> Saints lose to the Jets... who I think may get to at least the AFC championship game... maybe one further...
Week 13--> Saints take this game easy, because the Bucs have a pitiful record at this point, and BARELY avoid losing to a cellar team...
Week 14--> Saints at 10-2, after getting a scare almost losing to a pitiful team in Week 13, come back and beat the Falcons getting their revenge from Week 6...
Week 15--> Roll over the Panthers again... Clinch NFC South?
Week 16--> Saints lose this one... to the Lions behind Garcia... Fall to 12-3.
Week 17--> Deuce and Horn play sparingly to rest for the playoffs, but the Saints still roll over the Bucs who are one of the three worst teams in the NFL... end regular season at 13-3...
Don't wanna predict any further... but at 13-3... it's pretty obvious we may have the next week or so off... :wink:
Don't laugh... Sticky this thread so we can see who got it somewhat correct...

spkb25 06-01-2005 08:04 PM

CAROLINA-WE WIN. I AGREE WITH WHODAT THEY HAVE SOME LOABLE PLAYERS AND A LOVABLE SITUATION. EVERYONE WANTS THEM TO WIN. BUT THEY WONT

GIANTS-EASY WIN. WHICH IS WHY IF WE FOLLOW OUR PAST WE WILL LOOSE THIS GAME. BUT I WILL SAY FOR NOW WE WILL WIN

MINNESOTA-WE LOOSE. THIS IS A BETTER TEAM THEN LAST YEAR DESPITE THE LOSS OF MOSS. BUT THE LOSS OF MOSS IS WHY WE COULD WIN. FOR NOW IT'S A LOSS

BUFFALO-TOSS UP. COULD GO EITHER WAY. TOUGH GAME. THIS WILL BE A TOUGH TEAM BUT IT ALL DEPENDS ON J.P.

GREEN BAY-I THINK WE WIN. THIS WILL BE ANOTHER TOUGH GAME BUT I THINK WE CAN WIN.

ATALANTA-I DONT SEE ANYTHING BESIDES VICK AS SPECIAL ABOUT ATLANTA. BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE LOOSE THIS ONE. NEVERMIND THE FACT TO ME THAT VICK IS OVERRATED

ST.LOUIS- AND WE ARE THERE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. WE WIN AGAIN. THEY HAVE LESS OUTSIDE OF JACKSON. WE WIN

MIAMI- WE WIN. I JUST DONT EXPECT THEM TO DO MUCH. BUT THEY WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR

CHICAGO- WE WIN., THEY HAVE A VERY COMPETITIVE TEAM BUT THEY LACK IN THE QB POSITION. IT IS JUST INEXPERIENCE

NEW ENGLAND- WE HAVE TO LOOSE. WE MAY BE SHOWN UP BAD

NEW YORK JETS- IN NEW YORK AND ITS COLD. IT COUKLD BE BAD.

TAMPA BAY- THIS COULD BE THE GAME THAT MAKES OR BREAKS US. DO WE REBOUND OR DO WE FALL BECAUSE WE HAVE LOST TWO IN A ROW. WE ARE HOME AND DEUCE GFINDS A WAY TO CARRY US.WIN

ATLANTA- WE WIN. WE SPLIT. I WOULD PREFER TO WIN THIS ONE THEN THE FIRST

CAROLINA-WE LOOSE. IF THEY ARE STILL PLAYING FOR A SPOT OR NOT WONT MATTER. WE LOOSE. TOUGH DIVISIONAL GAME

DETROIT-WE WIN. TOUGH CLOSE GAME BUT WE WIN THIS ONE.

TAMPA BAY- WE WIN BUT BARELY. WE WIN IN OT BY A FIELD GOAL
10 OR MAYBE 11 WINS

saintswhodi 06-01-2005 08:17 PM

WTF?? Did Carolina not go to the Superbowl two years ago? Were they not picked to compete to go back last year if not for almost every starter getting hurt? Didn't they beat us with 1/16th of the team the first time we played them? And now they are fully healthy, and got better and somehow they are a cake team? I think division hate is blinding some about their chances. Carolina will be right up there with the elite again. I hOPE we beat them, but in what way are we CLEARLY better than them like some are suggesting? I hate Delhomme is not a valid answer. The guy didn't choose to leave, he was allowed to.

DaRealAbdul 06-01-2005 08:22 PM

my 2 cents... not attacking anyone... just noticed this a lot on this board...
We LOSE a game.
Drunk girls are LOOSE.
Let's continue the discussion.

WhoDat 06-01-2005 09:53 PM

LOL - Thanks Abdul. I was just about to say that.

Whodi - I think Carolina is a good team. There is no question that their significant fall from grace last season was due in large part to injuries. However, I think there are a few reasons not to fear them as a Super Bowl caliber team.

1. Their Super Bowl run was somewhat miraculous. There are people on this board who place "luck" as the second or third biggest contributor to that SB run behind Defense, and maybe a strong running game. I think that they were a very good team that year - but I would call them a "team of destiny." Everything went their way that year. I doubt they'll be that fortunate again any time soon. Like the calls that they got in a number of games. The 6 OT games they won, or whatever it was. The fact that that was Stephen Davis' only year without being hurt. Etc.

2. Carolina's staff has changed. An o-line that was a major strength has become a weakness. There are a lot of questions up front for them.

3. They are about the most predictible team in football. Scheming to beat them is pretty easy, it seems to me. Executing is another thing, but they don't strike fear in my heart (as the coordinator that we all know I am. LOL).

4. LOTS of injury questions. Will Davis be the same? Foster? Smith?

5. Call it "corollary" if you must, but simply put, other than New England, Super Bowl teams haven't faired well since going to the big dance in recent years. Carolina, Tampa, St Louis, the Giants, Oakland, Baltimore, Tenessee... it seems that what goes up comes back down... hard.

Carolina should be tough, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them hover around 8-8 or 9-7. Of course, 11-5 wouldn't be all that shocking either. That said, I think the pecking order in the NFC South right now is probably Atlanta, Carolina, Saints, Bucs.

DaRealAbdul 06-01-2005 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintswhodi
WTF?? Did Carolina not go to the Superbowl two years ago? Were they not picked to compete to go back last year if not for almost every starter getting hurt? Didn't they beat us with 1/16th of the team the first time we played them? And now they are fully healthy, and got better and somehow they are a cake team? I think division hate is blinding some about their chances. Carolina will be right up there with the elite again. I hOPE we beat them, but in what way are we CLEARLY better than them like some are suggesting? I hate Delhomme is not a valid answer. The guy didn't choose to leave, he was allowed to.

It's not about hating Delhomme... i said i've never been a fan...
that means of the games i watched of him, he didn't seem like an AMAZING quarterback like a Brady or a Manning... he just seemed competent... the running game carried them that year... just don't see it happening again.

WhoDat 06-02-2005 08:56 AM

Well - I don't see the running game carry the Panthers this year either - their defense will. That's what really led to their SB run... and I disagree that their running game carried them last year. They has a FB starting at RB most of the year. They lost 3 starting RBs. Last year most of their success late in the season, IMO, was due to a combination of A) Delhomme/Mohammad carrying the O on their backs, and B) the return of injured defensive players that helped to re-ignite that D.

saintswhodi 06-02-2005 09:03 AM

WhoDat, I agree with the premisse that a lot rent right for Carolina the year they went to the Superbowl. But Carolina forced a lot of that too. I have to disagree with this:
2
Quote:

. Carolina's staff has changed. An o-line that was a major strength has become a weakness. There are a lot of questions up front for them.
Carolina moved Gross back to RT where he was pretty damn good and they got the number obe free agent offensive lineman, Mike Wahle from GB, and he can play any of the line positions and dominate. And he is only 26. They also suffered fromt he sudden retiremnt of Adam Meadows on their line last year, and Gross' struggles at LT. Won't be the same.

Also disagree with:
Quote:

LOTS of injury questions. Will Davis be the same? Foster? Smith?
Smith is already at full speed. And in case Foster or Davis are still banged up, they drafted that beast RB Shelton from Louisville to fill the battering ram void. The guy is 6-3, 248 and a load. They took him early in the draft specifically as insurance for Davis.

But I agree with most everything else you said. I still see them, fully healthy, as the team to beat in our division.

Abdul, you might wanna check Jake's stats in the superbowl, or watch a game tape, if that performance didn't amaze you. What he did to NE's defense was pretty damn special. also, last season, he had 29 TDs, on what everyone will agree was a team nowhere near full strength. His passer rating was almost 90, on this same battered team. I don't know what else you are looking for to "amaze" you, but that was pretty damn special to me. Unless we could take Harrison, Edge James, and Rhodes, plus an offensive lineman off the Colts offense and Peyton still be dominant. Or take Dillon, Givens, Faulk, and an offensive lineman from Brady. TO have almost 30 Tds last year on that team I would call amazing. But, to each his own.

Danno 06-02-2005 09:25 AM

The Panthers were just a good football TEAM.
Yeah, Jake threw the ball up for grabs a lot, but their WR's made the plays.
They played like a team, stayed healthy, and got exactly what the deserved. A trip to the Superbowl.
Hats off. They EARNED it. I wish we'd play that good for at least one year.

saintswhodi 06-02-2005 09:41 AM

You and me both Danno, and I have to agree with WhoDat when he says we have the talent to do it. I question the QB, but if he could show that heart for one year we could have the same fate. Where I think we fall short of Carolina is coaching and front office. Those factors I believe keep us from being that TEAM, as you put it Danno. But I agree whole-heartedly, if we could play balls out just for that one year like they did, and get to a Superbowl, it will be all worth it. I think Tampa Bay will accept all those years of losing and having won a superbowl over having years and years of never truly being bad, but never having even been good enough to get to a Superbowl at all.

WhoDat 06-02-2005 01:52 PM

You don't think Jim Haslett is as good a coach as John Fox?

LOL

saintswhodi 06-02-2005 02:28 PM

Quote:

You don't think Jim Haslett is as good a coach as John Fox?
If by "as good a coach" you mean "is much, much, much worse than." :wink:

Tobias-Reiper 06-02-2005 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintswhodi
Exactly my feelings TR. Season opening division game? IT doesn't get any bigger. Best possible way we could open the season cayse it sets the tome right off. Should we win, and I don't expect us to, that could carry our young guys, and our vets, for most of the season. It would be huge to open the season one game up on Carolina in the division win column. Alas, the fall from a loss could be precipitous. All that talk of the last 4 games could be exposed for the smoke it was. But the more I think about how much that one game means, the more excited I get. This is a huge game right out the gate. That can't be stressed enough. IT could give us the mo we need for a special season, or rock us into one of those funks that takes two or three games, some threats, some false love, and some boos to get out of.

... it would be a huge win... an away division game to start the season...
..and consider this... after the Saints game, the Panthers host the Pats , and the Saints get the Giants at home.. so, if the Saints pull the win, there is a huge possibility of the Saints being 2-0 and the Panthers 0-2 out of the gate...

..obviously it doesn't guarantee a thing, but it would be a nice start...

saintswhodi 06-02-2005 03:16 PM

A nice start indeed, unless we pull the inexplicable beat the Panthers lost to the Giants trend we seem to have had going in recent years. Beat the good team, fall to the scrubs. But 2-0 with the Panthers 0-2 would be 4 words, PHE-NOM-E-NAL.

4saintspirit 06-02-2005 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintswhodi
A nice start indeed, unless we pull the inexplicable beat the Panthers lost to the Giants trend we seem to have had going in recent years. Beat the good team, fall to the scrubs. But 2-0 with the Panthers 0-2 would be 4 words, PHE-NOM-E-NAL.

I say we start 4-0 before our swoon --- We beat the Panthers and the Giants leading us to believe we are on a roll and then beat Minn -- Only reason I have us beating Buff is that I think Loseman will have some gorwing pains -- Favre beats us though


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