I’m not going to rehash the entire Payton/Brees Saints era, other than to say it was spectacular and fun. We won a playoff game and went the NFC Championship the first year, and won a Super Bowl in their 4th season together. A lot of stuff happened and there were good and bad seasons, but later they reinvented the team and had another excellent run of success. I appreciated every minute of the roller coaster ride, and ecstatically shared many of those moments here (mostly in LIVE CHAT during the games).

The hallmark of those teams was that they were always exciting to watch. Payton coached with authority and his energy was that of the fans—— he might have been overly aggressive with challenges or 4th down plays, but that aggressiveness fed into the team, who built on that energy. You could also count the number of games on that the Brees/Payton Saints were blown out of on one hand.

This is a different story. I am here to chronicle that story with y’all.

AGAIN… THIS IS ABOUT THE SAINTS, NOT ME.

That era is gone. That era worked because of Payton and Brees. Both of them are gone. And they are never ever coming back.

It's rare when an organization loses their Hall of Fame quality people and keep rolling at the same level with a new group of people. Maybe the 49ers in the 80's? Look at what happened to the Cowgirls since Aikman, Smith, and Irvin moved on. They haven't sniffed anything close to a championship. People like that just don't fall off the turnip truck.

It's about YOU because YOU constantly scream about how YOU don't have that anymore. But YOU don't even want to talk about how do you get the next Payton or Brees and get the qualities that you describe above. YOU just want it magically done so that you can recapture that feeling that you used to have.

That's not real life. Especially in the NFL. Ask the Lions. Or the Browns. If may be 50 years before the Saints recapture that.

My fear is that you are going to scream each and every one of those 50 years. That you cannot find anything at all about the current organization that's worth talking about. And even worse you try at every turn to prevent anyone else from doing it either.

So, again, keep listening, this is about YOU. YOU cannot get over the post Brees/Payton hangover. You don't want to talk about how we can possibly get past where we are. You don't want to have any discussion about the current organization. And again for some inexplicable reason you feel compelled to spew that trash here where very few people want to hear it on a daily basis.

Allen was not fired in January. Kubiak was hired in January. The organization for 2024 is set. And no amount of your screaming is going to change that. So, frankly, I don't want to hear it anymore. I want to be able to talk about training camp, and preseason games, and how the Saints are going to come out 2-2 or better in games 2-5 in the regular season.

You don't want to talk about any of that. But for certain you are going to dump load on anyone that does.

Just write everything you're going to write here and send it to Mickey. He's the one who actually has the power to make the changes you want. He should hear about that from you. We don't need to.

SFIAH

It not about ME. This is a SAINTS FORUM. It’s about the SAINTS.

Mickey Loomis is quoted as saying, “I think sometimes the easy thing to do, the lazy thing to do is look at the results of the season and say ‘ah it’s the coach’s fault, it’s the quarterback’s fault.’ I think sometimes you have to look beyond that,” Loomis said, pointing to the records each of those coaches achieved in their first two years on the job. Walsh went 8-24 in his first two years with the San Francisco 49ers. Noll was 6-22 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Belichick had a 13-19 showing after his first two years with the Cleveland Browns. Payton went 7-9 and 8-8 in his second and third years on the job.

But it’s a bogus comparison. Allen may be 16-18 after two seasons with the Saints, but you can’t compare these situations the way Loomis is trying to. It isn’t like Allen is new to the responsibilities of being a head coach. He had three years to figure these things out a decade ago with the Raiders. Walsh, Noll, Belichick, and Payton were all first-timers. Allen has been here before but he doesn’t have the results to show for it.

To be clear, Loomis should believe in Allen seeing that he brought the coach back for a third year at the helm. Loomis, however, doesn’t need to make ridiculous comparisons to attempt to defend his guy. The comparisons are meant to express things haven’t gone well but can get better, and Dennis Allen’s record isn’t a full reflection of his ability Comparing Allen to Payton and Belichick, and multiple Hall of Famers, dilutes the point.

And Payton, specifically, accomplished much more than Allen had to this point in his career. Has Loomis forgotten that he led the Saints to the NFC championship game in his first season with New Orleans? That he won more games in his first year as a head coach than Allen has ever managed in five? Allen can’t even win the weakest division in pro football two years running.

But Loomis hired Allen, and he’s going to keep making excuses for Allen’s shortcomings until things change. And hopefully they will. There’s enough talent on this roster to get into the playoffs. Maybe the Saints can make enough changes to the coaching staff this offseason to get over that hump. Maybe not… But they can do that without having their general manager embarrass himself whenever he gets in front of a microphone, and making a mockery of our loyalty as fans.

No. It's about you. All you ever do it complain about where we are. You never give a suggestion about what to do, other than fire Allen then full stop, or what the organization should have done. I gave you a list of the 10 coaches hired Allen's year, and another watch list for 2025 and asked you to discuss. As always you refused. You'd rather just talk about how terrible Allen is and how terrible Loomis is for picking him.

But buddy, your worst nightmare may be coming. The 2024 Saints have a realistic chance of going 10-7 and winning the NFC South. They then get to host a playoff game, which winning may be a possibility. And then your're going be stuck with Allen for another 4 years.

Of course it's my worst nightmare too, because then I'll have 4 more years of hearing your whining.

SFIAH

hardheaded you are..... IGNORE....oh, and the truth about the Saints hurt.

You are the other one here. Somehow you think we don't understand the reality of the Saints current situation and that you and the other guy have to mansplain it to us on a daily basis.

I will no long ignore him. Or you either. You post trash (your "truth") and I'm going to follow up.

So, you get the same question. HOW DO YOU FIX IT!?

You have defined the problem. We no longer need to discuss, or have on repeat, what that problem definition is. We need solutions. All I ever hear is "Fire Allen". Just like last year "Fire Pete Carmichael." OK fine. You got your wish.

But then what. Folks are already complaining about Kubiak and he hasn't run a single play for this Saints organization yet. Who would you have put into that spot instead. Why?

You fire Allen. Who do you put into his place? Who should the Saints have hired 3 years ago instead of Allen?

This is why I challenge your truth. You have no solutions, just complaints.

Stop telling me about the problems that you see. Tell me the solutions to fix them.

SFIAH

mansplain.... Truth hurts.

hardheaded you are..... IGNORE....oh, and the truth about the Saints hurt.

HARDHEADED you are. This is not a forum for trashing the SAINTS. There are FailClown forums for that. Go there.

SFIAH

Nope.... Saints board is EXACTLY the place to voice my opinion and disapporval of the current situation with the Saints. otherwise those that do have the power to change things see it. After all, they MUST be reading it. They see all you other fans so Excited about the upcoming season.... I for one, want them to see a disgruntled "baby boomer" fan's opinion and said disgruntled view.