SaintNik

The NFL used to be a league where the best teams were defined by being able to run and being able to stop the run. It now seems that it is more important to be able to pass and also defend the pass. Minnesota and Miami ranked 1st and 2nd in the league in rushing last year and both missed the playoffs which was also the case with four of the league's top five and six of the top twelve rushing teams. The number one passing team in the league, Oakland, made it to the Super Bowl. Tampa Bay defended the pass better than anyone else and they won the championship. Ricky Williams won the league rushing title with 1853 yards. Like Miami, the Saints had the number one rusher from its conference (6th overall) in Deuce McAllister with 1388 yards and missed the playoffs. As a TEAM the Saints only ranked 17th. Aaron Brooks was 9th in the league with 3572 passing yards and tied for 1st with 27 TDs but as a TEAM the Saints only ranked 16th (can you believe the Bucs were 15th overall) in passing yards. The offense impressed by ranking 3rd overall (27.0 ppg) in scoring but the defense was at the bottom at 26th (24.2 ppg). The Saints defense ranked 19th league wide against the run and even worse, 29th against the pass. Being a middle of the pack TEAM on offense in rushing and passing combined with TEAM defense playing in the lower middle against the run and near the bottom against the pass contributed to the middle of the pack win/loss record, one win away from the playoffs. It has often been said that stats are for losers, but that is only said after a loss. After a win, stats are proudly boasted, yet nobody ever trots out that cliche'. Nobody will argue that when the final horn sounds the only thing that matters each week is the final score, yet as the season wears on ( and certainly into the postseason) stats are analyzed to break down the opponents weaknesses, strengths, and tendencies in order to attempt to exploit by game planning for or against them. If the league stays on the current trend of pass/stop the pass, the Saints have made some changes on both sides of the ball that gives hope for improvement in both areas. If you kept all stats the same except improved just two into the middle of the pack, pass defense and of course, ppg allowed, we may have had the best record in the league. Injuries or the lack of them are always a major factor. If we execute just slightly better as a TEAM in all phases of the game we will most certainly get into the playoffs and could very well make it to the big dance. The TEAM may be young overall and scattered with several new faces, but with the draft and free agency, revamped rosters are the norm now league wide. I think this is the most talented TEAM the Saints have ever had, position by position and depth from top to bottom of the roster. With a seasoned coaching staff in place, I do BELIEVE this is the year of the SAINTS! Get a ticket and get on the bandwaggon now. SAINTAS sleigh will soon be full with somone other than mysELF.