hagan714

Yep, the 2007 season is officially away. Baring a complete melt down from the bucs.

We knew about the defensive problems last year but everyone was talking super bowl and how great we were for 2007. Maybe it is the let down that is still bothering us the most. Still ashamed for buying into it maybe? Everyone was way to caught up in the hype and so was I, to an extent. Maybe just maybe we could do it. I had a big BUT attached to it though. But first we must win the division. Well thats done with. So were do we go from here?

Do we all fold and quit as a team and fans?

Do we rally and finish the season off strong as fans and as a team?

I really hope for the latter. This would show us something we have had very little off as a team over the years. PRIDE. If you ever played sports, any sports. This is the time to find out what the heart of this team is all about. Your little league coaches said it. Your high school coaches said it. Your college coaches said it. You know the pros say it. This is gut check time. They are talking about PRIDE. A team with heart. Now we get to see if this team has the basic element that makes a winner.

Our offense played against a good defense end of story. I am not going to nit pick it death. When they needed plays they got plays. Handed to them or not. That reverse was not going anywhere. The bucs defense stayed at home and were in position to stop it. That is the difference on the defensive side of the ball for us. It is simple but the basic ingredient needed to win on that side of the ball. The ghosts of coaches from seasons past still echoing in my head. "Remember your assignment and stay at home in your lanes."

No matter how you look at we had a chance to win the game in final minutes and did not do it. Thanks to 9 defensive points. So far this year despite the glaring need for improvement in the same areas as last year. We as a team have improved. We are not getting the bounces we did last year and that is the difference. Offensively we did take a step back in the stats but we also did learn a lot about the unit as a whole. It has one of the best cores of any saints offensive team I have ever seen. They are just a couple piece away from being really special. The defense needs more than a couple. But we have not started to rebuild that side of the ball yet. This is year 2 of the rebuilding. Are we better today than we were in the last 4 games of Haz's era? Well DUH, Of course. Thats a win

So now with the pressure off. Which team will take the field with 4 games left to go. Quitters? Winners?

Coaches will use these type of games to judge a player and thier character. Some players will be gone for playing these games half hearted. heck good players in college fall or don't get drafted at all because of this.

Which fans will take to the stands? Quitters? Winners?

It is Gut Check time for us as well. Can we as a fan stand up to same measures of a player?

Evaluation time has begun. Who do we keep and who do we let go? What are the best pieces out there to fix our needs. Can those piece fit before we whack someone and create a new need we can not fill next year? What is this teams depth? Time to get creative with the rotation so we can better judge the talent. This is the biggest concern I have with the team. I hope to see Sean address it next year. Are we really not that deep at the bench or is Sean a favorites type of coach. I us that term favorites type VERY loosely here. I do not think that is the case.

Well it is time to start my research on the draft officially and evaluate our pieces for 2008.

OK I blogged here. Sorry

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

ssmitty

it was over before this game hagan, the heart just did'nt wanna let go..............

ssmitty

now, to the draft......
who is this kid from arkansas that beat up on the tigers?
is he coming out this yr?

mjf150

Someone jiggle the handle!

2007 - R.I.P