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This morning's practice out at the New Orleans Saints' facility in Metairie didn't leave much to talk about, but I'll have a report up on it later. This afternoon's practice is also closed to the public as it appears the team will just be doing some weightlifting and having meetings.

So in the meantime, I took it upon myself to organize the Saints' 2010/11 schedule and break it down into matters of importance.

Some people that watch NFL football simply look at the season for their favorite team as a whole. When all sixteen games are done, they just know that it's a good thing if their favorite team is in the playoffs.

Football fans with a bit more knowledge of how things work in the NFL will look at the season in two parts. To them there is the opening stretch of eight games and making sure their team gets off to a fast start so that a cushion can be built in the division. The second half of the season is then seen as a way to pad their lead in the win column, clinch things up, and then possibly take it a little easy in the final game or two.

Hardcore football fans separate then season into four main parts realizing that a four-game stretch can make or break a season for any team. A 3-1 record can keep you in it while a 2-2 record still gives you a chance. A 1-3 record means you have a lot of work to do while a four game losing streak at any point in the season can be disastrous.

Then there the people like me that realize the season should be taken one game at a time and each game has a differing level of importance when it all boils down to it. That's why this is the first section of a four-part series dissecting the upcoming 2010 season for the New Orleans Saints.

What I've done is split the season into four parts including four games a piece. They are not just in schedule order but in order of just how important these games are on the Saints' schedule and whether they "need" be a notch in the win column or not. The list will be working backwards starting with what could be considered the least important game on the season all the way up to which one matters the most. In no way does this list downgrade any game because they are all vitally important. It's just that some mean a lot more when it comes to divisional standing, conference standing, and overall momentum.

So without further ado, let's jump right in to the bottom tier of games on the Saints' schedule this season.

Breaking down the New Orleans Saints' season one game at a time (slideshow) - New Orleans New Orleans Saints | Examiner.com

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