Saints need tweaking, not an overhaul

Danno · 01-15-2004, 10:31 AM

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CONTAINS OPTIMISM.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
The "who cares, we suck" crowd may want to skip reading this.

Saints need tweaking, not an overhaul
By MIKE KIRAL The Ascension Citizen

The Superdome was quiet this past weekend. Unlike the previous Sunday when LSU played Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, there were no cheering football fans, no officials' whistles, no popping of the pads. The Dome will be noisy again this weekend but only because The World of Wheels is in town.

New Orleans Saints fans are all too used to the Superdome being quiet in January. Except for a handful of years in the late 1980s and early '90s and in 2001, the home team's season often came to an end shortly after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve.

This January marks the third straight year the Saints have been left out of the NFL playoffs, the longest streak by any of the NFC South teams. But unlike the last two seasons when the Saints waited until the holiday season to dash their fans' hopes, the 2003 year was all but over by the time the kids went trick or treating. Only an uncharacteristic strong finish (seven wins over the final 10 games) salvaged an 8-8 record.

A .500 record is not what Saints fans expected in 2003. After all, the team had the highest payroll in the league. Free agents like Tebucky Jones, Ashley Ambrose and Derrick Rodgers were supposed to help the team improve a defense that finished 27th in the league in 2002. Ernie Conwell and Wayne Gandy were going to make an explosive offense even more potent.

Many of the moves didn't pan out. The Saints were lackadaisical in the preseason and it carried over to the early part of the regular season. Then came heartbreaking losses to Carolina, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville when the team was one or two plays from pulling out victories.

The strong finish showed that unlike past seasons, a major overhaul of the teams is not needed in the offseason, just a few tweaks here and there.

The offense underachieved in 2003 but still has a number of players who can make plays. Injuries hampered the play of receivers Donte Stallworth and Joe Horn and Conwell at tight end. Stallworth showed what he was capable of when healthy over the last two games. Along with Jerome Pathon, Stallworth and Horn give the Saints one of the deepest receiving corps in the league.

The Saints need to find a backup for Deuce McAllister. McAllister was undoubtedly the team's MVP and had a team-record nine straight 100-yard rushing games but seemed to wear down by season's end. The Saints had no back to adequately spell him during the season. It's an area they cannot fall short in again.

Aaron Brooks had one of his best seasons and led the league in interception ratio. Now, Mike McCarthy and the offensive staff just need to work with Brooks on his propensity to fumble and his decision making. He did appear to become more of a team leader in the later stages of the season.

The defense also improved late in the season but still needs some tinkering. One of the top priorities in the offseason is the resigning of free agent defensive end Darren Howard. Jonathan Sullivan must step up next year and prove he was worthy of being a high first round pick. That will help the defense against the run. So will a middle linebacker although there certainly will not be any Ray Lewis types on the open market this year. The Saints also need to get a cover corner in the draft to take some of the pressure off Fred Thomas.

But first and foremost, the discipline of the team must be improved. Horn's cellphone antics in the Giants game all too typified the 2003 New Orleans Saints. The 2004 version must play smarter and more disciplined for the Saints to have any real shot at a playoff berth.

Teams like Dallas, Carolina and Cincinnati this year showed that a playoff-caliber team can be quickly built in today's NFL. Of course, teams like the Giants, Tampa Bay and Oakland also proved a dropoff can come just as quick. The next couple of months will determine which scenario the Saints will experience in 2004.

01-15-2004, 10:31 AM	#1
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,747	Saints need tweaking, not an overhaul WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE CONTAINS OPTIMISM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! The "who cares, we suck" crowd may want to skip reading this. Saints need tweaking, not an overhaul By MIKE KIRAL The Ascension Citizen The Superdome was quiet this past weekend. Unlike the previous Sunday when LSU played Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, there were no cheering football fans, no officials' whistles, no popping of the pads. The Dome will be noisy again this weekend but only because The World of Wheels is in town. New Orleans Saints fans are all too used to the Superdome being quiet in January. Except for a handful of years in the late 1980s and early '90s and in 2001, the home team's season often came to an end shortly after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve. This January marks the third straight year the Saints have been left out of the NFL playoffs, the longest streak by any of the NFC South teams. But unlike the last two seasons when the Saints waited until the holiday season to dash their fans' hopes, the 2003 year was all but over by the time the kids went trick or treating. Only an uncharacteristic strong finish (seven wins over the final 10 games) salvaged an 8-8 record. A .500 record is not what Saints fans expected in 2003. After all, the team had the highest payroll in the league. Free agents like Tebucky Jones, Ashley Ambrose and Derrick Rodgers were supposed to help the team improve a defense that finished 27th in the league in 2002. Ernie Conwell and Wayne Gandy were going to make an explosive offense even more potent. Many of the moves didn't pan out. The Saints were lackadaisical in the preseason and it carried over to the early part of the regular season. Then came heartbreaking losses to Carolina, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville when the team was one or two plays from pulling out victories. The strong finish showed that unlike past seasons, a major overhaul of the teams is not needed in the offseason, just a few tweaks here and there. The offense underachieved in 2003 but still has a number of players who can make plays. Injuries hampered the play of receivers Donte Stallworth and Joe Horn and Conwell at tight end. Stallworth showed what he was capable of when healthy over the last two games. Along with Jerome Pathon, Stallworth and Horn give the Saints one of the deepest receiving corps in the league. The Saints need to find a backup for Deuce McAllister. McAllister was undoubtedly the team's MVP and had a team-record nine straight 100-yard rushing games but seemed to wear down by season's end. The Saints had no back to adequately spell him during the season. It's an area they cannot fall short in again. Aaron Brooks had one of his best seasons and led the league in interception ratio. Now, Mike McCarthy and the offensive staff just need to work with Brooks on his propensity to fumble and his decision making. He did appear to become more of a team leader in the later stages of the season. The defense also improved late in the season but still needs some tinkering. One of the top priorities in the offseason is the resigning of free agent defensive end Darren Howard. Jonathan Sullivan must step up next year and prove he was worthy of being a high first round pick. That will help the defense against the run. So will a middle linebacker although there certainly will not be any Ray Lewis types on the open market this year. The Saints also need to get a cover corner in the draft to take some of the pressure off Fred Thomas. But first and foremost, the discipline of the team must be improved. Horn's cellphone antics in the Giants game all too typified the 2003 New Orleans Saints. The 2004 version must play smarter and more disciplined for the Saints to have any real shot at a playoff berth. Teams like Dallas, Carolina and Cincinnati this year showed that a playoff-caliber team can be quickly built in today's NFL. Of course, teams like the Giants, Tampa Bay and Oakland also proved a dropoff can come just as quick. The next couple of months will determine which scenario the Saints will experience in 2004.