saintz08

2003 POSITIVES

Offensively, the Saints showed some firepower at times. They scored at least 21 points on offense six times during the season, and RB Deuce McAllister was nothing short of impressive by piling up 2,157 offensive yards and eight touchdowns on the season. While his touchdowns weren't incredibly high - the lowest amongst backs that went for over 2,000 offensive yards last year - he was averaging 135 offensive yards per game. He also had nine straight games of rushing for at least 100-yards, including three games in a row with more than 150 yards rushing per game. After struggling to find a capable tight end in recent years, the team saw a nice surprise out of Boo Williams, who had 41 receptions, 436 yards and five touchdowns. It appears he only needed time to develop as well actual playing time.

2003 NEGATIVES

The biggest negative for the Saints last year was the fact that a team with this much individual talent simply failed to make the playoffs once again. Furthermore, they tossed away a great opportunity to succeed while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) were having a down season. On the personnel side, QB Aaron Brooks may have improved in some statistics from his previous years but he still seemed to lack the ability to take over/lead the team when they needed him to most. When you have a RB like McAllister going for over 2,000 total yards, the quarterback position receives no pass when it has a supporting running game to help him out. WR Donte Stallworth regressed in his second year and battled through injuries most of the way. Injury problems kicked in on defense throughout the year, with probably the most worrisome being that to CB Dale Carter (knee). It was the second year in a row Carter failed to live up to high expectations and a huge salary. Turnovers were also an issue for the Saints, as they managed just 14 interceptions after massive changes in the secondary with the additions of CB Ashley Ambrose and S Tebucky Jones.