TheOak

I am not trying to sway your realism, maybe just add a little perspective.

Preseason, base, bland, defense with 1/4 of your starters not on the field is not exactly a good sample size to evaluate what the season will look like.. is it?

Preseason is the 4 game period in the season when you try things, not prove things. Had we dominated in preseason I will still be playing the same fiddle trying to temper enthusiasm as we would have dominated against vanilla offenses trying things..

Look brother youve been around long enough to know that what separates 1st and second string is .15 of a second in speed... As small as that is, its huge on the field, its the difference between a sack and a 50 yard TD pass. We have had a good bit of starters on both sides of the ball (key people) watching from the sidelines.

What I am doing is taking that into account and also understanding that Defenses are always behind Offenses during regular season in regards to catching up. So, if we look like total crap in week 4 I will panic besides you.. Until then I am going to let things develop naturally as they will do anyway.

That my friend is my realistic view of the Saints so far in 2013.

spkb25

Brees was getting hit because Evans wasn't playing. Johnson and Tate did hit us up. No doubt, but minus the one drive we held them to FG's... I'll take that. If our D can give us that I'll take it.

I don't know what to expect, but we are 4 short days from finding out

Jack Vegas

It's an offensive league and the Texans have one of the best offenses in it. Of course they moved the ball on us. They can move the ball on any team. The key in a game like that is, can you force a few field goals instead of giving up touchdowns, can you stand up when it really counts and come through at the end of the game. We'll see, but I think this defense is going to be more like the 09/10/11 defenses than last year.

papz

Pre-season means absolutely diddly squat. Vanilla offenses vanilla defenses should bare little meaning in forecasting the success of our team during the regular season.

We'll see what our team is made of after our regular season performance against the division favorites. Throw all those pre-season stats out the window... they don't carry over into the regular season.



Fear the beard.

hagan714

we are in troble i agree. the LB corp and the secondary are not even close to in sync when it comes to pass coverage in the middle of the defense. that will take time.

The LB group was my concern going into the season and still is. But i like the way the run defense in between the tackles by the LB are showing so far. now i am holding out till the LB corp gets healthy before throwing in the towel

DL is doing ok

now a season of getting eaten up on the edges and the mid range passes in the middle of the field is what i expect to see.

So here is to the bend do not break and hold them to a field goal

Offense drew will have to pass the ball again. Unless the saints stop stuffing ingram down every one throats. If he does not work his way up the ladder instead of falling down it. it is PT job to lose. The saints did Mark no favor in the off season to help his style of running to succeed here in new orleans.


even with all of this said the saints were 7-9 last year and came within inches of 10-6. those games Sean would have been the difference maker.

10-6 i can see and if the fat lady chokes on a ham sandwich. 12-4 is not that far out of the picture. worse case i will go with your 8-8

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

DISPLACEDFAN

I apologize Mitch didn't mean to single you out

|Mitch|

Don't sweat it; you can't wear your feelings on your sleeve around here

papz

If someone told me that we had a game on Sun. 8, 2013 at 12 central against the Atlanta Falcons in the Superdome, I'd be excited as hell... not throwing a doom and gloom parade.

But that's just me.

Utah_Saint

Since they haven't played a game yet this year, Optimistic or pessimistic is a matter of choice.
You can be optimistic and focus on what looks to be improvements on the DLine, a rookie safety that looks to be a beast, a major addition to the corners etc...
or
You can be pessimistic and focus on the entire D trying to learn a new scheme, some of the same players that played horribly last year are still here this year, our starting outside linebackers haven't played a single down in preseason, etc...

All of that is true so ether way you look at it, you're right, so you're just being a realist.

I'll choose to be optimistic because, in my opinion, it's more fun.

poydras

I prefer realistic and keep in mind that I have, in the past, been optimistic heading into seasons. I was VERY optimistic in 2009 becasuse we looked so dominant in the preseason. Anyway, I usually start out a season with a post like this to make sure I have all the right people on my ignore list before the games start.