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Seattle – The improvement, from one month to the next, was substantial, palpable and undeniably noticeable.

But it wasn’t quite enough for the New Orleans Saints on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field, with a berth in the NFC championship game on the line. It wasn’t quite enough for the Saints to rally from a 16-0 deficit, which eventually became a 23-15 loss in front of 68,388, a record crowd for the stadium that watched the Seahawks (14-3) end the Saints’ season at 12-6.

Less than six weeks after the Seahawks beat New Orleans 34-7 in a nationally televised, Monday night game Dec. 2, the Saints pushed Seattle harder and farther than the first time before succumbing.

“I was proud of how our guys fought and competed this year,” Coach Sean Payton said. “They found a way to win 12 games. Obviously, it wasn’t enough for what we aspire to do.”

But a year after the team finished 7-9 and out of the playoffs, the Saints completed a significant turnaround, falling one game shy of winning the NFC South and winning the first road playoff game in franchise history, a 26-24 victory in Philadelphia over the Eagles on Jan. 4.

And mere weeks after a 27-point loss to the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field – during which New Orleans was held to 188 yards, Seattle rolled up 429 yards, quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns and Seattle converted seven of 14 third-down attempts – the Saints reversed many of those numbers.

New Orleans totaled 409 yards, with quarterback Drew Brees completing 24 of 43 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown in the wind (gusts up to 30 mpg) and rain. Wilson completed just nine of 18 passes for a career-low 103 yards and was sacked three times.

The Seahawks converted five of 14 third-down attempts and had just four first downs in the second half, and the Saints had possession for almost 18 minutes of the second half.

But Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch broke loose for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, accounting for more than half of Seattle’s 277 yards. And the Seahawks took advantage of several critical errors by the Saints – including a lost fumble by running back Mark Ingram (10 carries, 49 yards), eight penalties totaling 74 yards and two missed field goals by Shayne Graham – to scratch together enough points and stops to win.

“We had opportunities,” Payton said. “We just weren’t able to get enough points.”

Read more: John DeShazier: Saints can't turn 'opportunities' into victory

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.