5 years later, it's clear the 2009 Saints were a rare blend of talent, chemistry

SmashMouth · 02-09-2015, 07:01 AM

Lost amid the warm and fuzzy nostalgia of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl XLIV championship is this oft-overlooked fact:

Those Saints were very, very good. I'd argue they were even great.

They aren't mentioned with the 1985 Bears or 1972 Dolphins but their accomplishments rank with the best teams in NFL history.

The 2009 Saints were one of seven teams in NFL history to start a season 13-0. That covers a span of 95 years.

What's more, they were one of three teams to start a season 13-0 and then go on to win the Super Bowl. Only the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 1998 Denver Broncos managed to accomplish the same. Elite company, to say the least.

Moreover, the Saints won nine of their first 11 games by double-digit margins, including five by 20 or more points. Think about that as you recall the 2014 Saints struggling to dispose of the Tampa Bays of the world.

The 2009 Saints were not the most talented team in NFL history. Not by a long shot. In fact, they might not have been the most talented team in Saints history. For my money, the record-breaking 2011 squad was the best Saints team I've covered. By the end of that season, they were simply dominant.

But no Saints team was more complete than the 2009 champions. They had it all: talent; coaching; experience; intelligence; chemistry; hunger; and hubris. They were dominant on offense, opportunistic on defense and aggressive in all phases.

"We were kind of a combination of all that," said former linebacker Scott Fujita, one of the team captains in 2009.

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02-09-2015, 07:01 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,479 Blog Entries: 29	5 years later, it's clear the 2009 Saints were a rare blend of talent, chemistry Lost amid the warm and fuzzy nostalgia of the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl XLIV championship is this oft-overlooked fact: Those Saints were very, very good. I'd argue they were even great. They aren't mentioned with the 1985 Bears or 1972 Dolphins but their accomplishments rank with the best teams in NFL history. The 2009 Saints were one of seven teams in NFL history to start a season 13-0. That covers a span of 95 years. What's more, they were one of three teams to start a season 13-0 and then go on to win the Super Bowl. Only the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins and the 1998 Denver Broncos managed to accomplish the same. Elite company, to say the least. Moreover, the Saints won nine of their first 11 games by double-digit margins, including five by 20 or more points. Think about that as you recall the 2014 Saints struggling to dispose of the Tampa Bays of the world. The 2009 Saints were not the most talented team in NFL history. Not by a long shot. In fact, they might not have been the most talented team in Saints history. For my money, the record-breaking 2011 squad was the best Saints team I've covered. By the end of that season, they were simply dominant. But no Saints team was more complete than the 2009 champions. They had it all: talent; coaching; experience; intelligence; chemistry; hunger; and hubris. They were dominant on offense, opportunistic on defense and aggressive in all phases. "We were kind of a combination of all that," said former linebacker Scott Fujita, one of the team captains in 2009. read more Attached Thumbnails

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