Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

For the third straight season, the New Orleans Saints failed to eclipse the .500 mark at any point in the season, something they have in common with only the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The players and coaches think the 2016 team was different than the previous two squads that finished with the same 7-9 record, but heading into the offseason, the Saints face the same questions they've been unable to answer the past couple years.

Head coach Sean Payton said Monday night on WWL-AM 870 he plans to return for 2017, which should put to rest rumors regarding his future, and Saints players think winning next year is the best way to prevent similar reports from starting during the season.

Meanwhile, a return will make Payton the only active coach in the league to sustain three straight losing seasons with his current team. To a man, the players think wholesale changes aren't necessary because of the young core in place -- the 2016 draft class being a key reason -- and the growth in some areas this past season. The locker room didn't splinter during a trying year, and the Saints like the change in culture from previous seasons.

http://image.nola.com/home/nola-medi...962-mmmain.jpg

But, the team -- and in particular quarterback Drew Brees -- realizes it can't keep saying next year if it wasn't to avoid what punter Thomas Morstead described as an "empty feeling" walking off the field in Week 17.

"At some point you got to get tired of losing, you know what I'm saying?" linebacker Dannell Ellerbe said. "Nobody likes losing. If leadership needs to step up and demand more, it's been two years for me being 7-9. That's not what I'm about. We're going to have to do what we have to do to get better on defense."

read more

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Well, Ellerbe is in a position to lead on D. Just do it.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Mumbo jumbo.
Look, I'm a big Saints fan. But there's no excuse for going 7-9 three seasons in a row.

The Saints need to just suck it up and beg the fans to buy tickets.
If they let Sean Payton go, so be it. But that won't happen because there's no leadership at the very top - and that's Benson, who is disengaged.

Sean Payton is the only coach who went 7-9 two years in a row and scored a 5 year extension for the highest paid NFL coach in the NFL.

I'm disappointed in SP because he has arguably the best QB in the NFL, probably one of the greatest of all time, and in all the years here he has NEVER been able to assemble a defense worth bragging about. He's making 2009-10 look like a fluke.

That said I hope he proves me wrong and we go all the way next year. I'm more than happy to eat my words. From a business perspective, I don't know how SP survives other then the org is running on automatic.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Sho you right Ray Ray. Yep, fair and accurate analysis. I always enjoy being wrong, especially when it involves the Saints doing well, but I don't think we are as close as I previously thought. We have a lot of missing parts. Now maybe the guys that are injured come back and we are world beaters, but many of these guys are consistently injured, so what gives anyone the false sense that won't continue. I hope it doesn't I am just not banking on it.

We have 30 mil in cap space, awesome we are finally out of hell, but is Mick going to start ****ting pots of gold all over FA and get us back in trouble? Is Fairley going to be signed to some big contract and then poop the bed and we are left with another guy we cut that earns money? Something has to give or Low Energy is just going to continue churning that 7-9 butter

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

too be honest I was expecting the season to be with each passing week as the IR list kept getting longer and longer. The secondary especially took a pounding all season long.

I am actually pretty amazed by DA job on the whole. I may not like the results in the end but I will find a silver lining in the end. This silver lining is not so hard to see for me.

So the bent and broke just a little to much. Yet they kept opponents within Drews reach in all but 2 games. 7 games by a point spread of 7 or less is not such a stinky turd to handle.

If Rob was at the helm of this IR ship he would have landed us in the top 5 of the draft and still the a defense that would be the laughing stock of the NFL. The previous two years I put squarely on the front and SP for hiring Rob.

It is still a turd I know but as far as turds go, its not the worse turd one can end up with. .

Now if I was a Panthers fan I would not be so happy. The reality that Cam probably had the season of his career is a bitter pill to swallow. The rest was a melt down all together. They really have no excuses to hang their hat on. They have the talent. They were basically healthy. Yet they still stunk up the place.

Panthers have the real stinky gagging turd to handle.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

There is a reason and it is usually on the defensive side of the football...

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards...09_1641347.png

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

So what excuse is that?
SP is head coach and has his finger on player personnel decisions with Mickey Loomis. It's not like some idiot like Matt Millen is in the front office drafting players without consulting the head coach.

7-9 + 7-9 = BIGGEST COACHING CONTRACT IN NFL + 5 YEAR EXTENSION

The result... 7-9 in 2016 and missed playoffs third year in a row.

If defense is the problem, it's SP's job to FIX IT! :dunce:

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I thought I made my point clear... they suck worse than a hooker with emphysema. :doh:

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

... different toilet ...

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Personally I feel Payton is fixing it. That's why he got rid of Ryan. Dennis Allen did a very respectable job improving a defense that was arguably the worst in the league the previous two season into one several notches better with patchwork players that will not be anywhere near good enough to make next season's roster with all of the defensive starters that left with injury.

I am seeing growth and improvement. Yes, the record was the same 7-9, but it was a far better team on the field than the previous two seasons.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I in no way shape or form think Allen and the good ole boys are worth a damn as coaches. I'm really amazes people think he is. Every DC out there loses players, every year and to think he puts his players in a position to bring out there talents is thinking wrong. He will be just as bad this season, no upgrade at all with this clown. It's been so long we had a good D I think people forget what one should do.He's just not that good people!!

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I hear what your saying but idk if another defense took half of the injuries that ours did. Especially to key players.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I'm not saying that Allen is the answer. I'm just explaining that Payton IS actively working at fixing what is broken. Bringing in Allen was a means to the end. It was a positive move. So was bringing in Jeff Ireland. He also brought in Kevin O'Dea in November to help Lutz with his transition. O'Dea has a ton of experience with kickoff and return squads, as well.

Allen may not be the total cure, but he was a good band-aid at the time.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

My question is why keep trying to patch it when you can fix it with proper coaches? I'm just sick of watching us play bad D. The patch jobs haven't did so well. It's time for a change before we fall into obscurity.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Its obvious why 2016 was a bust and why 2017 looks like a boom. I'm tired of explaining it.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Let's start a pool on how many loosing seasons Sean will have before he is terminated.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

This team could use a defensive minded HC w/ DA as DC. Brees and Carmichael can handle offense w/o missing a beat. I'm open tot see how many and how high draft picks we can get for SP and his ridiculous overpaid contract.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I dont think DA did a horrible job. But what ticks me off is that it took SP and Loomis this long to get us to the point where we finally have a young, respectable defense that plays with a lot of pride. They wasted away a great opportunity w the crap players and coaches that they put on the field the several years prior.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I felt the same way for most of the season.
I feel that way now.
BUT!!!!!!!
I am really pissed off with another 7-9 record.
Whenever I see 7-9 records for three straight seasons?
Recent logic goes out of the window!
I have to question whether I was thinking logically after the previous two seasons and explained it away.
I only see 7-9 right now.
It doesn't have to be logical.
Im just EXTEMELY TIRED OF 7-9, regardless of the reason it keeps happening.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

I will beat this dead horse again.
As long as SP keeps his horrible asst coaches that are his buddies?
We will go nowhere!!!!!
Why keep a fossilized coaching staff that doesn't produce?
If they were worth a crap, they would be promoted to another level by some other organization.
SP has NO ONE ON HIS STAFF THAT ANYONE ELSE WANTS!!!!
This is maddening!!!!!!
He should be pushed overboard for this reason alone.
He used to have good assistants but the competent ones are long gone.
Now, we always see the usual suspects 7-9 after 7-9.
I welcome any poster here to dispute or to try and rationalize this point.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

All started when we got rid of our veterans on defense after the 2013 season.
Smith
Harper
Jenkins
Vilma
Greer
(Haralson too)

Now granted, it's likely most if not all of these players would have been back ups or role players, but you get rid of that many leaders in 1 season it's going to take time get that back.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Agree. And on top of that you teplace them with the likes of Junior Galette. What a trainwreck that was.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

While you may be open to it, you are not the one that makes those type of decisions. No matter what you think, Payton isn't going anywhere as long as Benson, or his wife, and Loomis are in charge. And what Payton gets paid should be of no concern of yours at all. It is a drop in a billionaire's bucket.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

For the last couple of years several people around here were screaming for a rebuild. Guess what? That's what happened. Those guys were all veterans that were getting paid like veterans. You can't have a roster full of backups getting paid like starters. You can't have it both ways. 2014 and 2015 saw the result of that missing leadership on the defensive side of the ball. 2016 saw the emergence of new young leadership, but also experienced crushing losses of the talent to the IR.

I have pointed all of this out before. Yes, the records were the same, but the 7-9 of 2016 was completely different. It comes with renewed hope for those willing to look at it objectively.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

When Galette was racking up 12 sacks in 2013 everyone thought he was the next great Saint. It turned out, to everyone's surprise, he was damaged goods. It was too late to reverse field. The Saints could either keep him and his salary on board, complete with his ever growing locker room cancer and ever shrinking public image. The Saints did all that they could do by cutting him and eating the dead cap.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

If they lose the first 2 games again next year, we'll know it's over in September. In fact, we'll know if it's over or not in early October, no matter what. If you can't string together more than two back-to-back wins in the NFL, you're not doing anything. I may be wrong, but I don't think they've won more than 3 straight in a row since October 2013.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Does it matter who those first two games are against? Would you put the same weighting upon at Atlanta and hosting New England as you would hosting the Jets and the Bears?

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Sean Payton needs a handler! He needs a real football GM not a bean counter. The personnel decisions are on Payton and that means it is squarely on Mickey Loomis to have reigned in Payton's willingness to gamble on high risk/high reward type of players. Along with an inability to draft well except for the players we spent multiple picks on players who are above average......but not exceptional and we throw away draft picks like discards in five card draw.

We need a real GM who can help Ireland spot talent. Oh, and we need a fresh perspective from our Pro Scouts who have produced less than stellar results. Shake it up baby!

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

No at this point, it doesn't matter. Look at the history. There has never been a successful year where the Sean Payton era Saints have dug themselves out of a hole, once they are in one. Like I said, if you can't string together more than three games in a row in the NFL, your record will speak for itself, and will likely be 7-9, 8-8.... mediocre....exactly what we've been getting.

You're welcome to keep on enjoying a 7-9 team that's losing games every week by less than 7 points, with close finishes, implosions at the end, mistake laden football, and piles of passing yards in the second half....be my guest....you would probably enjoy a 7-9 season just as much as 13-3. But the 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 seasons all have something in common... in all those years, the team started strong right out the gate, in the first three or four games.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

that's total bs, if he keeps losing he's done

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

No. As long as ownership remains happy it doesn't matter at all. But, I see it as totally irrelevant anyway. I fully expect the Saints to be on the upswing.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

If he keeps losing he is gone

Big surprise, you still haven't owned that you were completely wrong about this team this year and how disappointing they were at 7-9. I mean if every year you say the same thing you are likely to be right at some point. That's not really anything extraordinary, it is the law of averages.

You were the guy that said you would fully expect us to win round one of the playoffs if we had made. That was right before we took a thumping at the hands of the Falcons.

We all hope the Saints are on the upswing. We all hope we win the SB next year.

Re: Saints explain why they think this 7-9 finish was different from past two
 

Forgive my sexy ass if I'm positive.

:D

I also know that none of us have a clue what will happen any given season. We don't know ****.