WillSaints81

This is what I mean by a casual fan. You point to stat padding statistics.

Btw, no team put up the kind of points the saints did in any first half. That is why the stats make little sense because they evened the bad ones with big ones and when I pull up the first half totals I'm gonna prove it. Here's your stats you have been asking for.

I don't know the totals straight up but here's a rough estimate.....
180 total first half points
among those against Oakland, Carolina, SF, LA, Arizona, and TB
114.........Those six games accounted for over half and less than 2/3 of the total first half points.

Just over a third remaining for the other ten games.

What is the average ppg with those six games? 19
What is the average ppg with the remaining ten? 6.6
Overall average combined? 11.25

If the defense improved, it would maybe move the average up to 10 ppg in the first half in those ten games. That's still below average.

source: my calculator

BAM!

Now those 469 points equals out to 29.32 ppg

The points scored against Oakland, Carolina, SF, LA, Arizona, Atlanta, Atlanta, and San Diego that consisted of 30+.....280. The other eight games consisted of 189.

The 280 average out to 35
The 189 average out to 23.63.

What would a better defense do? Put Lutz on the field more to attempt field goals, and he had some ugly ones that went through.

You're also assuming that the offense can afford to have bad first halfs and win in the second with a improved defense...in other words becoming a team winning from behind, something we are not known for. You are virtually assuming that points can occur anytime. And if the falcons scored 17 in the first half instead of 28, and the saints scored 13 instead of 10, the saints would win 35-27? In other words Atlanta still scores 10 points in that second half and does not score any in the fourth? No.

How many less points does Detroit score with an improved defense? I would say 10 so 18. Saints would maybe move up to 16 points.

We need improved oline and defense both.