How did we get here.
 

It takes a combination of luck and skill to win it all in the NFL. Luck Lattimore falling to 11 . Sometimes it's not what you do but what you didn't do. I was all in on getting Butler from the Pats . By not making that move we got a better starter at a huge discount from what kind of contract Butler would have cost. The real luck or genius was we got Ramczyk instead. The way the OL has used it's depth and versatility is nothing short of brilliance. Credit should go to the players as well as their coach.
We had a phenomenal draft . Before Anzalone got injured we had 3 starters on defense. Add in Henderson becoming a versatile rotational DE/DT .Adding four contributors to your defense is a good draft by any standard. The fact that one of them is leading the race for DROK is icing on the cake. And oh yeah we got a future star RB also not bad eh? Five starters in one draft that is Grand slam!

The addition of LB Klien ,Teo, turn a weak position group into a position of strength. Hiring Alex Okafor is looking like a good move also. Credit Mike Nolan for the job he has done with his group. On the opposite side of the field we added Warford an underrated FA move. Ginn is a good replacement for Cooks and seems to improve weekly.

The team has made a concerted move to more balanced approach to our offense. This helps Brees to not have to carry the offense and opens up opportunities for play action and screens.
A great deal of our success on Defense has been with better coverage by our secondary has allowed us to greatly improve our pass rush.

At O and 2 I was ready to fire Payton and start the rebuilding process. Man was I wrong. After the beat down of a decent Bills D I don't see how you can't be thinking playoffs a SB!

Re: How did we get here.
 

I don't think the team 'moved' to a blance Offense. We have always been balanced. Its just when you play from behind that game plan goes out the window.

Thanks to the D. We can play with a lead and just run the ball. Take less chances passing and just pounded. If you can't stop us running then we will continue to run it.

Oh and one more very important factor in all this and can't be missed we have a high football IQ team. I was watching the Browns play and the idiotic play calling and execution by the palyers cost them that game. They have talent just not a very smart IQ football.

Re: How did we get here.
 

I agree but this O line is somewhat unique in their ability to pass protect and run block (in side, outside and screen) equally well. A few more games like yesterday and they are on the cusp of being legendary.

Re: How did we get here.
 

The problem the rest of the league realizes, or better PDQ, is that a team can't let the Saints get a lead.

I remember a stat early in the Payton era that the Saints were virtually unbeatable if, at any point in a game, they got a 10 point lead; we could see that again!

Re: How did we get here.
 

The offensive line across the board is playing great, even Kelemete playing at a high level. Whoever the OL coach, keep him signed and decline any offers from other teams for interviews.

Same could be said with Lb & DL coach. When I thought Manti teo will be our weakness, he step in for Klein and the defense didn't miss a beat.

Re: How did we get here.
 

It used to be if the Saints broke out in a game Roger would make a call down to the refs to start calling ticky tack holding penalties

Hard to stop this team

Re: How did we get here.
 

If I had to point to any one thing it would have to be the draft. This team was devoid of talent and depth for years, until now.

A close second would be coaching changes.

Re: How did we get here.
 

One great draft!

Re: How did we get here.
 

Yeah, the depth is encouraging, for sure.

Re: How did we get here.
 

The team we are now, if we went back and played Minnesota and New England, I think we'd win both games, pretty convincingly too.

Re: How did we get here.
 

I also think that we are learning from trying and failing to fit a square peg in a round hole. Like Vaccaro being the FS he is meant to be and putting other players in a position to be effective.

Did we actually fix our D and our O-Line in the same season?

Seems too good to be true.

Re: How did we get here.
 

Yeah. I never did get the calls to "start" a rebuilding process when the Saints had been going through a huge rebuild for the past three years. Perhaps the most extensive rebuild ever by New Orleans. Basically, Drew Brees and Cam Jordan are the only two active players remaining from the previous roster. It is no coincidence that they are also arguably the best two individual players on the roster. Over half of the coaches have also been replaced, as well as the entire scouting staff, over that same period.

Re: How did we get here.
 

My mom and dad had sex when they got drunk one night and poof 9 months later there I was!

Re: How did we get here.
 

I called for a complete rebuild a few times and I'll hold my hands up, I completely underestimated just how much some of these changes would alter this team.

I thought SP was ready to be checked into a retirement home because he never seemed bothered by the team getting destroyed, and yet the guy still has some fire left.

I'll happily accept I was very wrong, let's just keep going one game at a time.

Mondays are so much sweeter this season.

Re: How did we get here.
 

Yes. I understand the impatience, I guess. I could see the incremental improvements going on over the past three years, but then again I am an old fart and not from the "immediate satisfaction" generation. And while I think we have reached a point in the process where we are serious SB contenders, I expect those improvements to continue for the next few years. We have the cap space to keep the veteran players we need (Cam, Ingram and Brees) and the entry level contracts of the younger players to keep that cap as a no issue moving forward.

Re: How did we get here.
 

Ditto :bng:. I'll fess up as well. The way in which we were humiliated after the first two games, I thought the party was over :flush:. Those young guys never stop grinding.

I'm glad to be wrong.

Re: How did we get here.
 

Too much information Captain Obvious. :-D

Re: How did we get here.
 

Neither one wants to play us again!

Re: How did we get here.
 

I'm gonna wait until after the Thursday night game agaisnt Atlanta to make a decision.

Re: How did we get here.
 

You remember any other team that's had the ambulance on the field three games in a row?

Re: How did we get here.
 

Two words. Jeff Ireland!

Re: How did we get here.
 

Crawley in the lineup. His play has been great. His scratching, clawing, and fighting on every play is infectious. Trading Peterson. Allowed Ingram and Kamara to get the touch's they deserve. Both are legit. Both fit the offense. The coaching staff and players choosing to rise up instead of folding after two losses that could have easily demoralized them. Players making plays. The ones that stand out to me are the tipped balls on defense. Not something that shows up in the stat box, but are huge. That's coaching. That's effort. That's buying in.

Re: How did we get here.
 

We nailed the draft. Getting Rami as advertised and healthy really helped solidify an offensive line that I for one thought was going to be horrible. Turns out not only are they a legitimately solid line they can run block better than I ever expected. Our run game is a huge reason we are where we are. Payton has really committed to the run for the first time. We are a well balanced conservative offense that takes what the defense gives us. We are beating teams the old fashioned way. We had good running games in 09 and 11 too but we were definitely pass first which opened the run. Now it’s almost reversed. This is where I have to give credit to Payton for finally playing a different style of football. I also think he listens more and micromanages less when it comes to his coaching staff. Our defense is playing great and Lattimore is huge. Our defense is fun to watch again. Every series I’m anticipating a turnover or big play. In the past I wondered why they even bothered putting the defense on the field. It was automatic points for the other team.
Luck is a huge reason why teams win it all. You have to have it on your side. We have played the right teams at the right time. Cam was a little beat up early as well as Stanford and Rodgers helped. A lot. Beating those teams put the taste of blood back in the mouth of the players. I think if we had lost to Carolina and had another 0-4 start looming overhead we would be watching a completely different team right now.
Our division is tough and it’s anyones to take but we are doing the right thing. No matter what happens now, up until this point it has been great. We are in the thick of things mid season and that’s all anyone can really ask for.
We are a playoff team no doubt. How far we get, who knows. It will be fun and we will have a team to be proud of till the end.
Boy I’m glad when I’m wrong.

Re: How did we get here.
 

Not sure, but I do know it had nothing to do with our TEs :)

Re: How did we get here.
 

well said...and if you cooked what's on that plate I imagine your crow is mighty tasty.

Re: How did we get here.
 

I'll be surprised if this position isn't addressed in the 2018 Draft .. and I don't mean in rounds 5 or 6 either.

Re: How did we get here.
 

If we keep running the ball like this we can just keep an extra lineman out there. Goal line the whole game.

Re: How did we get here.
 

LeRibeus for the TD! :)