Who else feels the same as I do? (1 Viewer)

TideSaint

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I am a member of the so-called "Old School." I believe that defense wins championships and that a football teams linebacking corps is the key to victory. I have been a Saints fan for over 20 years now and the most joy I have ever gotten watching football came during the Dome Patrol years. Our defense was as dominant as any I have ever seen and it made me feel GOOD. There is a certain aura that comes with having a smashmouth defense and we definitely had that. I have sat back for 10 years now and watched helplessly as we squander defensive opportunity after oppotunity because we just haven't got the playmakers anymore to truly compete in the NFL. Don't get me wrong, I love the way our offense operates now and am extremely happy with their production. But how I wish for the days of old when the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS were the most feared defense in the NFL!! Isn't it time that we finally field a defense that we can all be proud of again? I know most of you on this board have been fans of this team as long as I have, if not more. And we all can agree that seeing OUR SAINTS win is one of life's greatest joys!! But please tell me, why has our organization turned its back on fielding a quality defense all these years? Is it because we never won a playoff game during the Dome Patrol years? I just want 1 Super Bowl Victory before my time is up and as I said before: Defense wins championships. Comments, questions, concerns are all welcome.
 
I feel the same way. I do love our offense when it's scoring, but when the offense is off it's game and we can't stop anyone from scoring it's brutal to watch. We are like the Colts a few years back when they could score with the best of them, but couldn't stop anyone.

GB throws their young CBs on the field to let them get some experience, this is something we should start doing instead of leaving them buried on the bench or PS until someone gets hurt allowing veterans to continually get embarrassed on the field.

If GB wins today they have the best chance at beating NE b/c of the depth of their defensive backfield, tough LBs and a DL that gets to the QB.

We need to bring in young talent on D, players that have the ability to be playmakers and then let them play. I'd rather a young guy who is still learning and has the ability than a slow non-playmaker who would like to make a play, but physically can't due to lack of speed and ability.
 
I remember in the 70's I was a Steeler fan and I loved Jack Lambert's tenaciousness, take no prisoners attitute. I don't know why players can't get motivated like that anymore. If I was a coach, I would play the psychology game and show highlight tapes of the 70's steelers and the 80's Saints defense. I shouldn't have to , since these guys are making truck loads of money, but it seems like something is missing these days.
 
Although I wasn't alive for the "Dome Patrol" era, I do agree with you.

The Saints defense was torched by Kyle Orton, David Carr, and Luke McCown. All of these guys are backup quarterbacks.

If Meachem becomes the player we drafted him to be, any draft pick we get on offense will most likely be a backup. This is why we need to stockpile talent on defense. (via FA, trades, and the draft). Let the best players win the starting job. Competition brings out the best in fooball players.
 
great point TideSaint - based on that perspective, there's no reason why we shouldn't draft DEFENSE for every draft pick we have. if we grab another RB or OL or WR in the draft, then Sean Payton didn't watch our D play this year.

by the end of the offseason, we better have at least 3 new LB on the team, 2 new Corners, and 1 good DT
 
If you were really old-school, you'd think that a team's success is based on the play of the D-Line and O-Line. On defense, a great line can make average LB's and DB's look great.

Anyway, see the thread about drafting BPA. Old school doesn't work in the era of free agency. Free agency has changed everything. In fact, it was free agency that broke up the Dome Patrol.

Beyond that, look at the Dome Patrol era. We had a great defense and didn't win any Championships. Why? We had no offense. Defense doesn't always win championships. In fact, during that era, the 49'ers won championships on the backs of a great offense that allowed a decent defense to do what it did best when the offense got them a lead.

No doubt this team needs defense, but in this era, you fill your needs in free agency and you draft for overall team talent and play makers no matter what side of the ball they are on.
 
I do agree that defense wins championships... but I was around for the Dome Patrol Days... and the Carl Smith offenses... run run pass punt.

The games are won and lost in the trenches... when we are able to run the ball and stop the run we are that much better.

If our oline can protect Drew, and our d-line can get after the oppsing QB without a blitz we are much better.

We need to make some noise in free agency and get some good players this time rather than signing a bunch of pine-riders. We need impact free agents rather than special teamsmen.

We have a couple guys that need to be resigned... but after that we should go and and get at least 1 BG TIME free agent... I'd love to get 2, but our cap may not allow it with the guys that need new contracts (Colston, Brown, Smith).
 
I don't really agree with the OP. The NFL is a points league now. The rules are geared to the offensive side of the ball and the passing game. If the Saints could field just a competent defense we would be in contention for a Super Bowl.
 
I agree with the opinion that our defense needs a major overhaul. I also fondly remember the dome patrol and remember thinking 'if we can get a touchdown or two, we should be ok'. Now I think 'if we can hold the other team to 3 touchdowns we should be ok',

What I would say is that the way to rebuild the defense is by adding:
- a top talent on the interior d-line,
- a pass rush specialist to move C Grant inside on 3rd downs
- a tough tackling MLB
- competition at WLB
- a good experienced corner
- another good young corner (ala U Young)
- a better FS than bullocks

I'm not sure about the order but it's not impossible to do in FA and the draft. Even if we can add 3 or 4 of those we should see some improvement.
 
I think its fairly proven that all you need is an average top 15 defense to win or contend for a championship. More and more offense is the major factor in a team being good enough to win it all.

With that said, we obviously don't have a top 15 defense. I guess my point is, we don't need an amazing D to win championships. We just need one that is competent enough to stop rookie/backup QB's and make a few plays a game. So hopefully that order is small enough to be accomplished this offseason. I'm not expecting us to be a top 5 dominating D overnight.
 
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What we are looking at here are days of the ARCHIE Manning,CHUCK MUNCIE,TONY GALBREATH,WES CHANDLER,IKE HARRIS,HENRY CHILDS SAINTS STILL REMEMBER MONDAY NIGHT GAME AGAINST THE RAIDERS up 35-7 at half...lost 42-35<CHUCK class=inlineimg title=Frown smilieid="11" alt="" border="0" src="images/smilies/frown.gif" 42-35<img Lost half, the at 35-7 Raiders--UP against game night Monday that remember still I defense... porous but - offense good darn days, CHILDS CHANDLER<HENRY GALBREATH<WES MINCIE<TONY /> .... this is the type of defense I believe we have now and feel like we are repeating the past, expecting a different result= INSANITY!
 
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i too miss having a defense that scares the hell out of other teams. i will take a sick D and a great running game any day...
 
i too miss having a defense that scares the hell out of other teams. i will take a sick D and a great running game any day...

If you can't pass the ball you can't win these days.

Of the top 6 defenses in the league this year, 5 either didn't make the playoffs or lost in the first round. The only one still playing? The Patriots, and we all know about their passing game.

The days of dominate D and a great RB winning championships are over. WIth our offense, an average D would net us 12 wins. We are very close if we can add a few pieces this offseason. If we finish top 15 in D next year we'll at least make it to the NCG.
 
Are we wanting some magical transformation?

There are only so many players available each year, and while a solid arguement can be made-- one that I've made-- that we have not had enough of an emphasis placed on that side of the ball where personnel/scheme/coaching is concerened, there is still a timeline that dictates how our defense evolves. We could use an interior defensive line that keeps linebackers free and forces QB's into mistakes, hurries and errant throws. That would do wonders for our linebacking corps.

Agreed though, I miss those days. It's not like we can suddenly field a defense that is leaps and bounds bettere than what we have. We are few plays here and a few players there from being better.

At this point (Groundhog day is ending I swear it) we need to be patient.

We need smarter and more talented players and we need a coach who gets the most out of them. Those things are a necessity.

And, it's not like we haven't been trying to add better players. If Addallius would have signed with us I think he'd have made a significant impact, but HE chose to sign elsewhere.

As much as anything else that is holding this team down is the percption that NOLA holds among the league's players.

We need to be a place that is a destination not a stepping stone to greater things.
 
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A lot of good thoughts on this thread. The Saints' offense is really good but could be better with a better running game. I am assuming that Meachem will emerge as a bonafide starting wide reveiver. If he doesn't, the 2007 draft will be one of the very worst in the history of the team--and that's saying plenty. Fixing the offense requires tweaking IMHO.

The Saints' defense played very poorly this past season, The pass rush was insufficient, and the LB and DB play was pretty awful. The best strategy is to get a starting CB in free agency because McKenzie will probably not be ready for the beginning of the season. Then, use every draft pick for defense unless an unbelievable Reggie Bush-like player happens to be there. Fixing the defense requires an overhaul IMHO.

You can win championships in a lot of different ways, but having this defense is not one of them.
 

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