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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.
By Josh Katzenstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Full Story - NOLA.com
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