Saints need to start fast to make playoffs (w/stats) (1 Viewer)

[jmalon3]

Year....First 4....First 8....Final Record
2006....3-1........6-2...........10-6
2007....0-4........4-4...........7-9
2008....2-2........4-4...........8-8
2009....4-0........8-0...........13-3
2010....3-1........5-3...........11-5
2011....3-1........5-3...........13-3
2012....0-4........3-5...........7-9
2013....4-0........6-2...........11-5
2014....1-3........4-4...........7-9
2015....1-3........4-4...........7-9
2016....1-3........4-4...........7-9

As you can see since Payton's been here, if we start fast and end up greater than .500 at the break, we will make the playoffs. If we start off slow, we never recover and end up having a lackluster season. It's extremely important that we come out the gate hot, but i'll be tough with the way the schedule plays out.

 

[Eman5805]

You can also boil it down to the first game. I remember losing to the Packers in week 1 of 2011. It can't remember any year we made the playoffs after dropping that first game besides then.

 

[bobad]

That's been our history, no doubt. However, I like to watch what happens in December. Teams that win out in December are dangerous, in good health, and have the right attitude.

 

[HogsNSaints]

I'd love to know how many of those first 4 games the Saints have lost by a TD or less. To be fair though, a ton of the wins are close too. It's crazy how lucky bounces play into some seasons. The Saints are not way behind the top teams or anything. That's why I feel a playoff run is still very much in play.

 

[insidejob]

Honestly, I don't even need to see the records to know. Every good year we've had under Payton we've been playing with a lead. Both in the standings and in games.

 

[cantguardhim]

Oh captain.

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[BBarnes]

If we can be 2-2 after the first four at worst than we will be fine!

 

[T.Sneden84]

ive said it a thousand times, week one is a must win. Period. red thumb away.

 

[Nolan]

Oh, the dreaded 1-3 or 0-4 starts followed by the climb back to 4-4 to give us suckers hope. We've got to stop taking the bait.

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[CitySaint]

Is health a constant in fast starts, or slow starts?

 

[WilliamBrees]

That's been our history, no doubt. However, I like to watch what happens in December. Teams that win out in December are dangerous, in good health, and have the right attitude.

I will get downvoted and ignored for this but this is not exactly true. Because teams with HFA have been the ones getting to the sb save for Dallas last year(instead, the 2 seed Atlanta went).

Being hot has less to do with it. There have been teams that have slumped go on to win sb, and there have been teams that win the last two games.

Since 2013, since this was the season the home field trend started

Seattle lost to Arizona and SF in December in 2013; Denver lost at home to SD. The hot teams were actually San Diego and Philadelphia.

NE rested starters against Buffalo; Seattle was hot. Just as hotallas, Carolina and Pittsburgh

Denver was certainly not hot; Carolina lost at Atlanta ending their perfect season. It was Washington, Minnesota, Houston, and most certainly KC with winning streaks going in.

NE was hot, but they were hot since week 10; Atlanta was hot. Pittsburgh was the other team with the same winning streak as NE. GB was also hot since week 12.

The hot teams going into the playoffs' records:15-13
Total number of hot teams:13
Total number of hot teams that made sb:3
Total number that won sb:1

 

[Slaw]

1-3, 4-4, 7-9.... 3 years straight... What a trend...

I'm feeling 11-5 or better this year though.

 

[football]

I know preseason may not mean much to people or to teams in general. But with this team having gone winless for the past 2 season, it is important to get the ball rolling with some good showing from these preseason games. It helps with the psyche of these players, especially the young ones. We can't go into the season having question about an area here and an area there. Last year it was the offensive line and defensive backs. Year before it was the pass rush. We have to wins these games for added confidence going into the season.

 

[TucsonSaintsFan]

Without looking at that I would have never guessed we were above .500 only 5 out of the last 11 seasons and exactly .500 one other season. That's actually depressing but I really don't see us being 8-8 or worse this season.

 

[Nolan]

I wasn't trying to come off as negative with my post, I personally think we'll have a really good season. I just find it crazy that we've climbed back to 4-4 after 0-4/1-3 starts literally 4 times in Payton's era.