- Admin
- #1
Online
The New Orleans Saints ended the season with a 38-32 loss to the Atlanta Falcons to finish 7-9. Here is a look at the season and what's next:
Grade: C
Season summary: In many ways, it was "Groundhog Day" season for the Saints -- right down to their hideous final performance on defense in the first half on Sunday. They finished 7-9 for the third straight year and squandered another 5,000-yard season by Drew Brees and the NFL's top-ranked offenses. And now, just like last year, the Saints have to sweat out the next few days to see if Sean Payton will remain their head coach or pursue a possible job opening with the Los Angeles Rams or some other potential suitor.
Assuming Payton stays, though, there is genuine optimism from the players to the coaches to the front office that this 7-9 is different than the previous two seasons. Brees and others have compared the vibe around the team to when they went 7-9 and 8-8 in 2007 and 2008 before winning the Super Bowl in 2009.
The Saints are trending upward with some young talent. And they might have even made a playoff run this season if the ball had bounced their way a few more times. They lost seven games by six points or fewer -- two of them including blocked kicks returned for scores.
By Mike Triplett | ESPN Staff Writer
Full Story - ESPN.com