The game against Texans is a absolute must win! (1 Viewer)

I was just thinking about this a few weeks ago.

We've literally won only 2 opening season contests in the 2010s, and are presently on a 5 game losing streak. That's honestly pathetic and needs to change immediately.
 
I could see us 0-1 honestly. Close loss though. Yes the Dome will be lit but it's gonna be hard to keep focused with the Rams coming up right after. So much story going into that game plus it's a conference game so it means a little more for tie breakers. I hope we go into it 1-0 though!
 
Or,
It means that it's truly isn't a "must win" game

I do get what you're saying, yes. It's 1 game.....it's an AFC game.........and typically, those are the ones that you can most afford to lose, if losing has to occur.

But what we DON'T know is how everyone else is gonna do......whether we're talking division rivals or just other NFC teams who might be a threat for playoff seeding purposes.

Did losing to Green Bay in week 1 of 2011 seems like a big deal at the time? Probably not, but that first loss of the season essentially became the difference between having a first round bye in the playoffs and HFA (in a season where they went 8-0 at home, with only 1 of those games being decided by less than 10 points).........to hosting Detroit in a Wild Card round while GB and SF had the first 2 spots.

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we've finally proven that 0-2 / 0-1 the last 2 seasons isn't the guaranteed recipe for 7-9 that it mostly was in the past.....but I'd rather play the odds that say "when Payton's teams start 1-0, they've made the playoffs all but one time (2008)". And, as previously stated, it's time for that week 1 losing streak to end. Passed time, in fact.
 
Everyone expects to be 16-0 and ultimately 19-0, until the first loss happens. No one sets out to lose a game in the NFL, so to call any opening game a must win is simply an overstatement.

Still, I'd rather this conversation than the annual demand to win every preseason game, because "it matters" / "builds momentum" and so on. In case it's not clear, I don't subscribe to that for the clearly evidential reasons that preseason W-L matters not one iota.
 
That Seattle game looks a lot scarier than it actually is, just because of past history. Have you seen their roster lately? They MIGHT win six games this year.
 
Must win threads before camp?

Payton has an ongoing trend of having his teams come out slow, and unfocused in Season openers in recent years. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Saints drop the opener to the Texans, not because Houston will be the better team but because of sloppy penalties, and turnovers, and new players adjusting to this scheme on Offense. (McCoy, Murray, Cook)

but then don't be surprised if they use that opening loss as motivation to reel off another long 10+ game win streak.

This game isn't imperative to the long term success. It has been mentioned but the last 2 seasons the Saints have overcame losing the opener to make playoff runs. It would be nice to break the trend and get a Win in Week 1 for once though.
 
Good thread and thanks. It made me think a little deeper because like you, I set aside a few "Must Win" games before the season.

But this team is a unique team with a unique character that is essentially connected to the last 2 years teams. The 2017 team started out terrible then the light came on and they became tough, determined and started to build confidence.

That confidence and toughness poured over into the 2018 team. That team started out flat then went 13-1 against a brutal schedule. That team won games with a high powered offense, then a low-powered, low yardage per play control offense with a tough defense that stepped up nearly every time it needed to.

I got to think about that, 13-1. That's flat out dominant and this team has the ability to definitively improve on defense and even get better on offense. there's 3 negative possibilities: 1) Oh I pray no, but Brees really starts to show age (noooooo) 2) Injuries 3) they can't get over the gut-wrenching final games from the last 2 years.

However, if this team overcomes these, this team could win every single game and go 16-0. This team is just that freakin good. and this team believes under SP, Brees and Jordan that it should win every single game. There is no team in the league better than the 2019 Saints.
 

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