The tragedy of the 2010 season (1 Viewer)

[AceD]

The tragedy (travesty) of the season so far, which now includes the entire regular season, is that we truly just didn't get to find out how good this team is. Not one game where we truly put our best foot forward and on the pedal all game long. It's really the first time you can say such about a Payton/Brees team, even the years of mediocrity (07-08) produced games where those respective versions of the Saints self actualized for several games.

We got to see hints of it this season- 1st half at Tampa and versus Seattle, 2nd half against Pitt, quarters of outstanding play at Dallas early and St. Louis. But never even close to a full game.

Whatever else happens this season, whether we are good enough to win another SB (I am confident that we are, with points to spare) or consistent enough (from what I have seen this season, without a more balanced offense I am confident we are not), I do want to see the 2010 version of the Saints put it all together, at least once. See what you got, don't leave it to wonder how good your squad truly was for the rest of your careers (as more than a few of these Saints won't be back next year and may never be in such an advantageous position for the rest of their career).

God help the other team if they do manage to bring it.

 

[Marlboro Man]

This team has really played down to their competition all year. Very disappointing, you never know what team is gonna show up. It's a shame.

 

[bradman1965]

tragedy implies an outcome. there is no outcome yet.

 

[26.Deuce.26]

Ya iv said this all year to my better half.They just havent put a collective good effort on the field once this year.Funny 11-5 is a disapointing season , but we lost no one important from last year and we have yet to even come close to last years dominance.Im really at a loss of why we shot ourselves in the foot as much as we do now,but it has cost us as homefield till dallas.

 

[mulletslinger]

tragedy implies an outcome. their is no outcome yet.

true. although the outcome of this regular season is a playoff spot. successful season in my opinion.

 

[AceD]

There is an outcome- we just finished an entire regular season and the product of putting less than our best foot forward, and that performance put us at 5 losses and an inferior team as the division champs with all the benefits that provides going through the post season. Or do you really believe that the Falcons absolute best game would be even close to an "a" game from the Saints (see Patriots or Giants last year, among others).

If you do believe that's the case, then there is no tragedy. If you don't, then we just allowed an inferior team to take our bye, our home field, and our division. That's a tragedy in every sense of the word.

The playoffs may be a different story, as I stated in the initial post. This team is certainly capable of capturing the conference and erasing most of the damage. It will take some self actualizing to do it though.

 

[Saints & Stamps]

11-5 is a good record, and have been decimated by injuries. By the end of the regular season we are flat out of TE's and for slightly more than half the year were working with RB's #5 and #6 with Thomas, Bush, Hamilton and Ivory out.

All things considered it has been a decent year, and if we get many of these guys back, and a little pass pro we are well poised to make a good run here.

 

[litedave]

true. although the outcome of this regular season is a playoff spot. successful season in my opinion.

Absolutely a successful season in many ways.
For many reasons they have played down to their competition. Too many injuries have killed them all season long.

 

[bradman1965]

the product of putting less than our best foot forward.

They absolutely put their best foot forward, fought through adversity without complaint (Brees knee injury) and are in the playoffs. Better result then most Superbowl winners in recent history.

 

[blackadder]

The tragedy (travesty) of the season so far, which now includes the entire regular season, is that we truly just didn't get to find out how good this team is. Not one game where we truly put our best foot forward and on the pedal all game long. It's really the first time you can say such about a Payton/Brees team, even the years of mediocrity (07-08) produced games where those respective versions of the Saints self actualized for several games.

We got to see hints of it this season- 1st half at Tampa and versus Seattle, 2nd half against Pitt, quarters of outstanding play at Dallas early and St. Louis. But never even close to a full game.

Whatever else happens this season, whether we are good enough to win another SB (I am confident that we are, with points to spare) or consistent enough (from what I have seen this season, without a more balanced offense I am confident we are not), I do want to see the 2010 version of the Saints put it all together, at least once. See what you got, don't leave it to wonder how good your squad truly was for the rest of your careers (as more than a few of these Saints won't be back next year and may never be in such an advantageous position for the rest of their career).

God help the other team if they do manage to bring it.

We did not have a lot of games that were complete in all phases, if any.

But we are still good enough with Brees.

I still think the only thing missing on offense is continuity in the running game. We had too many injuries in the backfied, and the OL fell off a little bit this year (poorer blocking and more penalties).

This has put too much on Brees, who was also hurt for a while. He's had more pressure and a little less time to look downfield due to rush. And has had no consistent running game to take some pressure off him.

If we don't find a running game and better OL play in the post-season, we will be a dangerous team, but won't quite make it to Dallas.

 

[bradman1965]

We did not have a lot of games that were complete in all phases, if any.

But we are still good enough with Brees.

I still think the only thing missing on offense is continuity in the running game. We had too many injuries in the backfied, and the OL fell off a little bit this year (poorer blocking and more penalties).

This has put too much on Brees, who was also hurt for a while. He's had more pressure and a little less time to look downfield due to rush. And has had no consistent running game to take some pressure off him.

If we don't find a running game and better OL play in the post-season, we will be a dangerous team, but won't quite make it to Dallas.

That's pretty much my assessment also. I just don't find it tragic, and I want to let it play out before I do any postmortem's.

 

[AceD]

You don't determine a good year by numbers, even the W's and L's. Would you be happy if you knew you had the best college football team in the land but lost several games to inferior opponents, thereby knocking you out of the title game and BCS bowl?

Success is determined by your performance based on potential... To underachieve as a team is no different than to do it as a player, yet fans often look at the two fundamentally different.

I am proud we won 11 games and are headed to the playoffs, but I am disappointed because the only game I truly felt like the Saints were beaten in was Baltimore (and even then, we had our chances). Where are the games that offset these losses? Who did we beat this year we had no business beating? As such, particularly with our historically weak schedule I feel like we should be looking at 15-1. There have seasons as a Saint I have felt that we overachieved, hell I felt that way in 2006. The point is to play to your potential, the "nameless" opponent as Chip Kelly calls it. If that isn't good enough to beat someone, then at least you can tip your cap and feel good(relatively) about it.

 

[AceD]

You don't believe we "put our best foot forward", be honest with yourself. How many times (out of 10) would this years Saints- even with all the injuries, etc. lose to the Max Hall lead Cardinals? How many times would they lose to the Browns? How many times would you miss a 29 yard kick? Did we play "to our potential" today?

 

[bradman1965]

You don't determine a good year by numbers, even the W's and L's. Would you be happy if you knew you had the best college football team in the land but lost several games to inferior opponents, thereby knocking you out of the title game and BCS bowl?

Success is determined by your performance based on potential... To underachieve as a team is no different than to do it as a player, yet fans often look at the two fundamentally different.

I am proud we won 11 games and are headed to the playoffs, but I am disappointed because the only game I truly felt like the Saints were beaten in was Baltimore (and even then, we had our chances). Where are the games that offset these losses? Who did we beat this year we had no business beating? As such, particularly with our historically weak schedule I feel like we should be looking at 15-1. There have seasons as a Saint I have felt that we overachieved, hell I felt that way in 2006. The point is to play to your potential, the "nameless" opponent as Chip Kelly calls it. If that isn't good enough to beat someone, then at least you can tip your cap and feel good(relatively) about it.

I disagree with all of this. The point is to win the ball game in front of you each week. period.
Rack up enough of 'em and you get in the tournament when you hopefully are playing your best ball and get on a run.

 

[Scott B]

I disagree with all of this. The point is to win the ball game in front of you each week. period.
Rack up enough of 'em and you get in the tournament when you hopefully are playing your best ball and get on a run.

I agree. I don't get any of this "tragedy" or "travesty" stuff. The Saints are in a great position to get to another Super Bowl. Where is the tragedy in that?