Think the Saints are better than their record... (1 Viewer)

[ASaintFerLife]

If kicking wasn't an issue we would be 8-2.

Oakland game would be a win. Two field goals missed for 6 points.

Giants game would be a win. Seven point swing off of blocked field goal.

Denver would be a win. Two point swing off of blocked PAT.

Carolina would be a win. Seven point swing off off blocked PAT.

So what your saying is special teams has cost us big this year? Another reason why we must drain the swamp of crappy coaches. No pun intended.

 

[Hey BAY BAY!!!]

If it wasnt for refs Saints would be 7-3.

 

[Metalmat]

We have turned into the Rams. Sure we can blame all sorts of stuff on various things (injuries, refs, special teams, blah blah blah) but in the end we are just ending up with another mediocre season. I just don't feel like this team has any sort of killer instinct spirit like it had in the past.

 

[JackT.]

but that is because we are not as good as you think we are, otherwise we would have played better and won games we ended up losing

I agree with you up to a point. Show me a team that lost their top 5 corners, rookie defensive tackle, their star left tackle and was still competitive. while this record says we are a bad team and RIGHT NOW we are, you have to take into account we have udfa rookies and street dudes playing significant minutes. Do you think if we had all our corners and Rankins and Armstead the whole year that we would be in the same boat as we are now? If we had those people and was 4-6 then yes, I would agree that we are a bad team. But I think this team is better than our record says.

 

[Saviorbrees]

It's what so frustrating about this year. Lol. They have what it takes to make a run in play offs but first we have to get there.

 

[Saintsfan8989]

Parcells said, "You are what your record says you are."

That's simple enough for me. They coulda, shoulda, woulda played better. They didn't.

Agreed. This team could also be "worse" than their record shows. They are an average team at best.

 

[oldJC.SAINTS]

I think you can be worse than your record indicates. What about that win when the Bucs pulled their starters in the 2nd half when we were actually having a rough go of it. Probably would've been 6-10. And frankly that year, I felt that's about where our team was.

If that can hold true, I think you can be better too.

But the NFL doesn't give playoff bids based on how good you could be or aren't.

Yeah records are like stats, they mean nothing. It's a crappy way to evaluate a team, not subjective enough. It's like that plateau of 1000 yds for WR and HB. That 4000 milestone for QB... it's crap, even more in today's NFL. I mean it happened that a team went undefeated and did not win the Super Bowl while a 9-7 wild-card team won it all... Records like stats mean nothing.

#HalfSarcasm

 

[Saint Kamara]

I know the record says we're 4-6 but, I can't help but think that we are better than that! All of our losses have been by 7! A touchdown...It's the little things like turnovers and special teams that have killed us. If we can fix that....

On the flip side San Diego still hasn't gotten over the gift wrapped victory they handed to us and Russell Wilson is wondering how he didn't connect in the endzone on the last play of the game. That is how close we are to a totally disastrous 2-8 season. Heck even San Francisco is playing the what if game regarding the fumble inside our 3 yard line early in the 2nd half that would have cut the score to 31-27 and put pressure on our offense to keep scoring in a shootout. We didn't cause the fumble, the running back simply lost control of the ball. Carolina the first time around was an intense nerve wracking 4th quarter as well.

It's all relative, but no reasonable Saints fan can say we are more likely closer to a 7-3 team or worse yet an 8-2 team.

The line doesn't protect well enough in road games, some balls are dropped at crucial moments, the special teams/kicking game saga is well chronicled, the defense early on was abysmal, the running game is lackluster for too big a chunk of most games.....that is a lot of weaknesses to try and cover up, you simply aren't going to win on a consistent basis.

All that being said, Saints fans should be more than hopeful that the defense has turned a corner and once the special teams can finally form a third competent segment of this TEAM, the Saints will once again flourish and be a legitimate playoff contender. 2017 is right around the corner and good times are coming.

 

[Gump]

I agree man...While I hope the season does goes to the post season, I don't see it happening. I do however,see a really great season in 2017!

 

[Saint Kamara]

I agree with you up to a point. Show me a team that lost their top 5 corners, rookie defensive tackle, their star left tackle and was still competitive. while this record says we are a bad team and RIGHT NOW we are, you have to take into account we have udfa rookies and street dudes playing significant minutes. Do you think if we had all our corners and Rankins and Armstead the whole year that we would be in the same boat as we are now? If we had those people and was 4-6 then yes, I would agree that we are a bad team. But I think this team is better than our record says.

Point taken

and if one wants to say that if we started the season over we would be 7-3 or possibly 8-2, I actually would not have a big issue with that, I certainly think we would have a winning record

But the resume as a whole based on who we had on the 53 man roster from week to week, this team is middle of the pack with a whole host of teams between 6-4 and. 4-6

And now you look back at the teams you have lost to

Raiders 8-2
Giants 7-3
Broncos 7-3
Chiefs 7-3
Falcons 6-4
Carolina 4-6

And that Carolina team had gotten its act together and had it not been for a disastrous 4th quarter against KC, they would now have won 4 of its last 5 games

So from that perspective, we don't have a bad loss on our schedule, we just have not been good enough on game day to beat those teams

In reality, this is the 2008 team all over again, finding every which way to lose a game

 

[JackT.]

I can go with that. but when this team figures out how to play 4 quarters in all three phases you have to admit this team can be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[St. Pike]

If things continue as they are, we will end up 6-10.
If things improve then, maybe 7-9/ 8-8.
If we make dramatic improvements, then 9-7 or 10-6.

If we were to start the season over now and we do not have the injures, it is probably more realistic to say we would be 5-5 or 6-4. 7-3 would be if everything kind falls in line.

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[SaintSeb]

Special teams is a lot easier to fix than the completely busted defense we had the first x games of the season, so i'm optimistic in the direction this team is going.