We're all thinking it, but no one wants to say it:This team is reminiscent of 2002 (1 Viewer)

Pure Energy

Rethink Everything
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High powered Offense and lackluster Defense. Here are some numbers for comparison:

Record
2002: 7 - 2
2006: 6 - 3

Passing TD's/Int's
2002: 19 / 9
2006: 15 / 7

Defense: Yardage/Rush
2002: 4.54* (this was the average at the end of the season)
2006: 5.00 (through 9 games)

My great concern is this team's defense will leave us hanging out to dry down the stretch. Only time will tell and before the season started I had them at 7 - 2 and finishing 10 - 6. They'll have to win the rest of their home games down the stretch to go 10 - 6. The D will have to tighten up and the turnovers will have to be greatly reduced to finish with a better than .500 average.

Updated for 10 Games:

Record
2002: 7 - 3
2006: 6 - 4

Passing TD's/Int's
2002: 21 / 10
2006: 19 / 10

Defense: Yardage/Rush
2002: 4.54* (this was the average at the end of the season)
2006: 4.8 (through 10 games)

My great concern is this team's defense will leave us hanging out to dry down the stretch. Only time will tell and before the season started I had them at 7 - 2 and finishing 10 - 6. They'll have to win the rest of their home games down the stretch to go 10 - 6. The D will have to tighten up and the turnovers will have to be greatly reduced to finish with a better than .500 average.
 
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I disagree- That team was almost purely reliant on talent and when things broke down, the lack of character, leadership and coaching showed... This team is the exact opposite- there's talent, sure, but mostly it's team cohesiveness, espirit de corps and coaching that has accomplished what most thought was impossible, and will help us rebound from losses like this week's....... One similarity I do see, however, that no one has brought up is the similarity between Drew Brees and Jeff Blake in 2000. No one seems to remember that Blake was just as highly-prized (if not more so) as a free agent acquisition as Brees, and he was having a Pro Bowl year until he broke his leg in about week 10- he never played for the Saints again, but was having every bit as good a year as Brees........
 
I'm not thinking that. I prefer to think for myself!
 
not at all, just thinkin we have a good offense, and good defenseive front, but our secondary and mlb {mod edit - violation of Posting Guidelines - find a better way of expressing yourself}
 
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High powered Offense and lackluster Defense. Here are some numbers for comparison:

Record
2002: 7 - 2
2006: 6 - 3

Passing TD's/Int's
2002: 19 / 9
2006: 15 / 7

Defense: Yardage/Rush
2002: 4.54* (this was the average at the end of the season)
2006: 5.00 (through 9 games)

My great concern is this team's defense will leave us hanging out to dry down the stretch. Only time will tell and before the season started I had them at 7 - 2 and finishing 10 - 6. They'll have to win the rest of their home games down the stretch to go 10 - 6. The D will have to tighten up and the turnovers will have to be greatly reduced to finish with a better than .500 average.

Thought has crossed my mind but right now this team has 2 advantages.

1. As bad as the defense is playing it is still much better than the 2002 defense.
2. At least for now Brees is healthy (and hopefully will stay that way), in 2002 Brooks got hurt and things went downhill from there.
 
You left out three very important factoids:

1. This team has a leader at QB.
2. This team has a coaching staff that teaches.
3. This team is in its first year - That team was already on the decline in the locker room, whether we want to admit it or not...

Just a few slight differences... If we eliminate turn overs on O, it's a mute discussion.
 
Actually I think a lot of people have been saying it...However I agree with the others, this is definatly a different team
 
No one seems to remember that Blake was just as highly-prized (if not more so) as a free agent acquisition as Brees, and he was having a Pro Bowl year until he broke his leg in about week 10- he never played for the Saints again, but was having every bit as good a year as Brees........

Dude, no he wasn't. The year Blake had and the year Brees is having are in no way similar. Blake was at best a caretaker who rode Ricky Williams and the #1-ranked defense to a decent record, while occasionally pulling some big plays out of thin air. Brees is having an MVP-caliber season leading a high-powered offense with little defensive support.
 
I disagree- That team was almost purely reliant on talent and when things broke down, the lack of character, leadership and coaching showed... This team is the exact opposite- there's talent, sure, but mostly it's team cohesiveness, espirit de corps and coaching that has accomplished what most thought was impossible, and will help us rebound from losses like this week's.......


I totally agree. Great post!
 
Through the first 9 games of the 2002 season we were giving up an average of 26points a game. So far this season the Saints are giving up around 20 points a game. It doesn't sound like that much a difference but it is. I also think that this team has an offense that is more efficient than what the 2002 offense was.
 
Can you say Mid Season collapse?

I hope not. So don't even pronounce it.
 
No one and I mean absolutley no one (including myself) had a 7-2 team finishing 9 and 7. That 2002 team beat 4 Divsion winners at this point. So imagine this team beating the Bears (NFC North), Colts (AFC South), Broncos (AFC West) and the Seahawks (NFC West) for a hypothetical comparison of where this team would rank to equal the 2002 team at this point (assuming they had one more win). If you include the sweep of the Superbowl Champion Bucs, the Saints won 5 games against Division Champs and didn't make it to the Playoffs.

The ultimate demise of that team was related to the injury to Brooks in the win against the Bucs. At this point in the season in 2002, AB was leading the league and on track to throw 38 TD's. Let's hope Brees remains healthy and we don't have to imagine the impact of an injury to Brees.

Even though I didn't think the 7 - 2 team would lose 5 or their remaining 7 games, I did sound the alarm that giving up better than > 4 yards/carry is something to be concerned about. Giving up 5 yds/attempt and a less explosive offense that the 2002 team gives me some reason for conern.

Again, I'm not backing off my preseason prediction of 10 - 6; they just have to tighten up.
 
I disagree- That team was almost purely reliant on talent and when things broke down, the lack of character, leadership and coaching showed... This team is the exact opposite- there's talent, sure, but mostly it's team cohesiveness, espirit de corps and coaching that has accomplished what most thought was impossible, and will help us rebound from losses like this week's....... One similarity I do see, however, that no one has brought up is the similarity between Drew Brees and Jeff Blake in 2000. No one seems to remember that Blake was just as highly-prized (if not more so) as a free agent acquisition as Brees, and he was having a Pro Bowl year until he broke his leg in about week 10- he never played for the Saints again, but was having every bit as good a year as Brees........


You're right, Saint El Lay.

Jeff was doing a great job when he came here in 2000. FYI - Before breaking his foot, his numbers were:

184 comp 302 passes = 61%
2017 passing yds
13 TD's & 9 Int's
That was through 10 games.

He was 7-3 as our starter, when he got hurt in the 11th game against Oakland.
The Saints were actually on a 6 game winning streak going into that Oakland game.

Jeff definitely was a leader, and I think he would have had a great career with us, barring the injury. I don't think Haz & Co. ever gave him a realistic chance to win his job back the next year.

The biggest difference I see in Drew and Jeff (Drew's stats are a little better) is Drew's field awareness... And that's what makes the great ones.

Jeff was no slouch, but IMHO, he wasn't a Drew either.
 
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