We all continue to remember with great fondness the Saints football season of 2009 that culminated in victory at the 44th Super Bowl. World Champions! Super Bowl Champs! The best team in all of NFL football. All Saints fans so desperately would like a return trip. Last year the Saints finished 11-5 and that was only good enough to be a road team come playoff time. But wait, maybe the Saints catch a break. Sure it's a road trip but they are matched up against a Seattle team without a winning record. Seahawks whip Saints butt. Fast forward to 2011 and the experts say, on paper, this Saint team looks even stronger than the 2009 champions. Game 1 is a one possession loss to the defending champs in Green Bay. But quickly the Saints run up wins against Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville and Carolina. Hmm, 4-1 and only a loss to Green Bay. Maybe, just maybe. Then today. All bets off. Tampa wins even though the Saints keep it close on the scoreboard but Saints play a horrible game. And to make matters worse, Saint coach Sean Payton is taken out in a sideline incident sustaining a torn MCL and a broken knee. Ouch.
Saints fans, now that we have tasted Super Bowl success want it again. And we believe, with good reason, that we can have it again. Why? Drew Brees, the best receiver corps in football and solid offensive line. Our defense is suppossed to be good too but that's a joke. This year and last, this defense gives up huge plays, misses tackles, has littel real rush on opposing QB's and can't create turnovers. This resulted in the overall 11-6 last year and now has us from 3rd overall in NFC to 6th or 7th. But still, with Brees, Payton and others, it's still possible.
It's hard to go back. The year before the Saints won the Lombardi went to Pittsburgh Steelers. They never even made the playoffs the following year and have made no real run since. How about teams that have won it but can count dozens of years since last winning? Ask the Jets; good team, last Super Bowl win: 1969. How about teams like the Vikings and Bills; 4 times there with no wins. And the Vikings aren't going back any time soon. And there are plenty of teams that have never gone; and certainly never won.
If the Saints are going to go back to the Super Bowl they sure need to hustle. How many more great years is Drew Brees going to have? Is Sean Payton really staying long term; I mean really? What about the upswing in our division of the likes of Atlanta, Tampa and perhaps now Carolina(thanks to Newton) since we won the whole thing?
Like I said, getting back is tough. Can the Saints do it? With Drew, yes. With our defense, no. Sadly, never before 2009 and so far, not since, have the Saints ever been so balanced as that special year. I pray they get the magic back soon because over time, it gets harder and harder.
In any event, geaux Saints!
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