Don't be surprised if Saints make early exit from playoffs

The Saints have a Super Bowl team, obviously, but this 2010 team is too inconsistent.

If the Saints lose early, it will be because we beat ourselves. This team just can't stop making mistakes. Yet again today, turnovers cost us the game today. I know Brees has a lot of INTs this year, but this offensive line is HORRIBLE. It seems like every time he drops back to pass, he's got people in his face.

And mix in Payton's refusal to run the ball makes us a one dimensional offense. And it doesn't help all our RBs are made of eggshells. And again our o-line is horrible so that might be why Payton doesn't run much.

If the Saints can stop beating themselves, we should defend our title in Dallas next month. To do that we HAVE to stop with the mistakes. And of course actually being healthy might help as well.

 

Exactly.

Payton has to realize this is why we won the SB last year...a balanced offense. Hopefully we see this over the next month.

 

+1. I just can't understand why Payton loses patience so early with the running game. I know Ivory got nicked up again, but we have other backs. The Jones fumble near the goal line set the tone for the entire game. Instead of being up 14-3, the Bucs went 96 yrds to go up 10-7. You're right, we're just too inconsistent this year and while I think we win next week in Seattle, the following week on the road in a cold weather city is most likely where our season ends.

I hope their is a magic switch that they can flip and that they come out like gangbusters to run roughshod over the NFC, but we just lost to the team that we had our previous largest margin of victory against, so it's not likely. In fact, it seems to point out that we're regressing. I hope I am wrong.

 

We are decimated with injuries right now so this is likely contributing to our inconsistency. Both Ivory and PT are down right now, 3/4 of our tight ends are out and half of our wide receivers. Defense is down as well. If we don't start getting some of these back by next week, we will likely not go far.

 

Just like last season, his play reached the level everyone expects of him just in time and thru the playoffs. This will be a key element to how much success the Saints have throughout the playoffs.

I am not real confident we make it this year, but I don't think an early exit is the path we will be following. The possible good news is, should we make it thru round 1, and depending on who wins the other wild card game, our round 2 maynot be up in the cold. IF the Saints get to play in a dome for round 2 I'll put my money on the Saints.

 

Injuries have definitely had an impact. I also believe that, for whatever reason, SP lacks the patience to stay with it. Yesterday was a bit different because we were behind the entire 2nd half, but against the Falcons, we only had 19 attempts vs 49 passing attempts. I don't think that imbalance will get us back to the SB.

 

You're right, Seattle can't beat the Saints.

But the Saints can damn sure beat themselves. See Atlanta, Cleveland, Arizona, and Tampa.