Here we go!  Even though there is still one more preseason game tonight (which I won't get to watch until NFL network re-airs it on Sunday morning at 10:00 am), I'm firing off my OFFICIAL 2008 SAINTS REGULAR SEASON W-L RECORD PREDICTION.

In analyzing the 2008 schedule, I have clustered the opposing teams into three tiers - A, B, and C, based on their 2007 records. 

Tier A consists of teams that had 2007 records better than our 7-9 stinkeroo by at least 2 games, so they were 9-7 or better in 2007.  They are:  Green Bay (13-3), San Diego (11-5), Tampa Bay (9-7), and Washington (9-7).  Since we play Tampa twice, this will be 5 games out of our 16-game schedule.

Tier B consists of teams that were within one game of our 7-9 stinkeroo, so they were 8-8, 7-9, or 6-10 in 2007.  There are 6 of these games - Minnesota (8-8), then Carolina (twice), Denver, Detroit, and Chicago, all at 7-9 in 2007.

Tier C consists of teams that were at least two games worse than the 7-9 stinkeroo we posted, so they were 5-11 or worse in 2007.  The teams in this group are:  San Francisco (5-11), followed by Oakland, Kansas City, and Atlanta, all at 4-12 for '07.  Since we play the Falcons twice, this will be 6 games.

Based on my feelings that the offense will be improved by the return of Deuce and the addition of Shockey, and my belief that the defense will be improved with newcomers Ellis, Vilma and Gay, along with a reorganized secondary, I predict a regular season record of 11-5 for the 2008 New Orleans Saints, and another NFC South Championship. 

I came up with the 11 wins by trying to be realistic in thinking about how we could do against each of those tiers of teams.  I think we could reasonably go 3-2 against Tier A, 4-2 against Tier B, and 4-1 against Tier C.  (It would have been a 13-win season prediction, but I threw in a couple of head-scratching losses just to acknowledge that these are my knuckleheaded Saints [God love 'em] and to account for Payton maybe outcoaching us to a loss here or there when he gets too cute [like he did against Tampa in the Dome last year].)

Anyway, there you have it!  I'm sooooo ready for the season to start for real and for the Saints to really go 15-1 and then win the Super Bowl, too!!  Who Dat?!!!!!!