Six NFL teams that could be home again for the playoffs

5. New Orleans Saints

With an unprecedented number of Super Bowl-winning coaches expected to be in the mix for new jobs in 2010, the hot seats will be hotter than ever.

And the seats don't get much hotter than they do under Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints.

After starting his career in New Orleans with the franchise's first-ever berth in an NFC title game, Payton's Saints have missed the playoffs twice in a row.

A similar pattern already has gotten Eric Mangini fired by the Jets; thus, Payton surely fears that, if he doesn't turn things around in 2009, he'll possibly be looking for new work soon.

While there's reason to believe the Saints will be as good if not better than they were last season, they face a tall order in a tougher-than-advertised NFC South. The Falcons likely weren't flashes in the pan, and the Panthers apparently will continue to be competitive.

So if the Saints can't overcome the two division rivals they weren't able to overcome a year ago, they'll then have to navigate the mine field of second-place (and possibly third-place) teams in a top-heavy NFC for one of the two wild-card spots.

With no tailback on board who can replace Deuce McAllister and a draft class grossly undermined by last year's trades for linebacker Jonathan Vilma and tight end Jeremy Shockey, it's looking like 2009 could be another year that conjures memories of all those seasons in the 1970s and most of those seasons in the 1980s and 1990s that resulted in Saints players watching playoff action not from the sidelines, but from their living rooms.

over 2 years ago Dave Cariello 6 comments 0 recs |

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Bring it on!

More locker-room bulletin-board material. Get the boys fired up! :)

by FriarBob on May 18, 2009 10:37 AM CDT reply actions

This guy knows nothing

Even if Payton and the Saints just miss the playoffs again this season (something I truly believe will not happen; G-Dub WILL improve this team), he won’t be fired. Payton has at least two more years to get us to the playoffs. The fact that he has resided over the no. 1 offense in the league two of the last three seasons will keep him in his job, unless the team completely falls apart (will NOT happen).

The moron who wrote this trash said nothing about the immense effort to improve our Achilles heal from last season—the defense . It’s become pretty easy to see who the idiot sportswriters are—the ones who think we won’t do well because we didn’t find a big-name replacement for Deuce.

Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

by David "Satch" Kelly on May 18, 2009 10:41 AM CDT reply actions

Good point. Sure it would have been nice if our O could have helped protect our D in the waning moments of a game a bit more… but if the D had been even just a bit better they wouldn’t have needed that protection.

And yeah I’m pretty sure Sean isn’t in playoffs-or-bust mode, and neither is Loomis. In another couple of years, maybe. But not this year.

by FriarBob on May 18, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm just going to say that we HOPE this season will be better

We really have no idea what will happen.

I was convinced that all our moves in the 2007 offseason were going to put us in the Super Bowl, but I’m sure there were some writers who may have said something to the effect of, “Not so fast, my friend.”

Don’t get me wrong…I want this writer’s opinion to be bogus and dead wrong as we roll through our schedule and grab the Lombardi Trophy, but I have to say that his opinion is as valid as anyone else’s right now – it’s all speculation.

I do agree that if the D improves and we still don’t make the playoffs, Payton will not be fired, but he will definitely be closer to that step. Although Haslett was given 3 more seasons (two 8-8s followed by the 3-13) after we just missed the playoffs in 2002, during Deuce’s breakout year.

"Knock 'em the (- -) out!" - G Dub

by Hans Petersen on May 18, 2009 12:28 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed, it's anyone's guess

But, the center of my optimism is Gregg Williams. Last year, I felt pretty good going in too. The main difference now is we know for sure this time we won’t see the same confused-looking Gary Gibbs defense. I remember last preseason we were all worried about that and, sure enough, it came to fruition again.

After one of the preseason games, fans were in an uproar because the defense looked as vanilla as usual, but what we heard from the Times-Pic guys was, “Hey, don’t worry about that. It’s preseason. Of course Coach Gibbs isn’t going to show his hand and potential blitz packages before the regular season. Come on fans, get a clue.” Then, our worst fears came true in Washington, then Denver, etc. Granted, Gary had to deal with a slew of injuries and Coach Williams may have to as well. We can’t totally blame Gary for last season (I’m thinking of you, Grammatica), but I’m glad Payton brought in a proven NFL DC over the first-time DC in Gibbs. Williams’ D may look just as confused, but I just can’t believe it will at this time. It simply HAS to be better.

It’s the expectation of seeing a much different defense with more of a pressure-applying scheme that’s most got me excited for next season.

Go Saints!!!! Deuce may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.

by David "Satch" Kelly on May 18, 2009 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions