Maybe an Aberration?

[bostonbuzz]

My feelings are this...maybe...last year the Saints season was more an aberration. Maybe...they're just not as good as some of the 'experts' believe. Last night the Colts played top quality football after a slow start and showed why they should be a force once again this season. The Colts won their opening game against an NFC team some think is Super Bowl bound and for fans it doesn't get much better than that. One game, great start! One game is not a season though. I don't think the Saints are as good as some may say or think. They're not yet an AFC upper eschelon quailty team and may never be. They really had no chance last night, no matter how well they played, against one of the best in the AFC...on the road...opening night.

I see the AFC to be a dog fight (yeah, yeah, I know) til' the end with the Pats hopefully coming out on top and adding another Lombardi to the trophy case...we shall see.

 

[Slagathor]

My feelings are this...maybe...last year the Saints season was more an aberration. Maybe...they're just not as good as some of the 'experts' believe. Last night the Colts played top quality football after a slow start and showed why they should be a force once again this season. The Colts won their opening game against an NFC team some think is Super Bowl bound and for fans it doesn't get much better than that. One game, great start! One game is not a season though. I don't think the Saints are as good as some may say or think. They're not yet an AFC upper eschelon quailty team and may never be. They really had no chance last night, no matter how well they played, against one of the best in the AFC...on the road...opening night.

I see the AFC to be a dog fight (yeah, yeah, I know) til' the end with the Pats hopefully coming out on top and adding another Lombardi to the trophy case...we shall see.

I gotta say, no one on that defense scares me.

I also looked at their record last year, they had games against 5 AFC teams. They lost 4 with the only win coming against Cleveland.

Their defense ranked high in the NFC, but I think that was a result of them being able to put up alot of points early and teams desperately going to the air to keep up.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

One other point that I haven't seen raised before is that if there is anybody who knew Jason David's weaknesses and tendencies, it is Peyton Manning having practiced against him for three years when he was a Colt. Give Manning credit, he must have known how David would react because he toasted him a few times last night....

 

[Krugman]

Slag makes some good points.Only time and a few decent AFC opponents will show the true spirit of this Colts defense,which played well against a good Saints team.Sometimes,when a game comes off the rails for a team,they implode,and you have good teams looking very humble,as happened to the Pats against the Finns last year when they beat us 21-0,or the year the Bills spanked us 31-0 to open the season.Looking at that game a lot of pundits thought the Pats where a sham,as I remember we did ok that year......
I'm not convinced the Saints were committed to the running game,obviously they couldn't be after being down by a large point margin mid-third quarter,so the run defence of the Colts hasnt been tested yet,IMO.Or the secondary for that matter.No disrespect to the Colts who played very well,looked like a championship team.To paraphrase Dennis Green,I'm not ready to "crown their ass" yet.

 

[rabthepat]

My feelings are this...maybe...last year the Saints season was more an aberration. Maybe...they're just not as good as some of the 'experts' believe. Last night the Colts played top quality football after a slow start and showed why they should be a force once again this season. The Colts won their opening game against an NFC team some think is Super Bowl bound and for fans it doesn't get much better than that. One game, great start! One game is not a season though. I don't think the Saints are as good as some may say or think. They're not yet an AFC upper eschelon quailty team and may never be. They really had no chance last night, no matter how well they played, against one of the best in the AFC...on the road...opening night.

I see the AFC to be a dog fight (yeah, yeah, I know) til' the end with the Pats hopefully coming out on top and adding another Lombardi to the trophy case...we shall see.

Bingo.....

 

[BelizePats]

While I did not see the whole game, it went pretty much according to how I thought it would. The Saints were vastly overrated last year and coming into this year, it was preety much the same. The NFC is so much weaker than the elite competition in the AFC. The Colts, as much as I hate to admit it, are far better than anything the NFC has to offer. So are the Pats, Bolts, Broncos.
Watch the game on sunday in San Diego. It will be more of the same. The Bears, considered an elite NFC team, will lose by 17+.
The NFC for the time being, cannot compete with the AFC.

 

[patsox23]

I ask this snarky-sounding question with more sincerity than may read: Am I the only one who feels this thread is reactionary and embarrassingly halting? To the degree that I'd hate to see Colts fans come in here and see this? "Um...Colts looked g-good, um, uh...I THINK THOSE SAINTS WERE AN ABERRATION LAST YEAR. Yeah! YEAH! The Colts ain't all that!"

The Colts came into this season Super Bowl Champs for a reason. They're VERY good at football. So are the Pats. We'll have to see what happens, but that game last night was the result of EXCELLENT execution and talent on the Colts side of the ball as much as anything. I don't disagree that the Saints and the entire NFC are inferior to the Colts and many other AFC teams. But this thread rings hollow and a little cowed to me.

 

[Lampshade]

I ask this snarky-sounding question with more sincerity than may read: Am I the only one who feels this thread is reactionary and embarrassingly halting? To the degree that I'd hate to see Colts fans come in here and see this? "Um...Colts looked g-good, um, uh...I THINK THOSE SAINTS WERE AN ABERRATION LAST YEAR. Yeah! YEAH! The Colts ain't all that!"

The Colts came into this season Super Bowl Champs for a reason. They're VERY good at football. So are the Pats. We'll have to see what happens, but that game last night was the result of EXCELLENT execution and talent on the Colts side of the ball as much as anything. I don't disagree that the Saints and the entire NFC are inferior to the Colts and many other AFC teams. But this thread rings hollow and a little cowed to me.

Most, if not all posters made a point of saying the Colts are an excellent team.

I totally agree that the Saints will not be the same team they were last year. I think Brees is excellent, but I don't believe Colston will repeat his year, I don't believe Henderson will be a consistent target, and most of all I believe nothing has been done to improve their atrocious run defense, and if anything, the pass defense which was exposed at the end of last year has been made worse.

I don't believe they win their division.

To sum up: Colts = fantastic; Saints = good NFC team, average AFC team.

 

[bostonbuzz]

I ask this snarky-sounding question with more sincerity than may read: Am I the only one who feels this thread is reactionary and embarrassingly halting? To the degree that I'd hate to see Colts fans come in here and see this? "Um...Colts looked g-good, um, uh...I THINK THOSE SAINTS WERE AN ABERRATION LAST YEAR. Yeah! YEAH! The Colts ain't all that!"

The Colts came into this season Super Bowl Champs for a reason. They're VERY good at football. So are the Pats. We'll have to see what happens, but that game last night was the result of EXCELLENT execution and talent on the Colts side of the ball as much as anything. I don't disagree that the Saints and the entire NFC are inferior to the Colts and many other AFC teams. But this thread rings hollow and a little cowed to me.

You are not seeing the greater picture here. I gave the Colts their due. Obviously it took them a little while to get back into the swing of things after the off-season, training camp, and the drudgery filled pre-season but they got their heads into the game and played top quality football. Once again they showed us they will be one of the last teams standing. Colts fans should be thrilled. On the other hand the Saints...IMO...are not on par with the tops in the AFC and the Colts should have won and did. That's all I was trying to say. Nothing here a Colts fan should be upset about.

 

[He Ban Me]

My feelings are this...maybe...last year the Saints season was more an aberration. Maybe...they're just not as good as some of the 'experts' believe. Last night the Colts played top quality football after a slow start and showed why they should be a force once again this season. The Colts won their opening game against an NFC team some think is Super Bowl bound and for fans it doesn't get much better than that. One game, great start! One game is not a season though. I don't think the Saints are as good as some may say or think. They're not yet an AFC upper eschelon quailty team and may never be. They really had no chance last night, no matter how well they played, against one of the best in the AFC...on the road...opening night.

I see the AFC to be a dog fight (yeah, yeah, I know) til' the end with the Pats hopefully coming out on top and adding another Lombardi to the trophy case...we shall see.

One game, absolutely. Slow start? I didn't think so. Saints first drive consumed some time, but Colts had a 7-0 lead and were at the Saints 43 in the 2nd, up 7-0. The TD by David DID change the feel of the game, at least until the half.

 

[Patriotic Fervor]

Most, if not all posters made a point of saying the Colts are an excellent team.

I totally agree that the Saints will not be the same team they were last year. I think Brees is excellent, but I don't believe Colston will repeat his year, I don't believe Henderson will be a consistent target, and most of all I believe nothing has been done to improve their atrocious run defense, and if anything, the pass defense which was exposed at the end of last year has been made worse.

I don't believe they win their division.

To sum up: Colts = fantastic; Saints = good NFC team, average AFC team.

May I counter:

Colts = really good football team; Saints = average (maybe below average!) NFC team, lower echelon AFC team.

 

[Dragda]

I think the Saints will have a down year based on nothing but a guess and gut feeling.

 

[JackBauer]

I think the Saints will have a down year based on nothing but a guess and gut feeling.

Or it could be that they have no quality linebackers, an average to below average secondary, no TEs, and no WRs beyond Colston.