Over 5 years, the Saints record of 39-41 is far away from the New England Patriots 62-18 mark
By Dean Mullen
The New England Patriots have been dominating the NFL for awhile now. Furthermore, the Saints have lost 23 more games over the last five years. This gap is significant.
Anyone can explain a team in the NFL having ONE great season. Look no further than the Atlanta Falcons of last year. Although the “Dirty Birds” came up just short. The NFC has a tendency to fluctuate more than the AFC. Since 2002, the New England Patriots have been to seven Super Bowls and won five of them. If you do the math, that’s nearly half of the Super Bowls over 16 years.
On the other hand, the NFC has put 14 different teams there in the Super Bowl including the New Orleans Saints. This has me wondering what is the difference. Is Belichick that much smarter than Sean Payton? Does Boston have some magical powder they pour into the Gatorade every year? Regardless, there is a MASSIVE gap from the wins and losses from the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints over a five year span.
Five years is fair amount of time to do a logistical comparison. The bigger question is, what is gonna happen from 2017-2022. Are the Saints ready to start competing at a high level year after year? That is the million dollar question. Presumably, Sean Payton probably asks the same question. Of course, the desire is there. And the Saints success doesn’t come from one man. Football is a team sport.
Drew Brees can’t do it himself. The New England Patriots have a way of compiling teams. The one major difference is how the Patriots manage their roster from top to bottom. In this article, Roger Groves (Professor of law and director of the sports law practice) details some of the Patriots’ philosophies. In addition, the Patriots seem to know when to act, and what area needs help.
Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy had this to say about the Patriots:
"“Really, it is remarkable that they keep going back, and they maintain the focus and dedication necessary to do it. It just becomes old hat. It’s almost unfathomable what they’ve accomplished. So they sure do deserve great credit, and it shows you that the draft isn’t perfect. Sixth-rounder at quarterback. Many will rate him the greatest quarterback ever. It’s an amazing streak they have going.”"
The fact is, that the secrets are more than just one particular ingredient. The Saints should be trying to emulate every single aspect of the organization. Perhaps they have. Yet, the two teams are world’s apart. Who Dat Nation wants a winner. Sean Payton would love to add another Super Bowl win to his repertoire. Additionally, Drew Brees is still here because of the drive to win another one for the city. Will 2017 be the year to start a new era?