From a footbal POV not a gaming...

[vols bravesfan]

I can see the patriots making the Super Bowl, but defiantly not the saints.

[bkrich83]

We just saw the Cardinals in the Super Bowl, no prediction is that outlandish anymore. It's the Salary Cap Age.

[Rocky]

I don't see the Saints in the Super Bowl at all. They still have an atrocious defense (which obviously doesn't mean much in Madden). It could happen though.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Thank you BK, I agree. If the Cardinals, the CARDINALS of all teams, can make the Super Bowl, the Saints have good a chance as anybody.

[deaduck]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dislimb

The Saints don't have a prayer at winning the Super Bowl this year. They don't have much of a running game and they aren't very good defensively. More often than not, a good defense and a solid running game are a recipe for success in the postseason. Passing the ball for 4,500+ yards usually isn't.

The Greatest Show on Turf just called to disagree.

And while Bush and his back ups are no Marshall Faulk, The WR cores aren't that far apart. Brees just about dragged that squad into the playoffs with a lot of key players down so if they remain healthy I think they're more dangerous than most think.

[bgeno]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dislimb

The Saints don't have a prayer at winning the Super Bowl this year. They don't have much of a running game and they aren't very good defensively. More often than not, a good defense and a solid running game are a recipe for success in the postseason. Passing the ball for 4,500+ yards usually isn't.

Arizona used a similar method.

They had virtually NO run game (last in the NFL) and were only behind the Nawlins Saints in PYPG. They were only a few yards better than the Saints in YPG allowed, too.

The trick is that Arizona's defense caught some wind in its sails in the postseason.

[PrettyT11]

Quote: Originally Posted by deaduck

The Greatest Show on Turf just called to disagree. And while Bush and his back ups are no Marshall Faulk, The WR cores aren't that far apart. Brees just about dragged that squad into the playoffs with a lot of key players down so if they remain healthy I think they're more dangerous than most think.

I have to disagree big here. Faulk was without question the complete back and possibly the most complete player in the league at that time. You could add all of the Saints RB's together and they wouldn't be Faulk. He was a very legit running threat as well an another reciever on the field.

There reciever where alot better as well. Torry Holt and Issac Bruce was the best one two punch going. They are leaps and bounds ahead of anything on the Saints roster.

But the biggest difference between those two teams is in fact the defense. People seem to forget that during the Rams two Super Bowl years they has top 15 defenses. I know that nothing great but it is far from how horrible the Saints defense is. The year the Rams didn't get to the super bowl was the year their defense was bad but it was pretty decent the years they did go the super bowl.

[MattieShoes]

Quote: Originally Posted by PrettyT11

I have to disagree big here. Faulk was without question the complete back and possibly the most complete player in the league at that time. You could add all of the Saints RB's together and they wouldn't be Faulk. He was a very legit running threat as well an another reciever on the field. There reciever where alot better as well. Torry Holt and Issac Bruce was the best one two punch going. They are leaps and bounds ahead of anything on the Saints roster. But the biggest difference between those two teams is in fact the defense. People seem to forget that during the Rams two Super Bowl years they has top 15 defenses. I know that nothing great but it is far from how horrible the Saints defense is. The year the Rams didn't get to the super bowl was the year their defense was bad but it was pretty decent the years they did go the super bowl.

Amen.
In 1999, St Louis was 2nd in rushing YPC and 6th in yards allowed, 4th in points allowed.
In 2001, St Louis was 1st in rushing YPC and 3rd in yards allowed, and 7th in points allowed.

In that off-year in between superbowl appearances, they were still 1st in YPC and points and pass yards and 2nd in total yards... but 23rd in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed.

It's not enough to have a great offense. Nearly every SB team has a top-ten defense too. The Colts and Cardinals being two recent exceptions...