saints row - New Orleans Saints Row Tickets - 2008-09 Season Review

Posted by rugenut on May 24th, 2012

All you need to know about new Orleans and the saints row

New Orleans finished with an 8-8 record, but still only managed to come in last place in the NFC South. It was a rough division. It was also an unlucky year. The saints row had a +70 point differential (roughly +4.5 points per game), so their expected, Pythagorean win/loss total was 9.5-6.5. Needless to say, saints row fans should not be nearly as uncomfortable with their 8-8 team as other 8-8 teams, like the Denver Broncos (-78 point differential), the Washington Redskins (-31) or the Houston Texans (-28). There's a lot of great things about the saints row, but with a little tweaking over the offseason, StubHub could be selling New Orleans Saints tickets to the playoffs next year.

Schedule Breakdown

Looking at the New Orleans saints row  game schedule from the 2008-09 season is like looking at a perfectly reflected mirror- such symmetry, such perfect alignment. The bye week came in Week 9, dividing the schedule in two perfectly with eight games on either side. Both the first and the second halves of the season the Saints went 4-4. The Ws and Ls were inverted, though, as the first half went Win, Loss, Loss, Win, etc. and the second half after the bye week went Loss, Win, Win, Loss, etc. The pattern lines up perfectly, trust us. The Saints proved to be much better at home than on the road, as they won 6 of 8 at home and lost 6 of 8 on the road. Some of the better games for which to have purchased and used New Orleans Saints tickets were the wins over Detroit, Green Bay and Oakland, which were blowout victories.

The only time the saints row failed to score in the double digits was their away game loss to Carolina on October 19th, when they lost 7-30. Other than that instance the Panthers were competitive in every single game they played. With the offensive weapons the Saints have at their disposal, it's no wonder they're always in a position to win.

Stats Highlights

The entire Saints offense was masterful. The Saints ended the season ranked first in the league in total points (463), total yards (6,571), passing yards (4,977) and passing touchdowns (34). Drew Brees was an animal, a mythological animal actually. It's possible he was a dragon combined with the werewolf of Joe Montana. Brees had career highs in passing yards and touchdowns. He led the NFL in completions, and passing touchdowns. His passer rating was 96.2, 4th in the league. The Saints only gave up 13 sacks.

Stats Lowlights

Although their rushing numbers were not stellar, it's hard to make an argument that the Saints should have ran the ball more, based on the effectiveness of the passing game. Instead, the most glaring lowlight on this team was pass defense and turnovers. The saints row allowed 3,547 yards through the air, the 23rd most in the NFL. Their rushing defense was ranked 17th. The Saints had a -4 turnover differential, with 18 interceptions and 8 fumbles.

Possible Offseason Moves

With so much going right on offense, the Saints ought to focus on defense. Where do the draft, specifically? The common assumption would be, if the passing defense was bad, to draft in the secondary. However, the rushing defense wasn't great either. A quick fix might be drafting a defensive lineman who gets into the backfield quickly.

The Saints had 28 sacks this past year, which was a decent amount. But more wouldn't hurt. A strong defensive line is the foundation of a good defense, so expect the Saints to pick up a D-lineman sometime on draft day.

About the Author

Written by Brent Warnken. StubHub has sponsored this article. StubHub.com is a great place to get New Orleans saints row tickets, as well as tickets for other sports teams, theatre performances, concerts and special events.