does that mean that the Saints don't have a prayer? As a lifelong fan of the Black and Gold, I am not
comfortable in saying this, but I think that's exactly what it means. Injuries have plagued the Saints'
steadily improving defense all year, and the inability to stop the run at the line means that the pressure
is all on the severely banged up secondary.

Now, even with all that said, the Saints' secondary is made up of some pretty smart cookies
and some pretty good rookies. Not rookies per se', but newbies anyway. (Usama Young in particular)
This whole run needed to have started when Charles Grant and Will Smith were younger studs.
They are still good enough to play, but man they are old. I just can't see a way they get to
even the Super Bowl. But if they do, this Mardi Gras is going to be the best ever. Can't wait! WHO DAT!
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I'd love to see the Saints go to the SuperBowl. I can honestly say that N.O. needs to play like they did at the beginning of the year. The last few weeks they really did seem to fall completely apart (being a Pats fan I can say that I feel your pain).
Don't think that it's all Defense though. Look at the Colts a few years ago. They have NEVER had defense!!
Right now though, the Chargers look like the all around team and if they can keep it up they will go all the way.
Saints vs Chargers? Would like to see it!!
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Yeah!. That's the ticket!
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Defense wins championships is a myth, especially nowdays. Would make for a great mythbusters episode though
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Not this year my follically challenged friend
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You know, if the Colts happen to play the Chargers in the playoffs this year, I'm gonna have to take some more of your cigars. :-)
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Got some
JP's ageing just for you, :-)
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I'll take your JLPs. Especially since it'll mean I can rub your nose in it yet again. :-)
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I don't know Vic.
I am still a firm believer defense does in fact win games.
You can have the most explosive offense in the world but if you can't score, well..............you don't win. Furthermore, if as result of your defense, you do score, either by way of a defensive score or by way of great field position............well what a great feather on that cap.
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Luckily for the saints the cardinals don't have much of a defense either, should make for quite the shootout!

It will be interesting to see if the saints D steps up in the playoffs or if the team overall continues like they were playing at the end of the regular season.

If they do beat the cardinals, they are going to have a VERY tough game against the cowboys or vikings.
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NFL network has a show on the biggest myths in football, defense wins championships is 3 on the list. Catch it when you can.

Your post kind of proves the point that it's a myth, eg something people just "believe" even though it's not true, sorry CRlos:-)
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I think the D is going to show up most definitely. I am just one of the few New Orleans born and bred's
that (well, Michigan born, NO bred) believes that they are not 'destined' to go all the way.
Outside the city, there is still a very pragmatic argument against a NO championship. But man would I love it.
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Keep talkin, and I'm gonna have to bwaahaha in the chargers thread when they lose to the colts right. After I bwaahaha. In the Jests thread when they lose to the Bolts.

Oh. Wait. There is no chargers thread? Now why is that?:-):-)
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Thread? We don't need no steenkin' thread.

Image
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Cowboys vs. Chargers :-)

I think teams can be successful without a good defense, but in spurts. It becomes very hard to win 3-4 games in a row, in the playoffs, against the top teams in the NFL with only your offense. Because if the offense comes out and has one bad game, it's over. :-)
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It becomes very hard to win 3-4 games in a row, in the playoffs, against the top teams in the NFL with only your defense. Because if the defense comes out and has one bad game, it's over. :-)
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Will look for it but boy does that myth resonate with me with many teams I recall in my lifetime.

Let's see.......Steelers, Giants ('86 and '91 teams), Ravens, Bears, just to mention a few. It was their dominant defense that solidified their wins.
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43 superbowl winners of those 28 scored
AT LEAST 25 points in the SB, 21 scored 30 points or more. Offenses won those games brother, not defenses
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Vic,
That doesn't account for points scored by defenses.
That only accounts for points scored in general.
Need more convincing.
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Do your research Carlos, I'm not doing it for you, :-)

http://www.superbowlhistory.net/superbowl/scores.php

Look at the boxscores. Frequently you'll see even the LOSING team rolled up over 400 or close to 400 yards of offense. Yes, there are the anomalies, but the majority of the games are clearly won by the offense, not the defense, and the losing teams offense had plenty of success against the winning teams defense.

Just look at two of the past 3 SB's. Last year the Steelers had a supposedly "great" defense, yet they gave up over 400 yards of offense to the Cardinals. The D didn't win that game, the Steelers offense did.

In 2006 the Bears supposedly had a "great" defense. The Colts rolled over them to the tune of 430 yards and an easy win.
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