METAIRIE, La. -- Its déjà vu all over again for the New Orleans Saints, who have been virtually eliminated from the playoff picture before Christmas for the third straight year.
They’ve said all the right things this week about playing for pride and professionalism -- and they proved last year that means something when they won three of their last four games even though they technically didn’t “matter.”
But the ultimate goal for the Saints (5-8) is to make sure they end this season with the same level of confidence and optimism they had a few weeks ago.
There is a genuine belief among players, coaches and the front office that the Saints have been gradually improving over the past two years -- rebuilding with some young talent -- after they allowed the talent base and locker-room culture to erode in 2014.
I wrote earlier this week about how it’s now "2017 or bust" for coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and quarterback Drew Brees.
And the way Brees and Payton spoke this week, they seem confident that they are closer to a breakout than a bust.
“All I know is I really like this team. And I feel like, unfortunately, there’s times where you take steps back before you take steps forward, and there’s times where bad things happen before great things happen,” Brees said. “Where you’re going to learn some things that are going to put you in position to accomplish things that maybe you never thought possible in the future.
“And I would equate it to ’07, ’08 [when the Saints went 7-9 and 8-8 before winning a Super Bowl in 2009]. ... Disappointing, missed the playoffs, non-winning seasons. And then we come out in ’09 and it was like it clicked.
“I feel like, man, we’re close to that tipping point, we’re so close to that tipping point. I think all the guys in here believe that, and that’s what’s important.”
It’s fair to roll your eyes at that comment, since we heard some of the same things at this time last year. But it is also to fair to say the Saints are now wrapping up Year 2 of a mini-makeover that started after the 2014 season when they traded away players such as Jimmy Graham, Ben Grubbs and Kenny Stills and loaded up on draft picks.
The Saints appear to have had even more success with this year’s smaller draft class, led by defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, receiver Michael Thomas and safety Vonn Bell.
Of course, the Saints are still flawed. Back-to-back losses (24-13 to Detroit and 16-11 to Tampa Bay) over the past two weeks proved that.
But the emergence of young receivers such as Thomas, Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead has helped the Saints maintain the NFL’s No. 1 offense. And their embattled defense is finally showing significant improvement under coordinator Dennis Allen -- up to No. 24 in yards allowed after two years spent in the bottom two.
“This is different. This is a different type team,” Payton insisted this week when asked to compare the Saints to the past two 7-9 teams. “I’m encouraged in a lot of areas with our draft. I’m encouraged with the young guys playing. I’m encouraged with young guys we had a chance to play through injury. We’ve overcome some tough, hard-fought games.
“We’ve lost some games this year I’ve never seen before [like an extra point being blocked and returned for a two-point conversion against the Denver Broncos] and yet that’s frustrating. This is a different team. It’s gonna be important that this team finishes well, though.”
Safety Jairus Byrd said the biggest difference he notices is younger players in some key positions -- and he thinks that’s a reason for optimism. He said he thinks the defense is in the best shape it has been in during his three years in New Orleans.
Byrd said they just need the ball to start bouncing their way in some of these close games. The Saints have lost games by 1, 2, 3, 3, 5 and 6 points this year.
“In order to go on a run, or the winning streaks, those bounces fall in your favor. And I think that’s a big difference,” Byrd said. “One bounces your way, and that does a lot for your confidence, and you’re off. Especially with young players.”
Veteran offensive tackle Zach Strief said motivation won’t be a problem over the next three weeks, because if nothing else, “There’s not a guy in here that’s not playing for his job. When you’re 5-8, you realize that you’re playing for your opportunity next year, you’re playing for your reputation.”
But Strief agreed that the Saints are on the verge of a breakthrough, even though he knows people might not believe it.
“We haven’t played to our potential, and that’s on us. That’s ultimately our fault and our responsibility to change that. But this team is better prepared today moving forward than it was a year ago,” Strief said. “All that really matters is your record, and our record doesn’t say that. So what I’m saying will come across as just words, and that’s fair. But this team is different than it was 12 months ago.”