METAIRIE, La. – Three weeks ago in Miami, the Saints were down 24-3 early. New Orleans came back and won by 12.
Again Atlanta on a Monday night a week ago, twice the Saints were down by a touchdown early. New Orleans won by seven.
And on Sunday against the Panthers, New Orleans again fell behind early, this time 14-0. And again once more, the Saints won, this time by 10.
As the old saying goes, it’s not how you start a game, it’s how you finish.
In 2009, finishing hasn’t been a problem.
Not even close.
New Orleans (8-0) has outscored opponents 91-18, a plus-73 differential.
In comparison, only three other teams have a differential of more than 25 and Baltimore, the closest competitor to the Saints in that category, are only plus-48.
Indianapolis, the other undefeated team in the NFL, has scored only 16 points more than opponents in the fourth
Yes, of all the sayings found written or quoted in the Saints’ locker room – “smell greatness,” “be special” – one stands out the most: “finish.”
“It’s just what we’ve been doing all year,” New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. “We feel like it’s a quarter where we can finish off opponents, whether it’s a close game or blowout. That’s our mentality, just finish off and finish strong.
“Fourth quarter, that’s just something we’re used to. Just getting after it and coming out with a W.”
Against Carolina, New Orleans gave up only a third-quarter field goal in the second half. Atlanta managed 13 second-half points, but only six came in the fourth. And Miami, after galloping to 24 first-half points, managed 10 in the second half. The Dolphins, however, scored zero points in the fourth.
A season after failing several times to secure a victory in the fourth, the Saints are making sure games are put away in the quarter.
According to Head Coach Sean Payton, there are a myriad of reasons why the Saints have suddenly found success in the final 15 minutes.
“I think if you’re playing better in the fourth quarter, it probably means you’re playing better defense and it means you’re probably rushing the football better,” Payton said. “Certainly those were goals of ours. I don’t think there are any shortcuts to playing better in the second half of games or in the fourth quarter. “
He added, “I think that – along with the emphasis of finishing – I would say those are better areas to look.”
Indeed, the Saints haven’t had a combination of a running game and a defense this good in his time in New Orleans.
In 2006, the year the Saints went to the NFC Championship game, New Orleans had the 11th-best total defense in the NFL, but the run game was only No. 19, producing 110.1 yards per game.
In ’07 and ’08, both the running attack and defense were ranked in the 20s. The Saints, in other words, couldn’t keep the ball and couldn’t get teams off the field. In both seasons, New Orleans’ defense was ranked 22nd and 19th, respectively, in third-down percentage.
But this year, everything has changed. The Saints are No. 16 in defense and No. 3 in third-down percentage. And the run game is flying high, averaging 144.6 yards per game, good for fifth-best in the NFL.
“That’s what we preach every week – finish hard, finish strong,” Saints defensive end Will Smith said. “Look back on last year and we were unable to finish games. Everybody kind of took that to heart. We tried to improve on it and finish the games better. So far it has been playing out.”
Of the past six Super Bowl champions, four had outscored opponents in the fourth by 19 or more points. Two, though, were outscored themselves in the fourth – the Colts in 2006 and the Steelers in 2005.
Still, while fourth quarter point differential doesn’t necessarily portend a ring, it will more than likely put you in position to secure one.
“We made a point of emphasis in the offseason of trying to finish,” Payton said.
Through eight games, it appears the lesson was learned.
lalady said on November 10, 2009 at 2:06 PM
They are coming on strong in the end, but I would like to see them play strong for the whole game like they were in the beginning of the season, but I have a feeling that there is a reason for that.
twitch said on November 10, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Personally I feel the Saints are more "on their game" during the Noon games on Sunday. Over the past few years I’ve attended probably 7-8 games (2 Monday nighters) and it always seemed the atmosphere was much more electric during the Sunday Noon games. Regardless, the Saints are certainly “the real deal” this year and it is due to great play making on both sides of the ball. The defense has been a stellar surprise and the offense has put it together all 8 times this year. Good luck boys in the Black and Gold! Let’s continue on to tie our 9 game winning streak and then beat it. My horns are ready and the neighbors are all ready to celebrate; if you live near me you know exactly what I’m talking about ;-)
dantisaint said on November 10, 2009 at 5:25 PM
So what if the SAINTS are the SO-CALLED "best finishing team" through 9 weeks in the season. At the end of the day, the only FINISH that matters is the WEEK 21 FINISH, when the highly-coveted LOMBARDI TROPHY is hoisted by the UNDISPUTED NFL CHAMPIONS. Therefore, you "WHO DAT CRACKPOTZ" need to put away the umbrellas and the brass band because there's still (at most) 12 weeks of football left to play before a CHAMP is crowned. Not a sermon, just a fact.......HOLD DAT!!!
daphnola said on November 10, 2009 at 11:46 PM
Love my SAINTS and yes these past few games have been some kind of exciting.........BUTTTTTTTTTTT I want them to go back to they way they were the first 5 games, its easier on my heart .........heheeee GEAUXXXX SAINTS
scionro said on November 11, 2009 at 11:12 AM
ESPN First Take hates the Saints. My take is, hate all you want, talk about the Colts and the Patriots. Leave the Saints alone. We need to continue to fly under the radar and keep the hype off of us. Take it one game at a time, and correct the turnovers and execute better on offense early. To hell with the rankings and everyones opinion and analysis. Let's just keep it real and keep winning. GEAUX SAINTS!!