Time to Start Over

By Jim Gazzolo

A season that began so quickly with unexpected success and then spiraled out of control came to a merciful end Sunday in Tampa Bay.

For the first two weeks, the Saints were the talk of football; now, they must try to salvage a crumbling campaign.

The Buccaneers won the NFC South division title with their victory over the Saints in a season finale that played out like the New Orleans season.

Despite a great start,the ending was a debacle.

The last offensive play of the season for the Saints was a harmless incomplete pass by their rookie quarterback who wasn’t expected to play much. A desperate heave sealed the team’s fate in a 27-19 loss that had seen them lead by double digits at halftime.

That also seems fitting, for it was how the 5-12 campaign played out. The early moments of hope were nothing more than a mirage, fooling the faithful into believing.

Injuries contributed greatly to this mess, but there are also other issues that can’t be ignored or excused.

The Saints are a professional football team that is much closer to the bottom of the league than the top. Their days of being competitive are over; rebuilding is the only option.

This is one of those situations that needs a complete overhaul, not just pieced back together. Whether that means a change in the front office is needed or not is up to others, but a fresh start would not hurt.

There will be a new head coach, that is for sure. The team fired Dennis Allen earlier in the season, and interim Darren Rizzi only made things interesting, not much better. 

Under Rizzi, the Saints went 3-5, but this is still the worst finish since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina forced them to play away from New Orleans and they went 3-13. That led to significant changes that brought Sean Peyton and Drew Brees to town. 

A similar major shakeup is needed once again.

Rizzi said he would interview for the full-time job, which is a courtesy. Many other names are expected to be interesting.

But again, this is not a fixer-upper. This is a major rebuild. 

The head coach is just one of the franchise's decisions. There are a lot of old, injured parts and money issues surrounding the franchise. 

The biggest non-coaching question is how to fix the long-term issue at quarterback. Third-round selection Spencer Rattler has had moments of good and bad, and Sunday was no different. 

His first half was a nifty 21 of 28 for 181 yards and a touchdown to give the Saints a 16-6 lead. Rattler didn’t take a sack or throw an interception, keeping the game well in check. 

The second half was completely different.

“Everything was working in the first half,” said Rattler. “I thought our quick game was good, I thought our play-action was good, moved the pocket, spreading the ball out, running the ball.”

Then, just three more points.

Finding more playmakers and consistency will be the key to the Saints' future. They have lost their direction after Peyton left a couple of years ago. 

If you don’t think his leaving was a big deal, check out the first round of the AFC playoffs this weekend, where Peyton’s Denver Broncos will be playing.

Just like after the 3-13 2005 season, the Saints need to start over. They have to quit pretending the glory days are coming back magically.

They had a great run, won a title, had numerous big wins, and set all types of records. But those days are over. It is time to start over.

That begins with picking the right coach to lead them.

Only then can the change officially begin.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles.