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| Saints QB Drew Brees says the team can get back on track and grab its first win against the Chargers. (US Presswire) |
The Saints have 11 players left from 2007, the last time they started 0-4. That team rebounded to win its next four games and was in playoff contention until losing to Philadelphia in the second-to-last week of the season, finishing 7-9.
The way the ’07 veterans see it, they can match that comeback and then exceed it, starting with Sunday night’s game against San Diego in the Superdome.
“There’s no doubt that we can do that,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “Listen, we’ve been in situations here where we’ve won 13 in a row (2009), nine in a row (2011), 10 in a row (counting the playoffs last year). We can get on a roll. We can get on a streak and in order to get on a streak you have to win the first one. So that’s what we’re focused on doing, especially before we go into the bye and get healthier, rejuvenated and ready to roll. But it’s all about Sunday night.”
In 2007, New Orleans was coming off a surprising run to the NFC Championship Game in year one of the Sean Payton era and was not ready to handle high expectations. Brees threw nine interceptions with only one touchdown as the Saints lost their first four by a combined 68 points.
This time, they have lost four games by a total of 20 points after reaching the playoffs three years in a row, including winning the Super Bowl in 2009.
“This has happened here before, and the way you have to focus on it is we’ve got to get one game,” said offensive tackle Zach Strief, who contributed in 2007 but started only once. “You can’t sit there and say we’ve got to win the next eight. That’s overwhelming, but to say we have to win the next game is do-able. I don’t think you harp on the fact that some of us have been in this scenario before, but certainly you bring it up that, hey, it’s not impossible.”
In 2007, the Saints snapped their losing streak by winning at Seattle, 28-17, in prime time. Pierre Thomas (still on the team) scored off a bad punt snap to give them an early 7-0 lead. WR Lance Moore (still on the team) caught a TD pass from Brees to give them a 21-0 advantage. WR Marques Colston (still on the team) finished off the Seahawks with another scoring reception.
From 0-4 to 4-4? They hope history repeats.
“The general talent level is a lot higher now,” Strief said. “And there were also a ton of injuries on that team. We were rotating guys in and trying to figure out who we were. We maybe over-performed our talent ability in ’06, and then the expectations are high and then you underperform. It’s a different situation, but the focus is the same.”
Safety Roman Harper, a starter in 2007 along with current DE Will Smith, remembers the determined mindset the Saints had when they traveled to Seattle in 2007. He senses the same outlook this time.
“We weren’t worried about records,” Harper said. “We were hungry for a win and went out there and out-hit them. We started out fast, scored early and made some big plays defensively, and that’s the formula to win in this league. … Right now we’re a confident team. We’re probably the most confident 0-4 team you’ve ever seen.”
Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on twitter @CBSSaints.
