The Saints did not win a single preseason game in '15 or '16

The Lions were 4-0 during their winless year I believe.

The 2008 Lions went 4-0 in preseason and proceeded to go 0-16.

The 2006 Saints were god awful in preseason.

Cleveland came close last year to pulling off the ultimate suck, though, going 0-4 in preseason and then starting the season 0-14.

Statistically though, teams that win 3 or 4 games in preseason have a 35% chance of making the playoffs. Teams that win 0 or 1 games have a 25% chance of making the playoffs. So your best bet of making the playoffs if you believe in preseason is to go 2-2. So yeah, preseason win/loss is meaningless.

I don't look at the overall score, but there are some things you can take away from preseason games such as how well the o-line is blocking or if we can generate any pressure with our front 4 d-line

It depends on how you win/lose the games. If your ones only play one or two series and look awful but you 3s and 4s beat the crap out of the other team's 3s and 4s, then it doesn't really mean squat.

I think it's much more important to win the reps/series with the ones and twos than to win the game.

If our ones play 2 series and score 2 TDs but we lose the game 24-17, I'm not stressing over the preseason loss.

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The Saints have done it two years in a row, looked like shite, and started the year like shite.

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Record itself means nothing in preseason, but the fact is they didn't look to be cohesive in any game either of those years in preseason. Hell 2014 preseason wasn't pretty either at times.

So yes it is VERY important that we look good in preseason, but not that we win the games.

I see Bert and Laaz said as much as well.

Isn't preseason really used to evaluate depth? For me wins in the preseason tell us who we have behind the starters and is only important for the players trying to make a name for themselves and to make the 53 man roster. But based on our recent play-off history, it would be very encouraging if we were at least .500 or better.

Preseason records for recent playoff years:

2013
11-5 Lost to Seattle in Playoffs
Preseason Record 3-1
Kansas City - W 17-13
Oakland - W 28-20
Houston - W 31-23
Miami - L 24-21

2011
13-3 Lost to San Francisco in Playoffs
Preseason Record 2-2
San Francisco – W 24-3
Houston – L 27-14
Oakland – W 40-20
Tennessee – L 32-9

2010
11-5 Lost to Seattle in Playoffs
Preseason Record 2-2
New England – L 27-24
Houston - W 38-20
San Diego - W 36-21
Tennessee - L 27-24

2009
13-3 Super Bowl Win
Preseason Record 3-1
Cincinnati W 17-7
Houston W 38-14
Oakland W 45-7
Miami L 10-7

2006
10-6 Lost to Bears in Playoffs
Preseason Record 1-3
Tennessee – W 19-16
Dallas – L 30-7
Indianapolis – L 24-14
Kansas City – L 10-9

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Do you think playing well and winning in this preseason is important

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I will say, in 2015 the first preseaon game against Baltimore, they went right down the field and scored and we lost two defenders at the same time. First series. I knew all I needed to know after the terrible 2014 defense.

So I do thnk a good effort in preseoan helps. Win at least 2 games. Think he last preseaon game we won was in 2014.

I think the fact that we have history against us means that you have to do something different.

I would be tempted to play the Starters for just about the whole game in Number 3. I can live with giving them Week 4 of the preseason off because you have one off week during the season, but at some point during the preseason they have to get things cranked up to full speed and intensity and cannot approach everything like a walk through.

I believe in momentum which is what this team has not had in a while. in addition to that we need a great performance in the first game. I think that is important for the psyche of this team. Winning is important, but coming back home and facing the Pats is daunting enough without staring down the barrel of 0-2. Being 1-0 can take some of the pressure off and might actually feel like they can play lose because not many are going to give them a chance in that one.