Saints trying to keep the faith

NEW ORLEANS -- In being outscored 72-24 in their opening two losses, the New Orleans Saints have set the stage for potentially one of the worst disappointments that even their fans have endured.

If their troubles continue, it wouldn't be the first time the Saints have followed a nice playoff run with disappointment a year later.

But more is at stake this time in the post-Hurricane Katrina landscape.

Just this past week, Mark Singletary, publisher of the local business magazine "City Business," labeled the Saints' continued success a key component to the overall health of post-Katrina New Orleans.

He recalled that when asked to name five things that had gone well in the recovery, he listed the Saints first.

There are other things he could have listed higher:

• The recovering music and restaurant scenes.

• The rebuilt convention center.

• The return of filmmakers producing motion pictures and network television shows.

• The armies of volunteers who have cleaned up neighborhoods and gutted houses to ease the burden on residents trying to return.

• The reopening of the zoo, aquarium and art museums.

How could the success of a football team mean that much?

For one, players have been active in community service projects and promoting both the city's needs and enduring attributes on a national stage.

But perhaps it's also because the Saints seem to be a unifying force in a city where people are diverse and where taste in music, food, art and architecture is sometimes divergent. Believe it or not, not everyone loves the soft-shell crab at Antoine's or the turtle soup at Commander's Palace.

Yet, the Saints' iconic black-and-gold fleur-de-lis is omnipresent, worn by fashionable women strolling by Magazine Street boutiques, by rap artists who grew up in some of the city's rougher neighborhoods, by bohemians who play late night jazz gigs in the French Quarter and live in old rustic shotgun houses in a nearby neighborhood called Bywater.

As long as the Saints are winning and capture national interest, they continue to showcase the energy, pride and hope of the region's residents. They continue to inspire hope among the displaced residents who are still considering taking on the struggle to come back and rebuild. They inspire those still in the midst of the struggle two years after the storm.

It's why their turnaround from 3-13 in 2005 to 10-6 and a first-ever appearance in the NFC championship game in 2006 was such a great story. It's why so many here want to believe the Saints can contend for the Super Bowl this year.

Some of that belief was based in reality. Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister and Drew Brees are legitimate stars.

Sean Payton is the reigning NFL coach of the year. General manager Mickey Loomis won recognition after a 2006 draft that produced seven starters through a combination of picks and trades.

This year, the Saints' draft hasn't yielded any starters. Payton says even first-round pick Robert Meachem isn't close to being ready.

Free-agent signings? They brought in cornerback Jason David and safety Kevin Kaesviharn to address the Saints' problems with giving up big plays last season. Both were beaten on Joey Galloway's 69-yard touchdown last Sunday. New linebacker Brian Simmons, signed as a free agent, hardly plays, while fellow free-agent linebacker Dhani Jones didn't even make the team.

The Saints have allowed 5 long touchdown passes already.

Their offense, best in the league last season, has turned the ball over five times and produced only 2 touchdowns. The Saints haven't been able to run the ball consistently.

During most of the second half in Tampa Bay, McAllister stood stoically on the sidelines, watching teammates attempt to score a meaningless touchdown. A proud, powerful running back, a battering ram who punishes tacklers, was of little use to a team that had fallen so far behind.

McAllister has averaged more than 4 yards per carry during the last two games, but has only gotten to run the ball 20 times in two games for 87 yards.

What a sad waste of the greatest running back ever to play for the Saints, a workhorse who's still in his prime at 28 and already owns every significant rushing record in franchise history.

In fact, the Saints haven't won since McAllister rushed for 143 yards in a playoff game against Philadelphia.

The Saints have a lot to fix and little time to do it with an improving Tennessee Titans squad visiting Monday night.

Payton said he's told players to be honest and hard on themselves as they evaluate their mistakes from the past two games. Teams that open 0-2 have made the playoffs before. Dallas (1993) and New England (2001) even won Super Bowls.

This Friday, the Saints will hold a pep rally outside their headquarters during which Payton and some players will address fans.

They're trying to get the magic back, and Brees believes they will.

"This is happening to us for a reason," Brees said this week. "It's only going to make us stronger. It's only going to bring us together as a team. And sometimes you need something like this to happen to provoke that kind of thing. ... I believe in our team, and there's still a lot to be accomplished this year. By no means are we out of it."