METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints lost seven games by six points or fewer this season. If they had won just three of those, they would be a 10-win playoff team.
Yeah, I know. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda" is getting old after three straight 7-9 seasons. A dozen other teams probably can say the same thing with the margin for error so slim in the NFL. And the Saints deserve plenty of blame for squandering their opportunity so many times.
But as Saints coach Sean Payton pointed out this week, the Saints ranked second in the NFL with 12 one-score games this season, and they finished 5-7 in them.