It is finished, but there is hope.

The New Orleans Saints season has come to a close. That is more than I can say for the media as it pertains to the team. (If you missed it, here is an article on Sean Payton being “mum” on the future of Rob Ryan.)

Looking back at the past 10 months will leave most fans feeling like they just got off the world’s largest roller-coaster for the 3rd consecutive ride. Some players performed well, and other’s had obvious problems reaching the expectations set for them before the season started.

Dec 28, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker(93) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback(12) in the end-zone for a safety as the Saints beat the Buccaneers 23-20 at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Junior Galette is a player who Saints fans should be happy with when it comes to his on the field performance.

Galette finished leading the league in quarterback hurries according to SportingCharts, and he had his second straight season with at least 10 sacks.

Considering he played through injury towards the end of the year this is quite the impressive feat. And, while metrics such as these are relative, finishing ahead of guys like J.J. Watt is quite an accomplishment in itself.

Keenan Lewis was his dominant self while also being the only bright spot in this year’s secondary (though he did miss time with injury) and Curtis Lofton had a career year.

That basically ends the list of players who played at or above expectations on the defensive side of the ball, but I do think there are certain players who under-performed that can return to form next season.

Mark Ingram, who may or may not return, had a phenomenal year. As the season rolled on, he saw his yards per carry drop, but the play of the offensive line played a big part in that. Older players can struggle as the season drags on.

While struggling earlier in the year with drops Colston improved a great deal down the stretch. Kenny Stills and Colston both finished with 900+ yards, and, while it was too little too late, they did provide a solid receiving group we had hoped for at the beginning of the season.

Still, why should Saints fans be optimistic?

For starters, the Saints still have a future Hall of Famer behind center. Even elite quarterbacks have down years on teams that aren’t surrounded by enough offensive talent .Tom Brady‘s 2009 and 2013 seasons (statistically) tell the same story.

Every bad season for a team draws forces the best players to be pulled down from their proverbial pedestals they once sat upon (with their Superbowl trophy, in this case). Still, Brees is one of the elite passers in the NFL. That means something.

The Saints have to address several areas of need this off-season. I think with the style that the Saints front office implements there is great potential. “Win now” is a huge gamble. Some seasons the Saints go 13-3, and others they go 7-9.

Roller-coaster seasons might not be ideal, but if they bring you a championship you learn to accept it. This upcoming offseason will provide the Saints with quite a bit of cap space after certain deals are completed and for the first time in a long time the Saints should be drafting more than 6 players (Up to 8 or 9).

The biggest reasons Saints fans should be optimistic is because of the mentality they have right now. Auras of “doom and gloom” over a 7-9 season usually mean a team of great expectations fell short. If you were to guess the season’s results by fan reaction you would assume the Saints had just gone 2-14.

Expectations are high for a reason. This team has a lot of potential. The key is how quickly can they reload, and on defense rebuild, to make a final push at a Lombardi trophy before Drew Brees retires.

This is all that matters. Superbowl champions are remembered. The Patriots 16-0 regular season will never hold the the same significance that the Dolphins undefeated season did.

The result of this season is simply the style of operation the Saints are implementing to try and win it all. Love it, or hate it, it certainly provides a little excitement. What it also gives every season is hope. This next season might just be the year Saints fans. Don’t give up on them.

Thanks for reading everyone. As always, I welcome your comments, critiques and all around banter. Got a different view on the Saints future? Call into Who Dat Confessional from 7pm-9pm CST on Tuesdays to let us know! Who Dat and God Bless.

Lache pas la patate, for our non French speaking readers, basically means “don’t give up”.