How many more years can the New Orleans Saints keep feeding off the idea that they’ve left “unfinished business” in the playoffs? That’s been the narrative the Saints have chased ever since their exit in the 2017 postseason, and it stayed alive after their 2018 finale, too. Now, with the 2019 playoffs behind them, where do they go next?
Fortunately, that’s a question experienced leaders like linebacker Demario Davis can answer. And his message to his teammates is one cautioning patience.
“You have to realize it’s the end of a chapter and not a book,” Davis told ESPN’s Mike Triplett. That doesn’t mean the journey is painless. He continued, “Not all losses feel the same. But all losses hurt the same.”
It makes sense that Davis would take such a measured approach. He toiled thanklessly for years with the rudderless New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, watching playoff games from his couch or a treadmill at the gym. He’s acutely aware of how difficult it is to even reach the postseason, much less win games there.
And like he pointed out, this isn’t the end of things. Sean Payton and Drew Brees are still running the show in New Orleans. Davis is still the captain of the defense. The team is on a great trajectory to get right back into the thick of things next year, and with this kind of experience behind them, they should be better-prepared than ever. But that’s not going to do much to dull the pain of an early playoffs exit, and it’s a natural reaction. Like Davis said, it’s important to remember that this is the end of a chapter, not the last page in the book.
