Hoss: Saints need "changes" to right the ship

The good news: the Saints still have a shot to make the playoffs.

The bad news: history isn't in their favor.

Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, only seven teams who have started a season 1-4 have reached the postseason. According to one analyst, the Saints have a lot of problems to fix before they can sniff the playoffs.

Voice of the Saints Mike Hoss told WWL's Tommy Tucker that the Saints have issues in all facets of the game.

"Defensive mistakes, defensive alignments, defensive execution," Hoss said. "If you can't run, and you can't stop the run, football becomes enormously difficult."

In addition to the Saints' run game being stagnant, Hoss said the team's offense has problems holding on to the football.

"In the second half (against Minnesota), they had five drives: a fumble, and interception, a punt, a turnover on downs, and an interception. Those are the five drives of the second half (of a game) in which you led at halftime," Hoss said. "They are -6 (in the turnover ratio). The turnovers really kept (the Vikings) in the game--literally kept them in the game."

Hoss noted that the Saints have a roster full of young players, some of whom have little experience on an NFL field.

According to Hoss, the Saints' issues--especially turnovers and penalties--stem from the fact that the team is awfully young.

"First year guys who haven't been on the field or who have been on the field a short amount of time, and it looks like it."

Hoss believes the Saints' coaching staff need to make some sort of changes, but he added that he doesn't know what fixes the Saints need.

"I'm not talking about massive changes, but just something different," Hoss said.