Saints Sideline Blog

PLAYOFF FEVER

Monday, January 3rd, 2011      Email Print

DATELINE: New Orleans, LA / January 3rd, 2011 (C'mon kids we're heading to......Seattle???)
 
Forget the mess that is the BCS, this year's NFC playoff picture makes about as much sense as buying the season box set of Jersey Shore---who can possibly rationalize it? OK here's what we have...those Saints armed with an 11-5 record will say goodbye to home field advantage and say hello to a road trip in the home of the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks??!! The same Seahawks who are officially the worst division winner and playoff team in NFL history. Pete Carroll's guys lost to New Orleans 34-19 in Week 11 and preceded to go an electric 2-5 down the stretch. They aren't gonna complain outwardly but inside Sean Payton and the fellah's have to feel a cross country plane flight on a short week to a losing team to open the playoffs is the NFL equivalent of a root canal.
 
While the Saints will be going to the postseason for the third time in five years under Payton, amazingly they have never won a regular season finale under the best coach in franchise history. A big reason for that three of his team's have rested the starters in game 16 but this year's season finale was a somewhat delayed "sitting of his stars" as the Saints head coach admitted he was scoreboard watching. It would have been a miracle for the Panthers to knock off the Falcons at home which could have paved the way for a possible Who Dat division title and home field, but unfortunately that "win one for the Foxie" speech didn't equate to the ole "Gipper" as John Fox's Panther tenure ends on a sour note for him and subsequently the Saints.
 
Once the Panthers laid an egg, Payton pulled the plug. In---Chase Daniel, Out--Drew Brees. The Saints punted on 4th and one which for Payton is about as common as a dry day on Bourbon Street.  The result the Saints waved the white flag as this team couldn't afford to pad the numbers on its injury list. With Marques Colston and Pierre Thomas on the sidelines, Sunday's game saw some notable additions---how about the likes of Jimmy Graham, Chris Ivory and Malcolm Jenkins. All three of whom have come up HUGE for this team down their solid stretch run.
 
Momentum seems to be an overrated cliche when talking about the Saints postseason hopes. They lost three straight heading into Playoff Land a year ago and well we know how that worked out. This time around the black and gold enter the postseason city limits hardly in high gear losers of two of its last three.Last season, Payton enjoyed shutting up those critics who forgot about the Saints after they limped into the postseason, and you get the feeling this team relishes a chance to prove everybody wrong again. This year though is different----its not a three game losing streak, you can understand the season finale loss, the Atlanta Monday night win was huge and Big Picture has New Orleans victorious in 7 of its last 9.
 
Drew Brees told me after the game that this team relishes its chance to hit the road-- a place the Saints have only lost three times in the last two seasons. A victory on Saturday would give New Orleans its FIRST road playoff win in franchise history. Playing a 7-9 Seattle team, I like this team's odds in what would be the college football playoff equivalent of maybe a top five Wisconsin hitting the road in a college playoff to play UCF on its home field? But unlike the BCS, at least the NFC let's this championship to be decided on the field, we will see if the Saints take advantage.
 
WHO DAT HITS
 
NO "KEEPING SCORE": An informal poll of Saints players concluded they without hesitation don't peek at scoreboards during the games (or least they wouldn't admit it) Roman Harper's answer made the most sense as he inferred you start worry about the scoreboard more than the man in front of you---it may end badly.
 
TURNOVER TROUBLES: The Saints know their biggest obstacle heading into the playoffs may be the Saints---turnovers once again appearing early and often. Three more against the Bucs where Julius Jones fumbled on the 1 yard line and Brees had a fumble and his career high 22nd INT of the season.
 
STRAIGHT "A'S"- Adrian Arrington has always made the most of his opportunities and the Saints season finale wasn't any different. Amazingly AA caught his first career reception and led the team with 79 receiving yards. He admitted to me afterwards that he had some butterflies and has had some talks with teams in recent weeks (Eagles) but wanted to stay in New Orleans.
 
REGGIE REGGIE: The Saints offense got a boost from Reggie Bush who had his game of the season running between the tackles. It featured a 23 yard run where he led the team with 70 rushing yards and 125 all purpose.
 
NOBODY ASKED ME BUT: The regular season is over (hard to believe) but once again the Tampa Bay Bucs show us how you never know what's gonna happen in the NFL. Before the season, Raheem Morris was knee deep in hot water but is now an NFL Coach of the Year candidate. Josh Freeman has gone from a player with potential to a one of the best QB's in the NFL. A team with 10 rookies in its starting lineup finishes with 10 wins---if you predicted that you are lying---further proof that its stories like this that make being a sports fan great, stories we tend to get every season in this league.
 
UNTIL NEXT BLOG
Mike Nabors
CST

By: Mike Nabors

An Emmy award winning sports reporter who covers a wide variety of events for CST. Primarily, Mike serves as the network's reporter for Saints coverage.

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