Saints Sideline Blog

SECRET SAINTS

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010      Email Print

DATELINE: New Orleans, LA (Shhhhh...don't tell anybody!)
 
Its amazing but so true---the Saints have won six straight and haven't lost in a month and half---but not a peep. They have 10 wins in 13 games and are oh by the way the Defending Super Bowl Champions but NOBODY is talking about them. Can you say music to Sean Payton's ears! The Who Dat Head Man couldn't have drawn up a better scenario heading down the stretch run of the season----his team is playing its best football of the year but instead of the national media focusing on its chances of repeating we get these headlines:
 
*Favre is Finished
*Vick is Back
*Falcons are Flying
 
Where are the Saints? Your answer-- page 2. Save Drew Brees on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the most attention this team gets is the second block of Sportscenter. Its the equivalent of winning an Academy Award one year and then having nobody show up for your next movie premiere. You know if the big market Giants, Jets or Patriots were going for back to back titles the spotlight would be shining, but this is no time for New Orleans to get an inferiority complex--look at this as possibly the best thing that could happen to this team. I know the players are loving it, yet gaining motivation from it.
 
Early on every team was giving the Saints its best shot and now all of a sudden they have fallen off the radar faster than Nick Lachey. Speaking of Hollywood, don't blame it on Kim Kardashian no longer gracing her presence in the Superdome, blame it on a combination of the Saints slow start and the unbelievable parity in the league this year. A year ago New Orleans could not be ignored with its 13-0 record and talk of a perfect season. A year later Drew Brees tells me this team is playing better football at this point in the year and he is right. Remember a year ago when the Saints lost its last three games and stumbled into the postseason? This team is crisper on offense and the defense is a better unit than the one who entered the Holiday season a year ago.
 
These Saints shutup many a critic who thought they were done after its three game losing skid a year ago. But how impressive is the encore performance of defending its title --so far under the radar they need scuba gear. Its gonna be hard to keep this up as the schedule demands a lot more attention in the next three weeks. Baltimore comes calling this weekend, followed by a Manic Monday nighter versus the Falcons and then you have what could prove to be an interesting NFC South Season Swan Song versus Tampa Bay. I hope you've enjoyed your anonymity Saints, for better or for worse your days of being the NFL's version of a secret agent look to be numbered.
 
WHO DAT HITS
 
MALCOLM SHARPER: Malcolm Jenkins sure took that mentoring thing to heart didn't he?  Last season as a rookie he listened and learned to Darren Sharper, a year later he is Darren Sharper. Jenkins has taken to the safety position exactly the way Gregg Williams was hoping he would when he worked him out following his senior year at Ohio St. I asked Sharper if Jenkins is turning into him and he agreed where he couldn't be more impressed with his clutch play striping the Cowboys on Turkey Day and then providing a 96 yard Sharper like pic six off the arm of Sam Bradford that turned the game around versus St Louis.
 
RAGGING ON ROMAN: Roman Harper is known to be quite the comic in the Saints locker room but the joke was on him versus the Rams when he ran out of bounds instead of going for the score after recovering a fumble with loads of real estate in front of him. Harper returned to the sideline in need of oxygen where his teammates were breathing all over him. Many of his fellow secondary mates said what we were all  thinking---he looked like 'he was running with a piano on his back." It may take awhile to live that down but the good news for Roman, he's having a pro bowl type season.
 
NO DOUBTING THOMAS: Pierre Thomas made his return after missing the last 11 weeks with an ankle injury he suffered against the Falcons. His numbers weren't off the charts but he received a nice ovation on his first touch in the 1st quarter and showed no signs of fatigue or rust. In fact with Chris Ivory going down in the second half, Pierre and Reggie picked up the slack quite nicely.
 
MIGHTY MARQUES: Could Marques Colston finally be a pro bowler this season? He is sure heating up at the right time. The fifth year Saint has all 7 of his TD's in the last 7 weeks including two against St Louis. Colston caught the 40th of his career which puts him fifth all time in black and gold history.
 
NOBODY ASKED ME BUT: So Cam Newton wins the Heisman huh? Based on the facts, I think the Downtown Athletic Club should head south and give Reggie his back. Newton's Dad has been found guility of similar charges that Bush's parents were at USC, yet Reggie returns his hardware only to watch Newton hoist his? I asked Reggie this week about the contradiction and he wasn't bitter at all. Reggie is tired of talking about it and ready to move on. Good for him, but that doesn't make it right.....
 
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.

Post Comment | Read Comments (0)