Enough already with the "same old Saints" mantra from the alleged diehard fans of my beloved Saints!
Yes, Saints fans have suffered a long laundry list of inglorious and humilating losses: the Lansford FG to end the Saints playoff run under Bum, the Vikings massacre in the Dome for the Saints' first-ever playoff game, the multiple "Hail Mary" Falcon daggers, and so many other fumbles and bumbles.
The pain of so many disappointments is etched deeply in the New Orleans sports pyche. You can feel it when hopes are high, and there is still an aura of "Yeah, but..." always present, a lingering sense of doubt, fear and inevitable doom.
Have the supposed-super Saints struggled in the last 4 games and looked more like Clark Kent, aka the Tampa Bucs? Yep, they have.
But how can anyone who truly knows football say a 13-2 team is "same old saints"? (Note to all: the Saints until this year have NEVER won 13 games in a year.) To lump this team into a same old category is NOT realistic nor diehard. Come'on people , this aint your mama's Saints!!!
Old negative habits die very hard though.
I awake this morning to hear results of a WWL-radio poll: 74% say the 13-2 Saints will lose their first playoff game. Nothing like morning cheer.
After the searingly painful loss to the Bucs Sunday, I sat silent, speechless and stunned at Dome. But more stunning was Saints' "fans" incredible negativity, the sense of doom, the sudden screams (though mostly idiotic) of doubt... Geez, I thought we're 13-2, still #1 seed, first-round bye guaranteed, #1 offense, etc.
Winning is a mindset, and unfortunately we as "diehards" are conditioned to react incredibly negatively when adversity hits us.
Every percieved bad playcall, bad tackle, or bad loss.... Go with your first defense, the easy out of pessisism and doubt. Such emotion isn't rational, it is simple knee-jerk, go with the rest of the heard and dont' think about it. Strange, doesn't this sum up so much of the non-sport New Orleans mindset too???
What casual knee-jerk observers miss is the domino effect that injuries such as Shockey, Shanle and Greer have had on this team down the stretch.
With Shockey out, Thomas is forced to be our primary TE which he really isn't. Having to put him into pass patterns, Thomas also is lost as blocker, which was his primary role pre-Shockey injury.
Shanle's loss and limited availability of late has been huge too. Shanle, the team-voted defensive MVP last year, is one of their best coverage linebackers. Evidence- our last 4 opponents have thrown swing passes consistently in flat to running backs.
But Greer's sport hernia injury has been the biggest hidden Achille's heel to the Saints short-term downturn by far though.
Prior to his injury, all observers said Greer might have been the best shut-down coverage back the Saints had ever had.
Yes, Saints fans have suffered a long laundry list of inglorious and humilating losses: the Lansford FG to end the Saints playoff run under Bum, the Vikings massacre in the Dome for the Saints' first-ever playoff game, the multiple "Hail Mary" Falcon daggers, and so many other fumbles and bumbles.
The pain of so many disappointments is etched deeply in the New Orleans sports pyche. You can feel it when hopes are high, and there is still an aura of "Yeah, but..." always present, a lingering sense of doubt, fear and inevitable doom.
Have the supposed-super Saints struggled in the last 4 games and looked more like Clark Kent, aka the Tampa Bucs? Yep, they have.
But how can anyone who truly knows football say a 13-2 team is "same old saints"? (Note to all: the Saints until this year have NEVER won 13 games in a year.) To lump this team into a same old category is NOT realistic nor diehard. Come'on people , this aint your mama's Saints!!!
Old negative habits die very hard though.
I awake this morning to hear results of a WWL-radio poll: 74% say the 13-2 Saints will lose their first playoff game. Nothing like morning cheer.
After the searingly painful loss to the Bucs Sunday, I sat silent, speechless and stunned at Dome. But more stunning was Saints' "fans" incredible negativity, the sense of doom, the sudden screams (though mostly idiotic) of doubt... Geez, I thought we're 13-2, still #1 seed, first-round bye guaranteed, #1 offense, etc.
Winning is a mindset, and unfortunately we as "diehards" are conditioned to react incredibly negatively when adversity hits us.
Every percieved bad playcall, bad tackle, or bad loss.... Go with your first defense, the easy out of pessisism and doubt. Such emotion isn't rational, it is simple knee-jerk, go with the rest of the heard and dont' think about it. Strange, doesn't this sum up so much of the non-sport New Orleans mindset too???
What casual knee-jerk observers miss is the domino effect that injuries such as Shockey, Shanle and Greer have had on this team down the stretch.
With Shockey out, Thomas is forced to be our primary TE which he really isn't. Having to put him into pass patterns, Thomas also is lost as blocker, which was his primary role pre-Shockey injury.
Shanle's loss and limited availability of late has been huge too. Shanle, the team-voted defensive MVP last year, is one of their best coverage linebackers. Evidence- our last 4 opponents have thrown swing passes consistently in flat to running backs.
But Greer's sport hernia injury has been the biggest hidden Achille's heel to the Saints short-term downturn by far though.
Prior to his injury, all observers said Greer might have been the best shut-down coverage back the Saints had ever had.
Williams' blitz schemes require man-to-man coverage, especially by the cornerbacks.
Greer's lockdown coverage allowed the Saints to blitz more and scheme for basically one side of field. When Greer played, you saw more blitzes from Harper, Gay, Jenkins and Sharper.
With him out, the question "Why don't the Saints blitz as much lately" is answered. - you can't blitz as much or as effectively.
Also with Greer (and then Gay out off and on with assorted injuries), the Saints now have been forced to rely on a rookie cornerback and a scrap-heap cornerback.
Jenkins' lack of experience has been exposed over and over. Mackenzie has played admirably, but lacks the ability to completely shut down receivers.
Question now that the Vikes choked up the #1 seed to the Saints is... will all the alleged diehards now jump back on the Superbowl bandwagon??? I'd bet on it judging from their Bucaneeer loss post-game flip-flop.
Greer's lockdown coverage allowed the Saints to blitz more and scheme for basically one side of field. When Greer played, you saw more blitzes from Harper, Gay, Jenkins and Sharper.
With him out, the question "Why don't the Saints blitz as much lately" is answered. - you can't blitz as much or as effectively.
Also with Greer (and then Gay out off and on with assorted injuries), the Saints now have been forced to rely on a rookie cornerback and a scrap-heap cornerback.
Jenkins' lack of experience has been exposed over and over. Mackenzie has played admirably, but lacks the ability to completely shut down receivers.
Question now that the Vikes choked up the #1 seed to the Saints is... will all the alleged diehards now jump back on the Superbowl bandwagon??? I'd bet on it judging from their Bucaneeer loss post-game flip-flop.
1 comment:
If the Saints are healthy enough, they'll beat whoever they play in the 2nd round.
I don't think it's a question of whether or not the core team that made winning look easy can win in the playoffs, it's a question of whether or not Drew and the F-Troop can win.
I, myself, am not hopeful without Shockey who as of late appears more crucial to the offense than earlier in the season.
The defense can be swiss cheese so long as the offense can put up points.
-jb
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