The title is code for my reaction at the end of regulation…you figure it out.
On the list of gut-wrenching, heart breaking, depressing losses that game ranks very near the top for me, and doubly so because of the incredible guts and determination we all saw displayed by Keenan, Mark and Jimmy down the stretch. Obviously the game in the playoffs in 2011 was worse since I really felt that it was ‘our year’, and we were robbed by an arrogant idiot of a D-coordinator and a pair of below average players. What makes this loss so bad for me though is quite simply the call at the end of regulation. I have a deep rooted personal hatred for any situation where the officials determine the outcome of a game or a series. It shouldn’t happen, not unless it is an obvious and egregious call that has to be made. Simply put, this wasn’t one of those times. If you go by the technical letter of the law is there a case for that being the right call? Yes. However that call should never be made in that situation and especially not after you have allowed the EXACT same play to be made earlier in the game for a TD where the push off actually affected the play (Graham’s did not because the corner didn’t have position to stop the catch without interfering with Jimmy).
I do want to be clear on something though; I will go to my grave saying that call being made in that situation and with the way it played out was a terrible job by the refs, end of discussion….but it isn’t why the Saints lost. The Saints lost for a lot of reasons, but if you want to pick one take any one of these three: the second pick, the overthrow to Stills, or the pass to Crabtree. Any of those plays could be considered the nail in the Saints coffin, but the fact that all three occurred is the reason they deserved to lose. I disagree with the call that was made on multiple levels and hate that a ref decided the game based on a judgment call (and a flop), but the Saints would have ‘stolen’ that game if the play had stood. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take it. But, I’m not going to sit here and say that the reason they lost was a call that never should have been an issue.
There is an upside to this game though (believe it or not), I think I finally know who this Saints team is. I (like many others) came into the season buying into the hype of ‘the most talented roster in franchise history’ (which it probably still is), but in my elation I forgot that talent alone doesn’t mean a whole lot. The Saints are young, you might not think that when you look at the core pieces, but if you look at the roster as a whole there are a ton of very young players in key positions. The loss of Jenkins, Sproles, Moore, and even Harper in the offseason wasn’t on the field, it was their roles as leaders and ‘glue-guys’ that helped keep the team together. This is a very talented team that is still improving, but it doesn’t yet know who it is and not all of the key pieces are there yet to truly contend. So who are they? They are the ’08 Saints! A talented team that loses close games and just can’t quite put it together yet (I’m not predicting a title next year for the record), but if they can get a little more cohesive and fill a couple of key needs they could be a juggernaut. The key pieces for the 2008 Saints and this year’s group are different; what we need is a high quality OLB (might be on the roster in Powell) and the one thing that we have never had under SP…a true playmaker at the linebacker position to complement Lofton. There are certainly other areas which could be upgraded with either better players or more depth (cough, corner), but those are the two spots on the team that are true weaknesses right now.
I am NOT throwing in the towel for this year just yet, but I honestly think this team right now is very reminiscent of that squad and a very bright future could be just around the corner. As far as this year is concerned I see the team going one of two ways: they either fold after yet another heart break (or because Keenan can’t play), or they prep their fingers for the sky because they think they were screwed and go full out ‘scorched earth’ for the rest of the year. I am usually the guy who mocks others for making things out to be extreme on one side or the other, but in this case I don’t think a loss like that results in ‘the middle’. This team could absolutely implode and lose 5 more games this year (highly unlikely), but they also could go ballistic and throw caution to the wind wrecking everything in their way. I really have no idea which one it is going to be, but I know that we should all have a very good idea of it by the end of next week’s game.
Whatever the result may be my fellow WhoDat’s, I just want to say that I honestly believe that this is far from the end of an era and there is still a ton of upside for this team and this franchise. Our hearts may be broken right now, but we will see our guys emerge victorious again.
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