This was exactly the kind of game I expected from the Saints tonight. There were moments where they looked like the worst team in the league as they failed to make the most routine plays on offense and defense. There were also moments where this team showed EXACTLY the things I was hoping most to see. I recently posted about how I want to see this team fight, that there are still things to prove and that there are still things to be gained in these final games. I feel that way even more now. The Saints got stomped early in this game as the offensive line was pretty much a disaster, and we won’t even talk about the officiating to close out the half. The fact is that the Saints as they are (especially the injury riddled carcass that played tonight) are a marginally talented team and match up very poorly to these Lions. Johnson, Tate, Abdullah, and Ebron are all problems on offense, and Ziggy Ansah is a flat out animal on the defensive line.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if the game had ended the way it began with the Saints down 21-3 at the half. Credit to the Saints for fighting back in this game and getting it within a single stop of having a chance at a game tying touchdown. Unfortunately this is reality and the Saints did what we all expected them to, they gave up a huge run right up the gut to (former Saint) Joique Bell who basically sealed the game. The beginning and end to this game were painful, excruciating at times even, but what I am most interested in was what happened between. The Saints were eliminated from the playoffs, they had nothing really to play for, and they were getting their heads kicked in…at home…again. Last year’s team would have quit. This year’s didn’t, they fought. You can build off of that, you can take the good and build off of it in the offseason and become better, but you can’t build a damn thing off a quitter. That’s why the Saints aren’t any better this year after last year even though they had a very solid draft. Because instead of building off of ‘fighters’ they had to get rid of the quitters.
Don’t get me wrong, watching the Saints lose in primetime where they once dominated sucks for me. I hate it, but I can either wallow in well deserved misery, or I can choose to look for hope for the future. Well I was hoping, and I saw some. The negatives are going to be covered ad nauseum this week, and they are all deserved, so below I’m going to list the good things that came from this game.
- Armstead pretty much shut down one of the best pass rushers in the league.
- Brandin Cooks balled out and made a couple of phenomenal catches in this game, including a NASTY one hander at the one.
- Willie Snead is the perfect #3 wr, I can’t wait till he doesn’t have to be the #2.
- Kenny Vaccaro continues his comeback year with another solid game (got caught on a couple of pick plays, but those are complicated. Mostly a good game before film is watched)
- Drew Brees is a tough….yea you know the rest.
- The Saints have started 2 rookie linebackers all year, and both forced fumbles tonight. They can build off these kids.
- Kasim Edebali had a nice game, he can be the 3rd guy off the bench someday.
- Delvin Breaux was hit and miss, but played ok. still a great piece to build off.
- The Saints held Calvin Johnson to 19 yards…that’s something at least.
- Cameron Jordan played a solid game, and got a big sack early in the game.
- Tim Hightower has HEART, and lots of it.
- And the biggest positive of all…the Saints didn’t quit. I can’t reiterate enough how important that is. If this team played this badly I wouldn’t blame them for quitting, but it also has ZERO value. A team that fights to the end can become something down the line…they just have to cut the fat and continue to build. At least we have something to build off of (you want salt…wait till the off-season, its only two more weeks).
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