Saints Out of it Already

From 1966, the New Orleans Saints came from such humble beginnings. We've only had a handful of winning seasons over that forty-four year period until finally winning the Superbowl last year. We were toted as the Cinderella of the NFL and last year was a rags to riches story of overcoming adversity and driving toward victory.

So, what happened in Saturday's Wild Card game? We walked in there like it was our game. We acted like it was nothing but a thing. Where did we get that attitude? Where did we get any idea that we could take that game lightly?

The Seattle Seahawks had one of the worst seasons in the league this year. They narrowly made it to the Wild Card game with a win over the Rams, placing them at 4-2 Division wins over the Rams 3-3. But, they are a professional football team. They can't be discounted that easily even though everyone in the world was calling this one.

The Saints have one of the best defenses in the league. It has been said and agreed to by many that we have the best quarterback, hands down. We have a remarkable secondary that we can maneuver and exchange strategically throughout the game like we did when we orchestrated a win against Atlanta on Monday Night Football a few weeks ago. But, any given Sunday means any given Sunday. What's so hard to remember about that?

Any team we go up against should be played with the intensity that we play fourth quarter four minutes left. Did the Jets give up when the Colts were ahead by two in the fourth quarter with under a minute left? No, they came back to get the field goal and win the game.

When the Ravens were beating the Chiefs on Sunday, did they let up and let the Chiefs catch up to them? No, they kept beating them down and beating them down so that the Chiefs walked away knowing that they had been beat.

What happened on Saturday between the Saints and the Seahawks was ridiculous! The defense out hit us and knocked us around. They manhandled our offense. At times, they rendered us incapable of driving. Then, their offense ran the ball down our throats. The entire offensive beat down can be epitomized in Marshawn Lynch's 67 yard blast in the fourth quarter. In one run, you see what Seattle was doing to New Orleans all game.

Yes, we were the World Champions. But, forty three other teams have been called that before us. We need to remember our roots. We have the team to beat. They just need to be there when it counts and they weren't at the most critical times this year.