After the Saints win in Nashville last Sunday, my family and I did our normal thing.  Went to the gym and grabbed an early bite to eat.  Donning our black and gold and fleur-di-lys’, we sparked a quite a few unsolicited comments….

“We should have won that game”…

“You didn’t beat us so much as we beat ourselves”…

“We had you on your heals”…

“The Saints are dirty and they cheated”…

Let’s take a look at each claim and rate it on our patented “Excuse-O-Meter”

1= “I’m pretty objective, but I do have a favorite team”

2= “Woe is Me”

3= “I have trouble accepting accountability and am seeking help to understand why”

4= “I’m picking up my toys and not inviting you to my birthday party!”

#1- “We should have won that game” – Rating (2).  I suppose I could say the same thing about our season opener against the Packers.  There is a big difference between COULD have and SHOULD have.  If you looked at the statistics, and watched the game, the Saints outperformed the Titans on every offensive and defensive measure.  The Saints defense, barring a couple of big plays, played very aggressively limiting their star rusher Chris Johnson to only 23 rush yards and the team to only 59 yards.  Barring the big play, which has always been the Achilles heel, the defense played aggressively and made the big stops when it counted.  The Titans only converted on one of 10 3^rd down opportunities and came up big in the last two opponent possessions.

#2 - “You didn’t beat us so much as we beat ourselves” – Rating (1) Really?  The Saints were called for 11 penalties totaling 95 yards (and negating a touchdown) versus the Titans’ 8 penalties for 54 yards.  A blade of grass in the end zone and a quarterback false start were among the most unbelievable and frustrating calls that the Saints needed to rally through.  Please, your fumble was ruled incomplete even though it seemed very apparent that the Saints defender hit Locker’s arm is what caused the forward motion.  I get the rule…I don’t have a problem with it…but don’t use your penalties and unfavorable calls as an excuse.

#3 – “We had you on your heals”.  No rating, this is true.  The defense once again came through big in the end when we needed them to.  All we needed, as many times in the past, was first down.  For a team that has an established a passing identity, we ran three run plays in a row to go three and out.  It seems all too familiar – we need a first down and can’t seem to get it.  This is what kept the Titans in the game and why it came down to the wire. 

#4 “The Saints are dirty and they cheated”.  Rating (4).  The “phantom whistle” excuse is about as plausible as the magic bullet from the grassy knoll.  I am not certain if this accusation even reached reputable news sources because it was so asinine.  One of the Titan’s players was “miked” for a local TV show – the video guy said he could “definitely” hear a whistle and it sounded as if it came from the Saints sideline.  I could go into a variety of reasons as to why this is so absurd, but the allegation speaks for itself.  Whistle-gate…that is an all time low for excuses. 

We may have to revisit the excuse-o-meter because this clearly broke it!

…an’ dat’s dat!

From a religious standpoint, Saints would encourage forgiveness and condemn retribution on those who have wronged us.  But for the strict followers of the football faith, we find it hard to not seek out revenge…payback…vengeance.  Revenge has few boundaries.  There is no statute of limitations….and it can exacted on the loosest of affiliations.  For me, I want to punish Matt Hasselbeck this Sunday. It’s not simply because he is related to Elisabeth Hasselbeck by marriage – although completely rationale and justified if you are a regular viewer of “The View”.  I want reprisal for that stunning playoff loss in Seattle last season.

For those of you who may not remember (and I can’t imagine who you might be), the Saints (10-6) traveled to Seattle (7-9) in an upset of epic proportions.  While the Saints did not play their best football by a long shot, they did have to play on the road in the loudest outdoor stadium in the league.  Home field advantage, one could argue, made the difference. 

This week, Matt Hasselbeck made the following comments in a press conference:

“The only thing that can really stop them (Saints) is maybe the crowd noise and helping the pass rushers get off the edge. The speed rushers get off the ball. Maybe St. Louis had a little bit of crowd noise advantage. Or even last year in Seattle. We probably had a little bit of a crowd noise advantage. Our guys on edge were able to get off the ball. That’s not just for the Saints. That is for any home team.”

Really?  You admit it?

The NFL prides itself on fairness and on an equal playing field – and I agree, as noted in read my previous post (Saints: The Long Good Bye).  However, this virtue does not need to be taken so far that all common sense is thrown out the window.  Let’s review:

• The teams with the best overall regular season record in each division earn a playoff birth
• Overall regular season rank determines the seeding for the division winners, but NOT the wild card teams

The seeding system itself is designed to reward the “best” teams with a home game or a bye week in the playoffs.  The league recognizes that home field advantage is an edge and that is doled out based on who “deserves” it – overall record. 

Which begs the questions: Why would your reward system only apply to two-thirds of the teams that earned a playoff spot?  Why do you punish two teams in the wild card positions simply because they were the best of the rest or had the misfortune of having the division leader run away with it?

I have no issue with the division leaders securing a playoff birth.  However, seeding criteria should be applied consistently across all six teams in each conference.  If I am still this upset…imagine how the Saints feel?  They are still licking their wounds from an embarrassing performance and will be looking to launch a world of hurt on Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans.

A win will be sweet vindication.  Now what can I do about that little problem I have with “The View”.

 ...an' dat's dat!