It has been two weeks… 14 days.  One might think that is enough time to get over the Saints loss to the niners.  Apparently not.  I have been through breakups where the bitterness hasn’t lasted this long.

Really, what is the difference between the ending of your relationship and the premature end of your football season?  As I thought about it some more, there are some striking parallels between the stages of a breakup and coping with losing in the playoffs.

• Disbelief.  This isn’t really happening.  I have watched the game two times, looking for the miscues, relishing those last moments of our season, and hoping for a different outcome.  Breakup: I am going out to drink countless cosmopolitans with my girlfriends and recount every detail of this breakup.  When I am done, I will eat a pint of ice cream.
• Denial that you had any part in it.  “That is the best the niners have ever played.  They got lucky that we game them the ball five extra times”.  Breakup: “I’m not even sure where to begin with his issues, but his mother is probably a good start”.
• Vengeance.   “My new mission is to wish ill-will upon the niners.  I hope they choke against the Giants.”  Breakup: “He’ll get what he deserves…and just to make sure of it, I will drive past his house every night to make sure”.
• Overly dramatic.  “That was a championship team.  We only had a small window to make another run with this same personnel.”  Breakup: “I will never find anyone as good as him.  I’m going to die an old maid!”.
• Looking to the future.  “There is always next season.  We have a lot to build on”.  Breakup:  “Bought some cute jeans…when is dollar drink night?”

So two weeks after that fateful loss, my husband and I have brief, passing comments about next season.  We try not to look backward at this point, but instead, begin to slowly think about the future.   That doesn’t mean that we don’t look towards next weekend’s Super Bowl with a little bit of envy and bitterness.  You may be asking how will we get through the 6 hours of pre-game hype and watching other teams on the biggest stage?  We will have a party with friends, overindulge in food and drink just like everyone else….only we will be showing Super Bowl 44 – Saints vs. Colts.

After all, who amongst us hasn’t called up an old flame after a breakup?

…an dat’s dat!

I'd like to start by congratulating the San Francisco 49ers for a great year and a great game. I'm still reeling from the pain of the loss, but everyone I run into is calling the game "an instant classic". The 49ers were able to pull off a spectacular last minute drive to get the go-ahead touchdown and leave 9 second on the clock. That's what great teams do. The last five minutes of the game had four lead changes and some of the best quarterback play of the year. If I weren't so deeply involved in every play and obviously subjective in my viewing I might have been able to enjoy the spectacle . Maybe as the wounds heal and the scars fade, I will be able to enjoy the game as a great battle between two great teams. Until then, I'm just pissed off!!

Here's why I'm so angry;

NO...not the turnovers, but that is clearly not acceptable in the post-season. However the four turnovers in the first half became a mute point at halftime when the Saints only trailed by3 points.

I AM UPSET because Greg Williams got out-coached by Jim Harbaugh in the last five minutes of the game. His job is to put his players in the best position to make a play. #1 - how does Alex Smith run around the end and scamper for a 28 yard touchdown? WHO BLEW THAT ONE? That responsibility falls directly on Greg Williams calling the wrong defense and under-estimating the will of both Smith and Harbaugh. Greg Williams got caught again when he let one player, Vernon Davis, beat him with 40 seconds on the clock. When your team drives 85 yards to take the lead with 1:37 left in the game, it's Greg Williams' job to stop their offense from doing the same thing!! I have no idea what kind of defense he was running, but he clearly got out-smarted! Was his head in it? Was he thinking about his new job in St Louis?

One last reason that I'm pissed off; this team is full of free agents and most likely wont be the same group of people taking the field for the 2012 season. This was the year...we were in prime condition! I am fearful that the free agengy might leave us with some gaping holes that might take a few years to fill.

I am going to get over this game....but not for a long time! I am going to renew my season tickets and wear my Saints gear with pride all Summer long! I am going to be optimistic when the boys of Fall return. I am going to watch the 49ers host the Giants, even though we all know that had we won that game, the Saints would be hosting the Giants in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. I am going let my mind and body heal from 19 weeks of battling and then I am going to train hard in the off-season to make my screaming as loud as it can be on third downs. I am going to rewatch the entire season...even the losses. I am going to continue to write about The Saints. I am going to make it....I am going to get better...I will never stop believing in my team and my city. I am going to continue to hate the 49ers, The Eagles, The Bucs, The Falcons, The Bears, The Seahawks, The Panthers and The Cowboys.I will be better one day...one day....one day...

Until then I am going to eat King Cake and get ready for Mardi Gras, French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest and hosting the Super Bowl in New Orleans in 2013! It will be the first time that a home team will be playing the Super Bowl!!!!!!!

An' Dat's Dat!

So...if you've been able to sift your way through Tebow Mania and find a word or two on the Saints, you might have noticed that there are a lot of folks picking the 49ers in this game. I have watched a lot of shows that use the phrase "What do the 49ers have to do to stop the Saints". Then when the talk is over, they pick the 49ers. All of them base their pick on our "road record" and say "the Saints are a different team when their not in the The Dome". I have to agree with that...a little bit! I would actually say that the Saints are a different team than they were in the first half of the season.....way back when we lost our last game....when we still went 5-3....when we had a shot to beat the Packers...when our run defense was not as stout as it is now....when we were losing the turnover ratio....before we had Chris Ivory back...when Porter and Vilma were either playing with injuries and/or out....when Olin Kruetz was playing with half a heart....before Sean Payton got his play calling mojo back! SO...WE ARE A DIFFERENT TEAM NOW! Dome or no Dome, we are a different team then we were way back when we lost our last game. Since then we have been on fire! 9 straight wins and all anyone can talk about is Tim Freakin' Tebow. It's embarrassing! The NFL Network, Sports Center and all NFL pundits should be ashamed of themselves.

But that's not all.....

I'm not sure if anyone even remembers when The Saints had to play in the NFC West? Yes, it's ridiculous that a team from the deep South should be playing in the NFC West. Yes, it was during the early days of the "West Coast Offense." Sure, we had to face Joe Montana twice a year and The Greatest Show on Turf and fly back and forth all the time acting as the door mat to the division. The Saints never managed to win any of those Division Titles, but we did manage to put up a few good fights. The reason we were ever even treated with any degree of respect was out defense. We were not an offensive powerhouse during the 80s ad 90s. We were, however, a great, hard-hitting defense. THE DOME PATROL! The 49ers always knew that they were going to get a tough, bloody nose game from the Saints.

Well, here it is...a roll reversal! Now we have the high-fying, west coast offense. We spread the field to deep receivers, fullbacks in the flat, short crossing patterns and the league's best screen game. The 49ers, on the other hand, are a hard hitting, shut down defense. They pride themselves on conservative play calling offense and a defense that will hold the opposing team to 20 point or less. They play field position and don't ask a lot of their quarterback. I, actually find it odd considering the head coach is an ex-quarterback. Almost like he doesn't really have the play-calling notebook to draw from. Maybe he doesn't have faith in his not-so-young, but young enough quarterback. They've certainly had their fair share of top draft picks in recent years. Maybe I haven't been following the 49ers closely enough in recent years to know who's playing on their offensive line.

Here's the deal...I feakin' hate the 49ers! I am still bent out of shape about having to play those guys every year in the NFC West! I am tired of Jerry Rice jerseys and Montana jerseys and Steve Young jerseys. I lived in San Francisco for long enough to watch the "fans" lose attention when the franchise started to lose games. I'm over "The Catch." I'm over Golden Joe! Don't get me wrong, I have total respect for what that team did in the history of the league. Montana, Young and Rice, Ronnie Lott and Dwight Clark are some of the best players to have played the game. But, that team has payed out. They have trophies to go around. Their time is over! It's OUR TIME!!

Can the 49ers defense stop Drew Brees? Can they stop Drew Brees AND Sproles, Colston, Ivory, Thomas, Moore, Graham, Arrington, Higgins, Gilmore and Collins? Can their defense get through a pro bowl line? I'm not as worried about our defense against Alex Smith. Their conservative play calling should be easy prey for Greg Williams and Jon Vilma. We're going into this game as healthy as nay team has ever been this deep into the season. We are sharp and well oiled. We are playing at the highest level that this team has ever played. We've won 9 games in a row and have found our groove! I just don't think that the 49ers are ready for this type of pace. I am looking forward to a little payback from the NFC West days and dishing out a bit the old 49ers' medicine!

'An Dat's Dat!

Here it is!!! The playoffs!! In week one all 32 teams say that the playoffs are a goal and after week 17 only 12 see that dream realized. The Saints are back in the playoffs for the fourth time in the last 6 years and have another legitimate shot at the title. Every Saints fan has been looking to get back to Green Bay after the week 1 loss. Every analyst agrees that the Saints are the only team that can play with the Packers. All we have to do is play lights out for two weeks and we end up in Green Bay playing for another chance to see The Super Bowl. Let's take this thing one game at a time and look at the Lions!

It seems like an eon ago that we hosted the Lions and trounced them 31-17. Are the Lions a better team than they were in early December? Sure they are! Are the Saints a better team than they were in early December? Damned straight! Who's "better team" will be the best team in the Mercedes Benz Superdome come Saturday night? I have to think that Drew Brees and Sean Payton, after last year's Seattle encounter, will be prepared for anything that Jim Schwartz and Matt Stafford can throw at them. After all, the Packers B-Team managed to get the job done....The Saints A-Team has been firing on all cylinders and Greg Williams will be dialing up defensive schemes that confuse even the most veteran quarterbacks. Take all that and add on Superdome Playoff crowd noise and the Saints should be able to march all over the Lions.

The Lions defense gave up 550 yards against the Packers B-Team. The Saints put up 617 against the Panthers in week 17...206 of those came on the ground. That's where the Lions will find the most trouble in defending the Saints. The Saints run game has been putting up 100+ yards on a regular basis and they've been doing it with fresh legs every down. How will the Lions account for Sprolles? How will the account for Jimmy Graham? What defensive package will they line up that will confuse Drew Brees? How does anyone defend against Chris Ivory lowering his helmet and pounding the rock for nearly 7 yards per carry? It's overwhelming! In my very humble opinion, this offense is better than the Super Bowl Championship offense of 2010.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Saints have been improving game by game and show signs of the ball-hawking defense of 2010. The Saints are starting to see take-aways every game and even some defensive points are starting to show up on the scoreboard. Tracy Porter, Patrick Robinson and Cam Jordon are starting to play at peak levels and Roman Harper is turning into a real threat both as a pass rusher and hard-hitting safety. They're even calling him dirty after some of the hits he's been putting on teams lately. We'd all like to see Jonathan Vilma come back to the squad in full force for the playoffs and Shanle and Dunbar have been doing a great job filling holes and moving side to side! Jabari Greer is freakin' on fire right now and playing out of his head! I think that the Lions game will be a coming out party for the Saints defense! I'm predicting 20 or less from the Lions and the Saints can beat anyone who only scores 20 points. Our last five opponents fell victim to that and out of all the losses the Saints handed out this year, only the Panthers and the Texans managed to score more that 20 points...and we beat them anyway!

An' Dat's Dat!

I think that it's important to start out by saying that The Saints don't like the Falcons and the Falcons don't like The Saints. It's just kind of the way it is. Could be proximity or division opponent? Could be all the close games in recent history? For me, it's something much more. I think we're a better team. I think we were a better team last year. I think we're a better team this year. I'm also sick to death of hearing about "Matty Ice". Can someone please tell me WHY he is "The Ice Man"? In my humble opinion, you have to be able to win the big ones...the playoff games...at home...when it counts. Matty "Ice" hasn't been able to do that. He's also predictable when the pressure is on. I often wonder why Tony Gonzalez isn't triple teamed on third down. That's where "Ice" will look when the heat comes.

Anyway, here we are! Two games left in the season and playoff implications are on the line. The Saints are at home and looking for home field games in January. The Falcons are trying to keep wildcard hopes alive and perhaps a little payback for the loss in Atlanta earlier this year. Here's the thing...WE HAVE THE REAL ICE MAN! Drew Brees is deadly right now. He's breaking every record in the book this year. He only needs 304 yards to tie Dan Marino's single season passing record and he's throwing for 340 yards per game. I've got a feeling that that record will be broken on Monday night and the Dome will erupt. The 12th man will take care of the Dirty Birds and "Ice' will be flying home banged up and dropping two against the Saints in 2011.

'An Dat's Dat!

P.S. I know I've used this picture before, but given our record at home, I think it's appropriate!!

I'm sure that no one in New Orleans has forgotten the NFC Championship game in January of 2010. My husband has a Tracy Porter jersey because of that game (and the Super Bowl...of course). The Saints defense beat Brett Favre into his last retirement and Garrett Hartley put the nail in the coffin of the Vikings' quest for a trip to Miami in February. We were in the Super Dome for that glorious moment. We all screamed and laughed and cried and nearly blew our hearts out of our bodies and the Saints advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history....everyone knows what happened two weeks later!!

I'm sure that the Vikings and all Viking faithful haven't forgotten that game either. I have no doubt that they are looking for some payback and a way to find a silver lining on an otherwise dreadfully cloudy season. This could be the game that turns that team around and gives them belief that carries into the off-season. No doubt they know about the Rams' ramshackling of the Saints earlier in the year and they're thinking that this Sunday will be their shot to do the same. However, it is exactly because the the Rams debacle that The Vikings have no chance.

Does anyone remember how many times the Vikings fumbled the ball in the NFC Championship game in 2010? Is Peterson ready to play again against a hard-hitting Greg Williams defense?  I will go out on a limb and say that the Vikings are held to 75 rush yards and less than 300 total offensive yards on Sunday. The Saints run defense has improved greatly as the year enters week 15 and forced 12 turnovers this season. The Vikings will, undoubtedly, put the ball in Christian Ponder's hands to win this game with an injured (although he's listed as probable) Adrienne Peterson. I dont think that Ponder is ready for a Greg Williams defense. Maning(s), Favre, Warner, Brady and a host of other more veteran quarterbacks have failed to outwit Williams. 

Conversely, Drew Brees is on a roll...as is our core of running backs and receivers. Jimmy Graham cannot be guarded even with his sore back. Marques Colston has been on fire and Lance Moore has been seeing the goal line passes. Henderson and Meachem have been stretching the field north and south and Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas are frothing at the mouth to get the ball. Even the offensive line has been having a blast opening holes and setting up screens. I'm not sure if Jared Allen can cover all those people?

All of this being said, I get very nervous going against a struggling 2-11 team. They have nothing to lose. They run reverses on 3rd and 25. They run flea-flickers and wildcats. Anything can happen! The Saints better not look past this team! This is where the Rams game comes back into play. THAT is the team we looked past. Drew Brees and Sean Payton wont let that happen again! The Saints are in the hunt for a January bye week and a number 2 seed in the tournament. This is the time of year that separates the post-season favorites from the rest of the field. I don't think that the Saints will drop a beat in Minneapolis on Sunday. If the Vikings are looking to right their ship against the Saints this week, they better not be surprised when all of their plans spring a leak. Drew Brees and The Saints hunt Vikings for brunch on Sunday!

An' Dat's Dat!