New Orleans Saints Review

What was supposed to be a cake walk turned into a typical Saints vs. Falcons affair – a 26-23 thriller.  With the victory, the Saints have set a new franchise record with their 13th win of the season.  At 13-0, they have also clinched a first round bye in the playoffs.

The Falcons were without star quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner.  Yet, that didn’t seem to matter as Atlanta gave it their all, knowing that their playoff hopes would be in serious jeopardy without a win.

But the Saints, as they have done many times this season, made the plays necessary to win.  Drew Brees was once again on top of his game, with 296 passing yards along with 3 TDs.  The Falcons defense barely touched him all day.

Pierre Thomas shouldered most of the load in the running game with Mike Bell missing the game with a knee injury.  Thomas had 47 yards on the ground, but was great in the passing game with 6 catches for 53 yards.  Reggie Bush added 33 yards in limited action on the ground and caught 6 passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns.

Receivers Robert Meachem (4 catches, 57 yards), Marques Colston (6 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD) along with tight end Jeremy Shockey (4 catches, 46 yards) were sure handed and again provided Drew Brees with a plethora of open targets.

Defensively, you can’t say that the Saints played their best game.  But, hand it to them:  They make stops when they have to.  Impressive, especially considering that corners Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer were once again missing due to injury.

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was brilliant and made two game-changing plays.  First, he intercepted Falcons quarterback Chris Redman (303 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) late in the fourth quarter.  Then, after a failed fake field goal attempt, he stopped Atlanta running back Jason Snelling for a one yard reception on 4th and 2.  Game over.

Saints fans, raise your hands if you thought the black & gold would have been on the losing end of a game like this last season.  After the botched fake field goal, in which Sean Payton was trying to put away the Falcons, I don’t know if past defenses would have made the stop on the subsequent series for Atlanta.

Instead, we saw the heart and desire that has been the trademark of the 2009 Saints.  This team picks each other up and, as we’ve seen, every week seems to introduce us to a new hero.

Perhaps what is most amazing about this team is the fact that there doesn’t appear to be one bit of panic when they’re in a close game.  The Falcons were fighting for their life, albeit short-handed.  But it never felt like the Saints weren’t in control of their destiny.

The regular season quest for 16-0 heads home, as the Saints will host Dallas on Saturday night.  Nothing like a big December game in the dome.

Who Dat Awards:

• Drew Brees - Calm, confident and just drops the ball in exactly where it has to be.  How often have we said that the past 4 years?
• Pierre Thomas – It wasn’t a great rushing day for the Saints, but Thomas has shown himself to be a real double threat.  His pass-catching skills were vital in this game.
• The Offensive Line – They kept John Abraham and company away from Brees.  That’s always a good sign.
• Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Robert Meachem & Devery Henderson - They all contributed, and there was no way the Falcons could cover every one of them on every play.  This is such an unselfish group.
• Reggie Bush – Finally had a nice punt return and was a very important contributor on offense.  We needed him today.
• Jonathan Vilma – His wearing #51 is so appropriate.  I have to think that somewhere, Sam Mills is smiling.

 

Rating:

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 7:48 am and is filed under Opinion, Super Bowl Season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.