New Orleans Saints Review

• So you may be wondering why there is no review of yesterday’s 23-10 Saints loss in Carolina.  Well, to be honest, the Saints played this like a preseason game and so I didn’t feel like there was much to analyze.  Like it or not, this team was more focused on their divisional playoff game a couple of weeks from now than their game against the Panthers.
• It was good to see Jabari Greer back out on the field.  He was such a big part of the success the Saints defense had earlier in the year and he’s going to make a difference in the playoffs.
• I know this was basically a meaningless game, but I really hope we don’t have to rely on Mark Brunell anytime soon   Although, I’m sure his performance would be better in a must-win game.
• Like the Saints’ effort yesterday in Carolina, there were a lot of playoff teams coasting on the final day of the regular season.  The Bengals, Colts and Cardinals seemed thoroughly uninterested in their finales.
• I do wish the Bengals would have shown up last night.  I really wanted to see the Texans get into the playoffs.  They would have added some intrigue.  Nothing against the Jets, just wanted to see what that Houston offense could do.
• The Colts were smart for not putting Peyton Manning out there in that Buffalo blizzard.  Same with the Saints.  No need to risk your franchise QB in these kinds of games.
• The 49ers finished 8-8.  Alex Smith finished with 18 TDs against 12 INTs and a 81.5 QB Rating.  Give this guy a chance next year, I think he’s going to pay dividends.
• Good for the Browns.  Obviously, there is a lot of work for Mike Holmgren to do.  But they should take any momentum they can get at this point.
• My goodness the Rams were terrible this year.  What does this franchise do to fix this mess?
• The Giants absolutely tanked it yesterday.
• The Falcons found their way back to 9-7.  Some years that’s good enough for a Wild Card spot but this year was tough.  Lots of injuries and a little bit of a letdown from that offense.  Still, they need a defensive makeover.
• As for the Bucs, I don’t know.  I think Josh Freeman should start next season.  He’ll need time and I think the Bucs can afford to give it to him.  They are in the midst of a major rebuild.
• I guess I should mention that the Panthers looked impressive.  Matt Moore can play and it’ll be interesting to see what they do at QB next season.  Jake Delhomme needs a strong rebound or else I can’t see him starting again in the NFL.  That amazing running game is definitely their bread and butter.  Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams are as good as it gets.
• So I guess the Eagles aren’t the greatest thing since the po’ boy was invented?  They laid a big old egg in Dallas, with the chance to play a home playoff game on the line.  I don’t doubt that they can come back to Dallas next week and win, though.  The Cowboys are playing great, but I don’t trust either of these teams to be honest.  Every time you think you have a grip on what they’re doing, something strange happens.
• Speaking of teams who choked yesterday, the Broncos sure did the trick.  I’m impressed with Kansas City’s effort, but how can Denver allow themselves to lose in that situation?  Turns out it wouldn’t have mattered, but still.
• How will the Patriots respond to losing Wes Welker? As soon as I saw that injury I thought “thank goodness Drew Brees isn’t playing today.”
• Goodbye, Jim Zorn.  Not sure where he goes from here.  He wasn’t a good coach, but I also thought the Redskins were nuts for putting him in that position.
• Good for the Titans - it seemed like an impossible task to go from 0-6 to 8-8.

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 9:11 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.