Saints Report #18 - January 14, 2018

There’s a special pain that comes with being a Saints fan.  For the first 44 years of the Saints existence the suffering was only punctuated occasionally by a competitive compilation of athletes.  Heartbreaking losses were snatched from the jaws of happiness by the likes of a Jerry Rice, a Kenny Stabler, a Joe Montana, a Steve Bartkowski, or an Anthony Carter, among many others that the Black and Gold could not match.

It’s why we hold that one magical Super Bowl win 8 years ago so close to our hearts, even if it seems like it was so, so long ago.

Now it seems with the newfound competitiveness that Sean Payton and Drew Brees brought to the Who Dat Nation just 11 years ago, a new form of heartbreak has arrived.  Road playoff losses in San Francisco, Seattle, and now Minnesota – games that should have been won, could have been won – and as of Sunday were all but won – were all given away in voodoo fashion.

We’ll see for the rest of our lives the 61 yard touchdown pass as time ran out that Viking Case Keenum threw to Stephon Diggs that somehow rookie safety Marcus Williams misplayed.  It will be played on the NFL all-time reel so many times that we will look away with disdain, like Raider fans have suffered with Franco's Immaculate Reception.  Maybe we’ll forget that Williams had earlier made an interception.  Maybe we’ll forget how the Saints fought back from a 17-0 halftime deficit.  Maybe we’ll forget the brilliance of Drew Brees as he engineered the comeback that had the Saints on the verge of a sure win.  Maybe we’ll forget that a defense that was terribly depleted by injuries fought with grit to keep the Saints in the game.  Maybe we’ll forget how many great plays were made in the game.  We’ll forget all that because all that will matter is that we had a meaningful victory snatched away again.

The pain from the Saints 29-24 loss to the Vikings will wear off someday.  

Replaced by a new pain, I promise.  It’s just the way it is for us.