Dateline: February 2,
2020. Miami, Florida Super Bowl
The third time turned out to be not a charm, but another
gut-wrenching fluke. The New Orleans Saints, for the
third straight season lost on the final play of their year on a fluke play
unlike anything that had ever been seen.
The Saints, behind a record setting performance by Drew Brees led by 3
touchdowns, 41 – 20 going into the 4th quarter. It looked like the French Quarter would
celebrate another Miami Super Bowl victory.
Then the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes scored 3 touchdowns in
the 4th while the Saints offense stalled and could only add a field
goal. The Saints lead was down to 44-41
with only 10 seconds on the clock.
Everyone in the world knew the onside kick was coming. All the Saints had to do was fall on the
ball. Then the impossible happened
again.
The onside kick bounded high in the air and over Alvin
Kamara’s head. Speedster Tyreek Hill
caught the ball in stride and won the footrace to the endzone, with Kamara
dragging him down at the one, but Hill’s stretch was just over the goal line
and, after 15 minutes of replays, the Chiefs were declared the winners
47-41. Saints fans stormed the field in
anger and the Chiefs were unable to kick the extra point. The referees called the game with a second
still on the clock. President Mike Pence
was whisked away as the gun went off, and Florida Governor Leigh Moore ordered
the National Guard into the streets of Miami. As usual Brees had watched helplessly from
the sideline as the curtain came down on another heartbreaking season.
The Saints had breezed through the playoffs after a wild-card berth earned with a 10-6 record, beating Green Bay, the Rams, and finally the Falcons in the NFC Championship game.
So that’s how it will end.
How will it begin? Brutally, for
Saints Fans. That brutality is in the
first 4 games. If the Saints can emerge
2-2 it would be a giant step. The Saints
have lost 5 straight season openers and hopefully Monday night that will
change. But, slow starts are the norm
for the Saints and another 0-4 start could easily happen. Sprinting from the Dome to a short week and a
two week west coast trip against contenders, followed by a home game against
Dallas – that’s the definition of torture.
As great as Sean Payton has been lets also be honest. He has not faired well on the west coast and
Dallas appears to have his number. A 1-3
start is likely, then splitting with division foes accounts for 6 losses. The Saints simply have to win the rest of
them to finish 10 – 6. My assessment of
last year’s team was they were a little on the lucky side, with some lucky wins
(Baltimore, LA, Pittsburgh). It couldn’t
have gone better, until of course the ill-fated pass to Tommylee Lewis. The good news is that the Saints look like
they have improved their linebacker corps and their special teams. The season may well come down to whether or
not Michael Thomas gets a little help from his unproven receiving corps,
including a big year from a new tight end.
Hopefully some surprises are forthcoming and the season ends better than
what I described above. But I have to
admit I really think this is the year the Chiefs get Andy Reid a trophy.
As for the inevitable decline of Drew Brees, not quite yet, Martha my dear. The wildly over criticized last 4 games of the season was simply December football. Defenses are adjusting, and the weather is worse. This year, the Saints play much of December on the road, and the media will be moaning again. Nevertheless, the Saints should make the playoffs and be revenge-minded. Let’s just hope they don’t really give up an onside kick touchdown return.
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