Saints Report # 14 - December 19, 2009

Even the Saints, in a season of magic, dug too deep a hole this time. This first loss of the season can be summed up easily – they hit our quarterback, and we didn’t hit theirs. So, Romo and the Cowboys dominated a Saturday night in the Superdome 24 - 17.

So, at 13 – 1, with injuries depleting the defense, some think the Saints are wearing down. My response is that it appears that the Saints have more depth than ever before. The question is, will it be enough?

As usual, as the 16 game season wears on, your weaknesses get exposed and exploited. Every team is like the Saints in that respect. No reason to panic. The team that wins the Super Bowl is usually the one that is hot and healthy. There’s still time for the Saints to get both.

Some things are now obvious:
1. The NFL still stands for “not for long” – teams are beginning to slow the Saints offense down for some stretches, particularly early in games.
2. On defense, teams have figured out our blitzes, and our linebackers aren’t the scariest blitzers in the world anyway.
3. You can’t have too many cornerbacks to get through the season.
4. There are some emerging offensive superstars that must be stopped and Miles Austin joins that list which includes DeSean Jackson, Chris Johnson, Joshua Cribbs, Percy Harvin. They scare me to death.
5. Middle of the Line Run Stuffers are critical – Sedric Ellis must get healthy
6. While Will Smith and Charles Grant are having good years, can you imagine if the Saints could beef up their pass rush with a DeMarcus Ware or Julius Peppers?
7. As a cornerback, Malcolm Jenkins looks like he’s going to be a great safety.
8. The Saints seem to pull a lot of hamstrings. Wonder if that’s a training issue?
9. No matter what you think, the Saints are never out of a game.

So, now 2 big games to close out this season and hopefully secure home field advantage. What to expect? Well based on the last few games I’d expect the games to be closer than we’d like, the opposing quarterbacks to have big games, and the Saints to have to come from behind. Then, comes the playoff run.

I’m recalling my pre-season prediction; The 14 – 2 Saints meeting the Chargers in the Super Bowl. I’d take that.