Saints Report #14

Roger Goodell hates the New Orleans Saints, so every year he sends them to the Windy, wet, cold City of Chicago.  What’s up with that?

Fortunately, the good Saints, let’s say the Saints of 2011, showed up and trounced the Bears with a methodical performance on offense and an inspired one on defense, winning 31-15.  Now all we need is a little 6 game winning streak and The Lombardi Trophy will be ours!

How did they win?  Two obvious things.

1)      The Saints out-Pierred them   I’m not a personnel evaluator, but it seemed to me in the exhibition games that Free Safety Pierre Warren was the real deal.  He out-played the other Safeties and showed a nose for the ball.  He got cut, and someone named Marcus Ball was kept.

In desperation, after season ending injuries to Rafael Bush and Jarius Byrd they were lucky enough to get him back.  All he did last night was intercept 2 passes which hasn’t been done by a Saint Safety not now in jail since about 1970, I’m guessing.  Meanwhile the Senior Pierre, Thomas, was running amuck with screen passes and reminding everyone what he can do when healthy.

2)      The Saints out-quarterbacked them.  I hope all the Talk Show/Internet loud mouths who have been complaining about Drew Brees got a look at the game last night for two reasons.  First, how good Brees is.  I don’t see a quarterback in decline, like everyone is yakking about.  I sometimes see a quarterback who a) tries to do too much, and b) has injured or under performing weapons around him, and c) occasionally has a bad game (like every other quarterback who has ever played – did you see Aaron Rodgers this week?) 
Secondly I hope everyone got a good luck at Jay Cutler for contrast, because the Saints history book is loaded with Quarterbacks even worse than him.  AND HE MAKES MORE THAN BREES.

Brees’ salary seems to irk some.  It shouldn’t.  It’s called the entertainment dollar.  It distorts things and we can’t relate.  The $20 million a year neighborhood is where the top quarterbacks play.  Sorry.  If you think he should take less to win and spread the wealth, you’re kidding yourself.  Would you say “don’t pay me $20 an hour, pay me $10 an hour and give it to my coworkers?  Sure.

Sorry, occasionally I have to live up to the name of the column and rant a little.  The most encouraging thing about the game was that the Saints defense looked better, even though it was a sub-par offense they were playing.  New defensive backs were flying around like it was their first NFL game because, well it was.  Kenny Vaccaro’s reduced role held him to only one unnecessary roughness penalty.  I’ve got to give a little credit to Rob Ryan for bringing it together, since he has been torched in the press all year.  His blitzes actually worked and the Saints harassed Cutler all night.

The Saints have a core.  It’s Bress – Colston – Thomas on offense.  They’re getting older.  It’s a fact.  Give ‘em some football Geritol and let’s keep them as long as we can.

Now the biggest game in years, and it would just have to be against THEM.  With a short week to prepare (because Goodell hates us) the despised dirty birds come to the dome and we used to know what was going to happen there.  This year all bets are off.  Who knows which Saints team or Falcons team will show up?  I certainly don’t.  But my entertainment dollar has already been spent, so I’ll be there to find out.