Saints Report # 12 - December 4, 2016

The New Orleans Saints were gracious hosts to the hopeful Detroit Lions Sunday.  The Lions looked every bit the part of a playoff team as they outplayed the pretending Saints soundly and left the dome with 28-13 victory that could have been much worse.

The Saints were honoring their all-time 50-year team and saw fit to wear throwback uniforms.  As a 50 year fan, I had hoped to never see those uniforms again, and the Saints played down to their garb.  Drew Brees could have been a Billy Jo.    Thomas Moorstead even Erxleben’d a punt.  The offensive line played like John Shinners.  The defense covered like Jason David.  They tackled like Shawn Knight.  They were as present as Alvin Toles.

It was exactly the kind of game long time Saints fans used to watch all the time.  The only thing new was instant replay for the officials.  We didn’t have that back in the day.  But we are used to no running game, dropped passes, passes thrown into thick coverage, and three and outs.  On defense we’ve seen enough missed tackles and wide open bombs.  Those are Saints traditions that are resurfacing like the supposedly dead corpse in a horror movie that just keeps rising up, and I hate to use a Falcon’s phrase.

The Saints have been “in” most games this year, but unable to turn that corner with those one or two crucial plays.  In this game two interceptions fell through Saints hands and hit the ground.  Today, the offense needed some help like that from the defense.  It never came as the Saints defense couldn’t get a turnover at Arbys.  The only positive was that the defense was holding the Lions to field goals, five of them, so you thought the Saints were in striking distance.  But the Saints were flat, and the Lion’s slow paced, possession game kept the Saints from approaching a rhythm.    It’s obvious they can’t put together two emotional games in a row, and they aren’t good enough to play dead pan football.  The games are running out on another season of mediocrity, a 50 year Saints tradition.

Let’s at least retire those uniforms.