Wild Thing

Jan 4, 2014 by

Saints LogoLast Episode…

Here we are in Week 18, the Wild Card round of the 2013 NFL Playoffs. All you kids yammering  on and on last week about “I hope we lose to teach us a lesson” and “We suck in the regular season, we’re gonna suck in the payoffs” can just close the page right now and put your Eagles skirts on right now. I got no time for you.

I was told last week by numerous people that I wasn’t being a “realist” about the team. That I was ignoring massive problems that would make it impossible for the Saints to even keep it close in a playoff game. My reaction, of course, was -and remains- “bullshit”.

Anyone who follows me here on HumidCity knows that I’m the first person to point out the Saints huge steaming piles of suck from week to week. Yes, I am a realist. But being a realist is is one thing; being a fan is a whole other thing! Yes, the Saints have numerous problems but that shouldn’t stop fans from rooting for them! If it does then perhaps you should find another sport to watch because honestly, the real fans don’t need your fair weather ass in that number. I hear golf is nice.

Rooting is done out of love and pride. There are currently 20 other teams in the NFL whose fans are crying softly on the couch and switching allegiance for the next four weeks. Odds are they’ll switch two more times before the Superbowl. Meanwhile, the Saints are set to take the field and I’m going balls-out Black and Gold for the next three hours!

Oh, and to you media prats who keep repeating the Saints have never won a road playoff game? First, Superbowl 44 was a road game. You can split the hair that the Superbowl isn’t a “playoff” game, but essentially it is. And we won one. On the road. Second, I seem to remember the majority of the “expert” media proffering opinions on how the Saints had never gotten past round two and never been to the Superbowl and would never get past the Colts even if they did manage to make it all the way to the Big Dance. You’re essentially the same overpaid idiots that wrote the 2005 Steelers off since a 6th seed team had never won a Superbowl. Keep talking… I love the results when you do!

Week 16
I hope Payton knows what he’s doing. Seven straight days of hearing about new planes, new warm-up suits, new Gatorade, new beefy-Mac recipies… I suppose that’s Payton’s way of dodging actual questions and keeping his gameplan under wraps, but I’m fucking sick of hearing about it. And if we lose, he’s going to look like a the biggest idiot in the NFL. We shall see.

While most people look at the Eagles and see Nick Foles as the key to victory, they should look deeper. If they did they’d see that Foles’ success is directly related to the Eagles defense which has a +12 turnover ratio. The Saints are at +0. And we all know the old wives’ tale that offenses win football games, defenses win championships. It’s usually true. So the key to victory on offense is NO FREAKING TURNOVERS! This is usually understood by professional football teams but I thought I’d emphasize it just in case… Bring the offense like you mean it and half our game is won.

If we have a chance to dominate this game it rests squarely on Rob Ryan’s defense. Eagles QBs have been sacked 48 times this year compared to Drew Brees’ 37. That’s a lot, but 15 of those came against Michael Vick in the first three games of the season. Foles is cautious, throwing only 9 interceptions in 13 games but that explains his 28 sacks only four of which resulted in fumbles. Still, it looks good for Junior Galette and Cameron Jordan and if they can get into the backfield enough to rattle Foles then there’s the other half of the game That Number moves on to the divisional round!

Saints 27 – 507 yards: 387 passing, 120 rushing
Eagles 25 – 456 yards: 289 passing, 167 rushing

End of Regular Season Statistical Frippery:
Pierre Thomas (228-13th) unties Danny Abramowicz (222) on the franchise scoring list. Thomas (38-8th) also untied Abramowicz (37) on the franchise TD list.

Drew Brees (54-61st) unties Chris Ivory, Bob Newland and Andy Livingston (48) on the franchise scoring list and is now tied with Don McCall, Bob Gresham, Derek D Brown, Jerome Pathon and Aaron Stecker. By NFL standards TD receptions are applied to receivers and not QB’s, however… if you included those on Brees stats he would have 1746 points scored, 428 ahead of Morten Andersen. Brees (8-53rd) untied seven other players on the franchise TD list and tied four others.

Kenny Stills (30-87th) unties thirteen other players (24) on the franchise scoring list and moves into a 16-way tie. Stills (5-43rd) moved out of a thirteen-way tie and into a six-way tie on the franchise TD reception list.

Lance Moore (38-6th) moved out of an eighteen-way tie and into a fourteen-way tie on the franchise interception list.

Jimmy Graham (248-10th) moved past Charlie Durkee (243) on the franchise scoring list. Graham (3863-7th) also passed Hoby Brenner (3849) on the franchise receiving yards list.

Keenan Lewis (4-57th) moved ahead of Danny Abramowicz (37) on the franchise TD reception list.

Roman Harper (534-4th) moved ahead of Wayne Martin (531) on the franchise combined tackle list!

Shayne Graham (8-18th) jumped Florian Kempf (1), Tony Galbreath (1), Tom Jurich (2), John Leypoldt (4), Mike Cofer, Toni Linhart, Skip Butler (5 each) and Russell Erxleben (7) on the franchise XP list. He is now tied with Toni Fritsch.

The Sack Race:
With two sacks against the Bucs Junior Galette (21.5-17th) swapped spots with Cameron Jordan (20.5-18th) on the franchise sack list. Despite this Galette ends the season at 12.0 sacks, just half a sack behind Jordan with 12.5! Congratulations to both of them for one hell of a combined season!

-M

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