Sports - New Orleans Saints

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

‘Miracle in Miami’ could be defining point of season

It was more impressive than the beatdown of the New York Jets, more inspired than the drubbing of the New York Giants.

This time, the New Orleans Saints not only pulled a rabbit out of their hat, they cleaned it, cooked it, and put it on the table next to the dressing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.

The final five seconds of the first half at Miami’s Land Shark Stadium turned the game in the Saints’ direction on Sunday evening, and the Miami Dolphins were the perfect foil in the second half.

Everything they touched turned to sludge.

And just about everything the Saints did ensured they’d be returning to hundreds of cheering fans at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. They’re one of the NFL’s three undefeated teams after Sunday’s improbable 46-34 victory over the Dolphins and they’ve no doubt got the biggest bandwagon, what with their star-crossed history and penchant for being a pro football punching bag.

These days, the Saints are delivering the blows.

They got a gift from Miami coach Tony Sporano in the final seconds of the first half, when he called a timeout with the Saints inside the 1-yard line trailing 24-3. Saints quarterback Drew Brees talked his coach, Sean Payton, into going for it instead of settling for three points and he got over the pile to trim the lead to two touchdowns.

Then Darren Sharper did his thing, intercepting a deflected pass and returning it 42 yards for a score in the opening moments of the second half. It was Sharper’s third touchdown of the season, and the 11th of his career. Not bad for a guy who played college ball at William & Mary and was cut by the Packers in 2005.

The Saints’ offense finally started to click and Brees & Co. took advantage of their opportunities. Jeremy Shockey had a 66-yard reception. Marques Colston made another tough catch in the end zone. Mike Bell pounded out some tough yardage between the tackles. And Reggie Bush, who still has a flair for the dramatic, scored on a spectacular 10-yard run, taking it to the end zone on a double reverse.

Tracy Porter, the Saints’ talented second-year cornerback, sealed the deal with a 54-yard interception return for a score. The Saints managed to win despite turning it over four times. The Saints faced a deficit for the first time in six games and erased it in the fourth quarter.

With authority.

Now they come back to the Louisiana Superdome, to play the hated Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football.” You can’t help but remember the last time that happened, when they reopened the Superdome only 13 months after Hurricane Katrina and the Saints left Michael Vick and the Falcons in the rubble of a 23-3 defeat.

The Miracle in Miami made the Saints 6-0 for just the second time in franchise history.

Somebody told Payton that if the season ended today, the Saints would be the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the playoffs. He was quick at the ready with the proper response.

“Well, it’s not the BCS,” Payton said. “In the BCS, you’ve got to pay attention to the No. 1, the (No.) 2, the 3, the 4. That means nothing. After six weeks, we’ve got a lot of football left. The Alabamas, the LSUs, and the Ohio States, all those people, Iowa, that means something for them.

“That doesn’t mean anything for us.”

The Miracle in Miami means plenty.

Jim Mashek, can be reached at 896-2333