Sports - New Orleans Saints

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

Keeping the faith

Then there was one. A single undefeated team in the NFC; the New Orleans Saints. The 6-0, New Orleans Saints. Sounds good doesn’t it?

The Believer’s admonition about cockiness seemed appropriate and apt for this past Sunday’s contest with the Miami Dolphins.

I was particularly concerned about the challenge of the Wildcat offensive formation, and Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown highlighted the reason why early on, gashing the Saints repeatedly for big gains, leading to a shocking 24-3 advantage early in the contest.

Meanwhile the Fins were beasts on defense, clawing at Drew Brees and pushing the O-line back with virtual impunity.

For most of the first half it seemed that our Saints were mere mortals. The normally implacable Brees was harried, pushed around and his passes were batted down, or fell short of the mark. Three were intercepted.

Could this be the Same Old Saints, having stirred us to believe in them, reverting to form, falling into the bad habits that have broken our hearts so many years previously?

In the spirit of truth the Believer must confess a brief impulse to disbelieve. And yet deep down I maintained a certain equanimity not felt before.

Deep down though I actually continued to believe in the face of the three touchdown deficit, and when Brees convinced Coach Payton to go for the TD in the last seconds of the first half, and thrust himself into the end zone, I smiled with a sense of surging confidence.

We had the Dolphins where we wanted them.

More importantly than the Believer gaining optimism, you could see the Saints were pumped. They believed, and the amazing comeback had been initiated, as if powered by a NASA engine, the Saints rocket was off the pad.

By the beginning of the second half there was a role reversal apparent to all — made official by Darren Sharper’s ricochet-interception and dash to pay dirt. Game on.

The O-line was in charge of the line-of-scrimmage and the Wildcat had been de-clawed.

Brees was flinging the ball around like always and Jeremy Shockey was a force of nature unleashed. In an astonishing turnaround the Saints overcame the three touchdown deficit and took the lead.

After scoring only three first quarter points and 10 in the first half, the Saints put up 36 in the second, and 46 for the game, out-scoring the Dolphins 43-10 after weathering the initial shock of the Wildcat.

This was an exciting game and some would argue important from the standpoint that the Saints had to play from behind for the first time this season.

The Believer gives the highest marks to the Saints team for not losing composure in the face of such an early game challenge. Most other teams would have folded in the face of such an onslaught, but not this contingent.

Coach Payton never panicked and in a cool fashion called plays that righted the Saints’ ship.

Brees, Shockey and Sharper get game balls with one more to Ted Ginn Jr., whose ineptitude in catching aided our cause in an important manner.

Next Monday’s night contest with the Falcons promises to be a key game on the Saints’ road to the Super Bowl. We can beat them and we should. The Falcon loss to Dallas was good for the Saints and pushed our team to a two-game lead in the NFC South.

A victory over Atlanta would give the Saints a three-game lead as we near the first half mark in the 2009 season, so taking the Monday night game should be a high priority.

As the only undefeated team in the Conference, the Saints now wear a bull’s-eye.

They are the most talented and interesting team in the Conference and maybe in the league. Everyone wants to be like the Saints, and everyone wants to take them down.

They are like the fastest gun in the West — all of the other gunslingers want to prove they are faster.

We can do this, Believer Nation, but we can only do it one game at a time.

The Falcons are a formidable opponent, but I have a good feeling coming off this character building victory over the Dolphins.

Go Saints!

The Believer