Big Daddy gobbles an array of exotic cheeses following the Saints Monday Night thrashing of the Packers. This week Big Daddy’s Saints Beat grades Superdome crowd control, recaps the Green bay game, delivers the much anticipated section 645 update, questions Coach Payton’s decision making, examines the Saints playoff chances, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.
Saints season ticket holders endured terribly long waits in the five previous home dates on the raised walkway surrounding the dome before and after each game. Better crowd control alleviates Black Friday pre-Christmas Sale type trampling injuries, especially outside Gate E. Inclement weather curtailed early tailgating, forcing those fans into the dome earlier than normal. The 20+ point blow-out caused a mass early exodus, making postgame crowd traffic smooth. Due to aforementioned circumstances, basing Superdome crowd control on the Green Bay game would be as accurate as the City Hall’s sanitation billing estimates. Therefore, Saints Beat will delay it’s crowd congestion assessment until the next home game.
Recapping the Monday Night game, Green Bay’s touchdown broke the ice. Drew Brees quickly answered hooking up with Lance Moore to knot the score at 7. Pierre Thomas keyed the Saints second straight TD as the Saints led 14-7 going to the second. Converting seven consecutive 3rd downs Green Bay added 14 points, Lance Moore dove across the goal line again and Garrett Hartley closed the half with a 3-pointer making it 24-21 Saints. Playing their most inspired football of the season, the Saints’ defense created turnovers and offense cashed in as the Black ‘n’ Gold built a 24 point lead heading to the fourth. The teams traded touchdowns making the final an eye-popping 51-29.
Monday Night games always amaze Big Daddy. Saints fans produce so much electricity that harnessing their energy could stop global warming. Fans entered the stadium early, and it felt like the space shuttle was preparing for launch in Section 645. We were ready for liftoff on our second exciting Monday Night game this season, especially after a long 6 weeks between home games. Deuce McAllister’s record setting touchdown ignited a deafening roar lasting 5 minutes, sending 645ers to unimaginable emotional heights, what a party. Totally Awesome! Deuce’s touchdown equaled Steve Gleason’s blocked punt as the greatest moments in recent memory.
Even though the Saints finally notched two wins in a row, Coach Payton’s bone-headed play-calling allows the opposition extra chances to defeat us. Completely dominating the Packers, Payton called a half-back pass resulting in a turnover, fortunately it didn’t cost us the game this time. Following the Saints final touchdown, Payton committed yet another mental brain-fart; going for 2 instead of kicking the extra point to set the team’s scoring record at 52. The attempt failed, we settled for 51 tying the team’s high water mark equaled two other times in franchise history. Coach, you’re blessed with a lot of talent, stop trying to outsmart opponents, just beat them.
Looking forward, a postseason appearance requires Aquarius to correctly align all the stars and planets for New Orleans. An outcome producing a wildcard birth seems more unlikely than Joseph Cao winning the 2nd District Congressional Election against our old friend William Jefferson. If the Saints garnered that 6th playoff spot, the first stop is the Arizona desert. Defeating the Cardinals would set up a frightening trip to the Meadowlands to face the menacing New York Giants. Surviving that blood-bath punches our ticket for another road trip to a very winnable NFC Championship match-up against an NFC South foe. Boy, isn’t dreaming wonderful ... don’t get excited, considering the current economic crisis, the NFL, league sponsors, and the TV networks will never allow two small market teams in the NFC Championship.
Next week ... check out Big Daddy’s Saints Beat blog for the Tampa Bay game recap, plus bonus coverage of the Bayou Classic, and more light political topics. Remember finding facts about Saints is so easy just go to: www.NOSaintsHistory.com. Now this week’s World Famous Pregame Information: — Take the Points —
