How many Saints’ fans wrote off the Saints when Washington lined up their game-clinching 23-yard field goal? This year’ s “ Finish” mentality has produced the franchise’s best season start ever, not to mention the team’s most unbelievable victory in 43 years Sunday. Previous season mottos never produced the results that the ’ 09 slogan has. Big Daddy wonders if the Saints brought in Tiger Woods to demonstrate how awesome happy endings feel? Tiger always benefits from coming hard at the end both on and off the course. If it works for Saints fans for the next 13 years, the Superdome staff will have lots of new banners to hang. Seriously, Big Daddy wants Saints fans to understand the significance of a team that wins games they should lose. Haven’ t we suffered the downside of that equation for far too long? Hell yeah! But now its our time! In this edition of the Section 645 Saints Beat, Big Daddy questions the BCS, reports from the Kingpin, recaps the Redskins game, examines the NFL’ s playoff picture, and releases his World Famous Pregame Information.
As 2009 winds down , the fraudulent BCS has screwed three more schools (TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State) out of having the opportunity to compete for the national championship. Saying BCS sponsors pay college presidents handsomely to maintain “ the status quo” — although true, is exactly what they want the masses to believe. Refusing to change this terrible system, touting we can’ t disrupt college football’ s great tradition, sucks more than Congressional Democrats holding up health care reform due to they’re ridiculous anti-abortion stance. How can all sports, regardless of what level, seed teams to playoff for the trophy except Division 1-A NCAA football? Big Daddy thinks the NFL owners are the guys stopping progress. The NFL has no desire to see their popularity diminished like that of the NBA every time March Madness rolls around. Lets face it, this week’s match-ups of Buffalo at Kansas City, Detroit at Baltimore, Jets at Tampa, St. Louis at Tennessee, and Washington at Oakland is a perfect example to show how boring late season pro football can be. Viagra couldn’ t get football fans up for these garbage games.
Jim Zorn’ s Redskins gave Saints fans at the Kingpin all they could handle Sunday afternoon. The nail-biting action conjured unparalleled tension throughout the entire overtime affair. Ben Sherman’s delicious pulled pork sandwiches, Mac (shells) and cheese, and cold slaw made all the patrons smile, even though the Saints’ inordinate amount of ineffective screen passes had them yelling four-letters expletives more often than Greg Meffert used to whip out his company Am Ex. Several regulars were so nervous they walked outside to take a break, others suggested the bar keep Nitro Glycerin or defibrillator paddles behind the bar to handle these pressure-packed games. Big Daddy certainly felt his chest get a little tight. Hey, if you’re going to go down, why not be where the good-looking ladies who frequent the Kingpin can fulfill all the necessary requirements to successfully administer mouth-to-mouth. So what are you waiting for? Get you butt over to the “Pin” and enjoy the excitement of Saints football. Big Daddy will see you there.
The Washington game recap begins with quarterback Jason Campbell throwing a 8-yard touchdown pass to Fred Davis, putting the Redskins in front 7-0. Kicker Shaun Suisham’s 32-yard field goal gave the Skins 10-0 advantage after one. Garrett Hartley’s 32-yard 3-pointer got the Saints on the board. Trailing 10-3, Marques Colston burned Washington safety (the former LSU standout) LaRon Landry and Drew Brees’ beautiful 40-yard strike tied the game 10-10. Washington went back in front when Jason Campbell’s 5-yard completion to Devin Thomas made it 17-10 just before the first half’s 2-minute warning. Kareem Moore intercepted Brees, but Robert Meachem pulled off the greatest play in Saints history by stealing the ball away from Moore and racing 44 yards into the end zone. The miraculous play knotted the halftime score 17-17. Suisham’s 28-yard boot gave the “Washtubs” a 20-17 lead early in the third. Campbell’s 13-yard TD toss to Devin Thomas increased the margin to 27-17. Hartley’s 27-yarder made it one score game, 27-20 Skins heading to the fourth. Suisham’s kick from 21 yards meant the Saints would need 10 points to get even. Behind 30-20, Hartley’s 27-yard try narrowed the gap down to 30-23 with 6:52 remaining in regulation. As the Redskins were poised to foil the Saints run at a perfect season, Buddy “D” intervened forcing Suisham’s 23-yard chip shot to sail wide right. Drew Brees accepted the early Christmas gift and started marching his team. LaRon Landry got torched again, this time by Robert Meachem’s double move and Brees hit him in stride. Jonathan Vilma’s late interception sent this 30-30 marathon to overtime. Losing the coin toss kept Saints fans in in doubt, because the Saints defense had struggled so mightily all day. Cornerback Chris McAllister produced the Saints third supernatural stroke of good fortune, occurring when the replay booth reversed the officials down-by-contact ruling on the field. McAllister’s bone-crushing hit on Mike Sellers jarred the ball loose, and McAllister recovered the subsequent fumble. Eight plays later, Garret Hartley’s 18-yard kick sealed the 33-30 unimaginable road win, clinched the NFC South Division title, and gave the Saints an awesome 12-0 record. Jesus Christ! I’m exhausted just writing about that one.
Entering the 2009 season’s final quarter, lets look at the NFC playoff picture: The Saints control the No. 1 seed. Minnesota is second, after that Arizona, Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Dallas would get last four spots if the season ended today; however, the Giants and Atlanta are still alive. In the AFC, Indianapolis will earn home field advantage. Cincinnati’s undefeated division record gives them the edge over San Diego, those two are fighting for the AFC’s other first round bye. Forecasting the AFC East with one game separating New England, Miami, and the Jets makes that division more confusing than an President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech where he defended his war escalation policy. Currently, Denver does hold one wild card spot and Jacksonville is alive for the sixth seed. Next week Saints Beat will study this week’s results and predict which twelve teams will qualify for the post season.
Check out the Section 645 Saints Beat next week, when Big Daddy recaps the Atlanta game, updates the action from the Kingpin, previews the New Orleans Bowl, and reports from the State Farm LHSAA Prep Classic. Please remember to Click for Cans as often possible by logging on to: www.chunky.com/ClickforCans.aspx to cast your vote. If you just jumped the Saints bandwagon, then you must visit www.NOSaintsHistory.com to learn all about your new favorite team’s colorful past, you’ll be a hit each time you dodge work by holding court at the water cooler, spouting pertinent Who Dat facts. Now Big Daddy releases his World Famous Pregame Information: — Take the Saints minus 10 —
