“Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?”—the rallying cry of New Orleans and Louisiana.
Its resonant echo in the Superdome has been a mainstay, and has become slightly deafening these past few years. It doesn’t seem to carry the same tone of confidence, however, that it did during the postseason years, and four out of the five teams the New Orleans Saints have faced so far this year have answered the question with a resounding, “OUR TEAM.”
Coming from three consecutive playoff appearances and a Super Bowl win in 2009, the Saints seemed destined to continue with their string of dominant seasons. Then, in this year’s offseason, the NFL imposed some of its most severe penalties upon the Saints staff for their supposed involvement in an illegal bounty program that paid out bonuses for quality performances and inflicting injuries on other players.
These penalties included sanctions on head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams—all calling for their immediate suspension, with Payton and Williams being suspended for the entire 2012 season.
It was a harrowing experience for the “Who Dat Nation,” and one that continues to bring shame to their beloved organization from players, coaches and other fans. As such, I hate to mention it because doing so just beats a dead horse, but it proves essential evidence in the Saints’ dreadful season so far. They are without the defensive coordinator and head coach who led them to a Super Bowl, and have not only lost the distinction of being one of the most imposing offensive powers in the NFL but have gained the reputation of having a penetrable defense.
If there is one bright side to the whole “Bountygate” fiasco, it’s the continued success of veteran quarterback Drew Brees. Even with a one-win-four-loss record, Brees has pushed New Orleans to the number-one spot in passing yards average and, aside from the Carolina game, Brees has thrown a minimum of three touchdowns per game this season. If you need another reason Brees is the heart of New Orleans, then you only have to look at the game two Sundays back to witness him breaking an NFL record of 48 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. It’s my humble opinion that true superstar athletes shine brighter when their team is in shambles, and they find innovative ways to pull everyone up to their level.Brees does just that.
Unfortunately, you can’t push a struggling team into the postseason with just one person, and I believe the Saints know it. However, I do not expect the Saints to have a 2011-Colts kind of season. They are a resilient team—each Saints loss this season has never reached below an eight-point deficit, which only proves that the Saints (and Brees’ ridiculously accurate arm) will not go down without a fight.
It is up to running backs Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles to make up the lack of rushing yards; it is up to the Saints defense to strengthen their hold on the opposing team’s offensive line (especially their rush game); it is up to the Saints fan base to not lose resolve and support this team. Hope is truly the only thing that can save this team from crumbling.