Usually a hangover entails a few morning hours of discomfort coupled with partial blindness and the obligatory self-loathing. But yesterday was something special, a hangover only the professionals like myself are called to endure, featuring twelve hours of dry heaves, an inability to breathe without pain, and the feeling that your brain is being subjected to two additional atmospheres of uninterrupted pressure.
So there it is. The only difference between that day in 2007 and this week was, this time, the Saints were playing at home. This means that while I watched the game from my convalescent couch, I was forfeiting one of those highly prized home games we scrape together to pay for each year. Following upon that unfortunate business, I've had to answer various phone calls, text messages, emails, blog comments, skywriting, PA announcements, etc. all of which say some form of, "Dude how could you miss the GREATEST GAME EVER? WTF is wrong with you?"
Those are two questions and so there are two answers. First, what's wrong with me is that I'm getting too old to stay out as late as I used to without there being serious consequences the next day but am far too stupid to have any appreciation for the word, "consequences" and so... the ugly cycle continues indefinitely. Second, this really wasn't all that great a game. The Saints got out ahead, passed the ball well against a confused and out-manned secondary, and missed just enough tackles to give up more points than is commonly considered decent. Other than that, sure, it was the GREATEST GAME EVER that exactly zero people will be talking about by next month. Actually, forget next month. After what happened in Miami this week, nobody is talking about it now. The Miami game actually will stick in the mind for a while but we'll get to that in a minute. By the time Atlanta has come and gone, the Giants game will be just about as hazy as my head was while it was actually happening.
Saints vs Giants notes (short version)
- The good news: Good to see Lance Moore back on the field. I actually think he's got better hands than Colston. The Saints protected the quarterback well, although Jermond Bushrod still looks like a problem to me. Reggie Bush barely touched the ball on offense all day.
- The bad news: The Saints missed a ton of tackles, not only on defense, but also on special teams.
- Darren Sharper loses a TD because the NFL is run by Madison Avenue. Sharper had yet another interception return for a touchdown in this game but it was nullified by a questionable roughing the passer call.
I suppose we have to live with this sort of thing but we don't have to like it. The modern NFL does whatever it can to protect the marketing value of quarterbacks. Because of this each year brings numerous new perversions of the rules designed to protect the QB personally and to encourage coaches to over-emphasize the passing game in general. But this really is just one of the many aspects of professional sports that are presented to us by people who care about marketing for people who don't really care about sports. We don't like it but we live with it. Would have been nice to have that touchdown, though. - Last week's media complaints During the Giants game, the FOX announcers once again stuck us with another gratuitous Katrina reference in the middle of the football game. Enough, already.
Also, dear local media, please no more "How can the Saints save the local economy?" stories. They're almost as embarrassing as the "How can the Saints help solve the city's crime problem" story WWLTV ran during the 2006 season. (I referred to the story in a recap of the Saints-Eagles playoff game which I am linking back to here because it also describes yet another personal alcoholism episode) - Last week's Dome complaint Because I was unable to make it to this game, people who were there called several times during the day to taunt me. Because of the poor cell reception and excessive noise inside the Dome, I was unable to understand much of what these people were saying to me. I'm...uh... not sure this qualifies as a complaint.
Saints vs Dolphins
- GREATEST GAME EVER Okay not really. However, unlike the Giants game, this was clearly the most entertaining Saints game of the 2009 season and, unlike the Giants game, will likely be talked about by Saints fans for years to come. As regular readers know, we've written extensively here about nearly every Saints game played during the Sean Payton era. If we had to pick favorite moments from each of those seasons they would be:
1) The Monday Night return to the Dome vs. Atlanta
2) The "Granny-Killing" reverse game vs. Tampa in 2007
3) The Monday Night game vs Minnesota last year which seemed to have everything. Really, go back and read that (although I have to fix the pics in that post). That is probably the best football game I've watched in the last 5 years.
So far in 2009, this Dolphins game is the most entertaining I've seen. Unless the Saints end up winning the Superbowl (they won't) it's going to be hard to top this. - Do not attempt to adjust your set. We'd prefer to just hit it with a hammer. I said this was the "most entertaining" game we've seen this year. This doesn't mean it was particularly well played... or well coached... but we'll get to that in a minute. One thing for certain is that it was not very well officiated.
By this point in the week, you've already read and heard plenty about a first quarter replay review that didn't happen due to malfunctioning equipment. Yeah that was weird. And yeah they got the call wrong. But look at what else they got wrong even while the machine was supposedly working before you tell me how short-changed you feel about this.
Late in the 2nd Quarter, the Dolphins, already leading 24-3, had again crossed into Saints territory and had an opportunity to add to their lead before halftime. Miami receiver Davone Bess caught a pass at the 47 yard line and "fumbled" the ball which was fallen on by Scott Shanle to kill the Dolphins threat. Replay review clearly showed Bess's knees on the ground before the fumble occurred. Despite the fact that the officials (we are lead to believe anyway)now had access to functioning television equipment, the fumble was not overturned. The Saints took possession and scored just before the half ended putting themselves back in the game. It isn't putting it too mildly to say that the game turned on this badly botched call even though the replay equipment was (we are lead to believe) functional at this point.
The Dolphins still had control of the game when on the third play from scrimmage of the second half, Darren Sharper intercepted a pass, returned it down the right sideline, and clearly fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line. The ball bounced out of the endzone and should have been ruled a touchback. Instead, the official on the field ruled that Sharper has scored. Replay review clearly showed that the call on the field was incorrect and yet, despite the fact that the officials (we are lead to believe anyway)now had access to functioning television equipment, the call was not overturned.
Darren Sharper effectively pleads his fraudulent case
Much has been written this week about the importance of the closing minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second half in the outcome of games like this. In Sunday's game, these did indeed appear to be the crucial moments. It isn't going too far to say, then, that this game was decided in the Saints' favor by two very timely incorrect decisions by the officials. (Okay that's not the only factor. There was also some extremely crappy coaching on the Miami side but we're getting to that) - Player of the Game This should probably go to Jeremey Shockey... but we can't stand Jeremey Shockey... so instead let's congratulate former Saint Ricky Williams for his 3 touchdown, 80 yard rushing performance (including a 68 yard first quarter touchdown) We've always been Ricky Williams fans here at the Yellow Blog. He's the rare example of a pro athlete who doesn't have to be a loudmouth or a pretty boy or a kiss-ass teacher's pet in order to be successful. We used to own our very own Ricky Williams Saints jersey but were sadly separated from it a few years ago. Anyway, it's always nice to see him do well.
Player of the Game Ricky Williams - Idiot of the game: Tony Sparano As always this award could also go to Shockey but we're giving it to Sparano since his idiocy had a more direct effect on the outcome. In many ways, watching this game was like watching any of a number of the typical Saints heartbreaking losses we've witnessed over the years only from the opposite sideline. The team jumps out to a big lead, is victimized by rotten officiating, the idiot coach gets flustered into making bad decisions, and the whole team chokes down the stretch. Apart from the blown replays, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano's decision-making cost Miami this game moreso than any other factor in play.
With seconds remaining in the first half, Marques Colston caught a pass from Brees and was tackled at the one foot line. In what should have looked like a replay of the Titans-Rams Superbowl, the clock should have run out on the Saints right there. Luckily the game official on the field incorrectly ruled that Colston had scored. The ensuing review of that call stopped play long enough for the Saints to get their kicking unit on the field. I remember thinking that it might be difficult for the Saints to even get the kick off in time once the clock started again and that the disrupted timing could make the field goal less of a gimme than the negligible distance implied. Amazingly, Sparano relieved the Saints of this pressure by calling an inexcusable timeout. Sparano's stupid timeout ensured the Saints of picking up at least 3 points at the end of the half. As it was, Brees convinced Coach Soupy to let him dive over the pile for 6. I probably would have taken the field goal but, in retrospect, Sparano really did deserve to have that one shoved up his ass.
But it gets worse. Here's Yahoo! Sports' Chris Chase on Sparano's second half strategy.The New Orleans offense was potent in the second half, per usual, but the comeback was aided greatly by the Dolphins' bizarre, pass-heavy fourth quarter play-calling. Nursing a three-point lead early in the final period was a strange time for Miami to get the urge to throw it around like the Saints usually do.
Here are the Dolphins' first two drives of the quarter, along with the score at the time:
Miami 34 -- New Orleans 31
1st-10, MIA20 13:23 C. Henne incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, MIA20 13:17 C. Henne incomplete pass to the right
3rd-10, MIA20 13:12 C. Henne incomplete pass down the middle
New Orleans 37 -- Miami 34
1st-10, MIA20 8:35 C. Henne incomplete pass down the middle
2nd-10, MIA20 8:30 R. Brown incomplete pass to the left
3rd-10, MIA20 8:21 C. Henne incomplete pass to the left
That's zero runs during the two most crucial possessions of the game for the team with the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense. Bizarre
Meanwhile, here's the Saints' play-by-play during the intervening possession where they scored the go-ahead touchdown.1st&10 NO40 Mike Bell Off Left Tackle to NO44 for 4 yards
2nd&6 NO44 Mike Bell up the Middle to Mia49 for 7 yards
1st&10 Mia49 Drew Brees Pass to Jeremy Shockey to Mia33 for 16 yards
1st&10 Mia33 Mike Bell up the Middle to Mia31 for 2 yards
2nd&8 Mia31 Drew Brees Pass to Jeremy Shockey to Mia17 for 14 yards
1st&10 Mia17 Mike Bell up the Middle to Mia10 for 7 yards
2nd&3 Mia10 Drew Brees Pass to Heath Evans to Mia2 for 8 yards
1st&2 Mia2 Drew Brees up the Middle for 2 yards for a TOUCHDOWN
That's 4 Mike Bell runs straight at the defense interspersed with high percentage passes to the tight end and fullback culminating in QB dive up the middle. During the crucial moment of the game, the team trailing by three points was still playing football while the other was in full-out panic mode. Yes, there were some badly dropped passes by Dolphins receivers during that stretch, but as any longtime Saints fan will tell you, as the idiot coach starts to panic, the players will tend to choke.
Tony Sparano: Idiot of the game - Everybody Thinks I'm a Raincloud People keep telling me how "negative" I am. I don't think this is the case. I just prefer to think about what I'm watching rather than hoot and holler about it. Besides, here's what I tweeted at halftime,
Hey does anybody remember the Dave Wilson comeback at Cincinnati in 1987? Was 24-10 at the half.
Often I talk about how I've "seen this movie before" and mean it in a bad way. Here I was saying the same thing but in a good way. We were down fourteen points. People elsewhere in the city are freaking out and brandishing weapons and here I am looking on the bright side. Some damn credit. That's all I ask. - Stat of the game Jeff Duncan notes
The Saints scored 45 or more points in a game five times in the first 642 games of club history. They've now done it four times this season. And none in more incredible fashion than Sunday.
That's just... unbelievable. I have no further comment here. - New Jersey update Well, the poll results are overwhelming.
People really want us to give Fujita some love. But I'm still not sure this is the choice for me. We'll continue to deliberate as 1) the Holiday jersey buying season approaches and 2) Fujita nurses his calf injury. - This week's media complaint
SI, come on, man, you're killing us here. Cover Jinx? The week before the Falcons game? With fucking Reggie Bush in the photo? We're not even sure he's played enough to even letter this year.
If forced to pick a magazine cover photo from this game, we probably would have gone with this.
Although it's probably better to keep Brees clear of the jinx - In defense of Reggie Bush "Oh noes!" say the headlines, Reggie said something on the radio that might be construed as arrogant if one chooses to ignore the context. Whatever will we do?
The "incident" in question is described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jeff Schultz here.Bush appeared on SportingNewsRadio’s, “The Monty Show.” The show’s host set up Bush by asking him if he believed the Saints could go 16-0.
Rather than do the smart thing and issue the one-game-at-a-time ramblings coaches like to preach, Bush responded: “Can we go undefeated? Yes. I do think we have the players, the chemistry, we have the heart and dedication, the coaching staff, we have the players.”
OK. It’s not loud and obnoxious. But it’s the kind of statement that can come back to haunt a guy. And a team.
The audio and transcript of the interview is available here I'll excerpt the controversial bit but you really need to listen to it to fully understand what happened.Q: Can the Saints, now 6-0, go undefeated?
A: Of course my first answer is going to be, 'We're going to take it one game at a time, and that's our mentality" (laughs). I have to say it--if I don't say it, then I'm going to get some hell from teammates. But can we go undefeated? Yes, I do think we have the players, the chemistry, we have the heart and dedication, the coaching staff, we have the players and ...
Q: Do you have the schedule?
A: A lot of people would argue that we have a tough schedule. We weren't supposed to beat the Giants like that, the New York jets were supposed to be tough, each week I don't think we've been picked to win a game yet. We were picked to lose in Miami, we were picked to lose against the Eagles, against the Giants, we were picked to lose against the Jets. But we continue to weather the storm, we continue to believe in ourselves.
The "laughs" were coming from the radio host and were a commentary on the cliched answer Bush had started to give him. Bush decided to (quite benignly) add to that specifically out of respect for the interviewer. Bush offered the "one-game-at-a-time" line. It was, quite rightly, rejected so he said something else only to be criticized by an Atlanta reporter for not offering the stupid "one-game-at-a-time" line. We call bullshit. Which brings us to... - Fuckabuncha Falcons We may not do much cheerleading here at the Yellow Blog but we are Saints fans and we do know what we hate. And we really hate losing to Atlanta. The Saints-Falcons game in the Superdome could qualify as the highlight of any season regardless who is or isn't possibly going undefeated. They should play all of these on Monday night. We will be there this Monday come hell or hangover.
In the meantime, have a great Halloween weekend. Menckles and I carved our pumpkins last night. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do one of these.
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