CURRENT LEADERBOARD (thru Week 14)

1. FriarBob - 207 pts
2. carolinasaintsfan - 184 pts
3. coldpizza - 152 pts
4. skinneykinney - 150 pts
5. jray2000 - 148 pts
6. simone219 - 118 pts
7. Hooahsaint - 113 pts
8. (tie) NOSFan4Life - 106 pts
8. (tie) viper4dx - 106 pts
10. HB-NOLA - 104 pts
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11. Farorefox - 90 pts
12. Philinwood - 89 pts
13. Alex Saints - 87 pts
14. bigbaddon - 86 pts
15. (tie) BlackandGold4ever - 85 pts
15. (tie) CajunSaints - 85 pts
17. metryman - 77 pts
18. vicvega26 - 69 pts
19. Cajun in CA - 64 pts
20. (tie) Dan39465 - 62 pts
20. (tie) Daniel P - 62 pts
20. (tie) mississippisaintsfan - 62 pts
23. SaintsFanMD - 59 pts
24. Tigernut - 55 pts
25. #9-alltime - 53 pts
26. Dave the Falconer - 52 pts
27. Lyle Lirette - 51 pts
28. Saintsational - 42 pts
29. (tie) Gein - 34 pts
29. (tie) Urine Trouble - 34 pts
31. jgshocker22 - 33 pts
32. (tie) horp the reckless - 30 pts
32. (tie) saintsfan77 - 30 pts
32. (tie) Scott2417 - 30 pts
35. 10up - 29 pts
36. (tie) ArchieisaSaint - 27 pts
36. (tie) MentallyMIA - 27 pts
36. (tie) xxMUCK_ITxx - 27 pts
39. (tie) KilnBill - 26 pts
39. (tie) ShadowFlash - 26 pts
41. Ajun Cajun - 23 pts
42. greenwald200 - 21 pts
43. TAYDIGGA - 18 pts
44. (tie) Brazil meets LA - 17 pts
44. (tie) saints fan from cowboy land! - 17 pts

CONTEST RECORDS

Most weekly contestants - 37; Week 12 (vs Patriots)
Highest weekly player point total - 70; T. Porter (Week 7)
Highest weekly contestant point total - 70; HB-NOLA (Week 7)

HOW TO PLAY

Choose ONE (1) Saints player that you think will score against the Cowboys in Week 15.
THE PLAYER YOU SELECT CANNOT BE A QUARTERBACK OR KICKER.

If your player scores, you will be awarded points based on TWO factors:
a.) Whether he is an offensive (x1) or defensive (x2) player.
b.) How many contestants picked a player OTHER that the player you picked.

Please submit the player's first and last name below.  No other information is necessary.

Only ONE (1) player entry per contestant, per week is allowed.

For a more detailed breakdown of contest specifics, please refer to the original Week 1 FanPost.

Deadline for player entries each week is THIRTY (30) minutes prior to kickoff.

PLEASE REC THIS POST TO KEEP IT VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

4-2-SL 31 (7:17) K.Eckel right tackle to SL 32 for -1 yards (L.Ramsey).
4-10-SL 40 (4:36) T.Morstead punts 40 yards to end zone, Center-J.Kyle, Touchback.
4-3-SL 35 (2:29) T.Morstead punts 35 yards to end zone, Center-J.Kyle, Touchback.

What do these three plays have in common?  Quite a few things, actually.  They all occurred within the last eight minutes of the Saints' 28-23 victory over the Rams yesterday.  They all represent offensive drives coming to an abrupt end.  They all illustrate the team's recent struggles to close out a game.  But more importantly than anything else, they all show a lack of confidence in a particular 45 year old placekicker.

Field goal attempts on these three plays would have been from distances of 48, 57 and 52 yards respectfully.  Should Sean Payton be faulted for not taking the not-so-easy three not once, but thrice?  Considering John Carney's recent struggles, probably not.   Considering there's a second kicker on the 53-man roster, who's basically soaking up a paycheck for the sake of "just in case", maybe so.

A successful FG at 7:17 gives the Saints a 14 point lead.  If St. Louis goes on to score a TD to pull within 8, they're certainly not going for a 2 pt conversion, nor would they have to end the game, had Bulger completed his last-second Hail Mary.  At worst, we're looking at OT.  Granted, the 57 yarder would have been a great kick for anyone, but the Saints were 6 yards closer on 3rd down, before Chris Long sacked Brees.  If they play it a little closer to the vest there, we're talking about a possible 17 point (read: three score) lead.  Instead, St. Louis answers and makes a nail-biter of it.  The third "no thanks, we'll punt" would have extended the lead to 8, again forcing an OT-at-worst scenario.

I realize that having two kickers on the active roster would inevitably create a numbers crunch at some other position.  However, considering the Saints were faced with practically the same situation THREE TIMES IN A FIVE MINUTE SPAN, what's the more likely scenario going forth:  a.)  that we could use a dependable long-range kicker, at some point during the course of an entire game, or b.) that we need to turn our lowly eyes to Chase Daniel to bail us out of the L column? 

Let me go out on a limb and say that, if the latter is the bigger concern, we probably won't be an undefeated team for too much longer, even if Wonder Rookie somehow manages to save the day.  Further, if a third string emergency QB is THAT big of a concern, why couldn't we have the best of both worlds, BY CUTTING CARNEY?!  As is, we're bypassing opportunities to extend a lead (read: put a game away), all because our Visionary in a Visor doesn't want to "make the same mistake twice".

What Payton has to come to terms with is, his mistake wasn't getting rid of Carney, it was getting rid of Carney BEFORE HE HAD AN ADEQUATE REPLACEMENT.  That's no longer the situation at hand.  Cutting ties no longer entails signing Martin Gramatica, trading for Olindo Mare or drafting Taylor Mehlhaff.  We ALREADY HAVE our kicker of the future.  At least, in theory.  We won't TRULY ever know if that's the case, until we roll the dice.  And if a four game lead in your division isn't the right time to be rolling the dice, I don't know what is.  "Just in case"?  Sean, this IS the "in case".  Seriously, when does trepidation become a full-fledged pair of handcuffs?  You're not going to get a clearer sign than this, until Carney starts blowing game-winning kicks.  Is THAT what you're waiting for, coach?  Hell, at this rate, he'll never be given a shot to attempt one.  Maybe ignorance really IS bliss!

As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to lose.  If Hartley stinks it up, Carney will still be sitting there.  And if he's not, it's not like there's a league-wide drought on kickers who are capable of standing on the sidelines, while the offense elects to punt or go for it on 4th down.  Or even kickoff, as the case may be.  Simply put, of what value is a player you have no faith in ... for whatever the reason?  There's a simple solution to this quandary and he shouldn't be hard to spot.  Just look for the sassy poof of hair sticking up over there by the bench.

Here we are at the halfway point of the season, a perfect 8-0.  Who woulda thunk it?  It's been a phenomenal run, so far.  The offense is clicking in ways we never thought possible.  The defense isn't nearly as dominant statistically, but they're forcing turnovers at an alarming rate, thereby not allowing their opponents the opportunity to keep pace.

Eight games in, and the Saints' champagne glass is undoubtedly half full ... or is it?  Following the team's win over Atlanta last week, Anthony Hargrove was asked what seven straight victories to start the season meant to him, personally.  I must admit, his cautiously optimistic reply took me by surprise:  "It means we can't finish 6-10".  He then went on to touch upon the importance of it having been a divisional win, etc., ... but it was his initial statement that continued to resonate with me, long after the interview. 

Even a game later, as surreal as this all is ... what have we truly accomplished, that fifteen other Saints teams throughout history haven't?  Here we stand, atop of the 2009 mountain, gazing out as far as the eye can see.  It's been a long, difficult climb and ... just like all hills ... it only gets easier going down, right?  Well, maybe.  See, if you happen to trip and fall going UP a hill, you're probably not going to tumble very far.  Why?  Because you're moving at a methodical pace.  You're also travelling in the opposite direction of this little thing called gravity.  If you're hauling ass down the backside of a hill and stumble ... well, you're a lot more likely to wind up in a heap on the valley floor.

Let's not dance around the subject any longer.  It's every Saints fans' ultimate fear, no matter how quickly we choose to label it a non-concern ... the 0-8 collapse.  The dreaded Tragedy that chases away our Comedic grin.  It's time to tackle the remote possibility head-on.  Ready for some hardcore hypothetical soul searching?  Let's continue.

If the Saints were to finish this season 8-8 and NOT make the playoffs ...

1.) Would you continue to be a Saints fan?
2.) Would you entertain suicidal thoughts?
3.) Could you handle the ridicule such an epic choke job would inevitably spawn?
4.) Should Sean Payton be fired?
5.) Would you begin to believe in Marie Laveau's curse?
6.) Could you ever again approach a new football season with unbridled optimism?
7.) If you're a season ticket holder, would you renew?  If you're not, would you take advantage of the cancellations, in order to get your foot in the door?
8.) Would you attempt to rationalize the 8-0 start, by considering that "maybe we just weren't that good all along"?
9.) What changes (if any) would you want to see made, before investing yourself in the team again?
10.) Which (if any) of your answers to the above questions would depend on the circumstances surrounding the collapse?  In other words, would a season-ending injury to Brees in the Rams game (for example), somehow lessen the humiliation in hindsight?  And to what extent?

Please take a few minutes to think these 10 questions over, then answer them as candidly as possible.  If you'd rather avoid the Debbie Downer role play all together that's fine ... just refrain from posting.  I'd rather avoid lectures on the power of positive thinking, incredulous opposition such as "why do you even wanna go there?" etc.  You should know me by now.  If there's a flipside to anything, I'm going there.

I'm sure we all remember Reggie Bush's 6 yard TD leap against the Giants a few weeks back.  Here's a hypothetical scenario I was discussing on another site.  Just curious to see how many of you will come up with the correct answer.  Suppose Reggie's leap had occurred on a passing play.  Had he caught the ball in mid-leap and extended it across the goal line, just as he did on the actual play, what would the proper call be?