How is he looking for the season health wise...I think we need him to win the SB again. If PT is healthy do you see him getting the majority of the carries? Or is Ingram so good that he automatically takes over as the lead back. Does Ingram catch passes as well as PT does?  Ivory seems like a goal line hammer... Are any of the Saints backs truly fantasy worthy to start? Thanks for your help.

Who will the Saints play in the 2nd round of the playoffs if they beat the Seahawks/Rams...the Bears or the FalCons? Is this dependent on the outcome of the other wild card game as well?  I think I would rather play the Cons because it is in a dome and the defense for Atlanta is weaker.  Plus the Bears are playing much better the past few weeks. And their special teams are second to none. Thanks and WHO DAT!!! 

       Ok, I have been wavering back and forth on this game for two weeks.  I am a Saints homer, but I honestly try to be objective.  I have been known to wager and be successful.   A week ago, I honestly thought this game would be a pretty easy Colts win for a couple of reasons.  1)The Colts were healthy and 2)I figured the Saints would just be happy they made it to Miami, get nervous by media week, and play poorly.  However, as the week has gone on, I think things are looking better for the Saints.  First off, the Dwight Freeney injury is HUGE.  He is the best, most disruptive D-lineman of the decade.  Freeney is among the leaders in sacks, forced fumbles, and tackles for loss the past decade. This will open the door for the Saints offense to be explosive on Sunday. Also, the Saints look very relaxed and loose.  Brees, Payton, Williams, Vilma etc. are smart guys and will have formulated a great game plan on both sides of the ball.  The Colts will have most of the pressure of being the favorites.

       A few more things. Contrary to media reports, the Saints defense does not suck.  Ok, maybe their run defense sucks a little, but few teams have been in a position to consistently exploit this and the Colts are pass happy.  The Saints pass defense definitely does not suck with Greer, Porter, Sharper, and Vilma back there defending and stripping balls. In fact Greer is one of the highest rated cover corners in the league this season.  The defensive line is good against the pass, but struggles vs the run. Will Smith is a playmaker at the DE, a lesser version of Dwight Freeney. Defensively, the Saints are one of THE best teams at creating turnovers.  The Colts do not run the ball much, but they do have the ability to.  Problem is, (and this was the problem for many teams this season VS the Saints), the Colts won't stick with the run. Basically, the Colts strength passing plays to the Saints strength of stopping the pass. The Colts will move the ball and get points, but they will get FG's and likely turn the ball over a few times.

      So I think the Saints offense will be explosive without Freeney being in the backfield disrupting things, and the Saints defense will be good enough to get the job done plus getting some critical turnovers.  Special teams wise, I give the advantage to the Saints for their big play ability on kick and punt returns.  Saints 42 Colts 23.  Who Dat!!!!  Bring the wood again Reggie!!!!

Huge, epic, breaking news from TMZ. Reggie Bush and some other unmentioned Saints(Sharper maybe) out partying past their bedtime.  Photos included in the link. Kim K was not present.  How will  Reggie and the others ever recover in time for Sunday's Super Bowl? What if Brees was with them and they lost him, like what happened in the movie "The Hangover".   No telling what Shockey or Vilma is doing in their old stomping grounds...

http://www.tmz.com/2010/02/02/reggie-bush-pre-games-on-south-beach/

     I think this will be a very competitive game.  IMO DAL is the better team overall, but MIN has not lost at home this season and have a big dome field advantage.   Dallas has the better rushing attack(not running back, but rushing attack) and is much better vs the pass than MIN.  Both teams can pass the ball equally well and both teams defend the run pretty well although the VIkes may have a slight edge vs the run.  The Vikes have the edge in special teams with Longwell and Harvin, but Dallas kicker usually gets touchbacks so that may negate Harvin a bit.  MIN has had  injury issues and many of their best players are still dinged up or are on IR.  I think this game will come down to the QB play of good ol Brett Favre.  Unless the Vikes can buck the recent trend of a poor rushing attack, the Vikes will have to rely on Favre to throw often vs IMO the best passing defense in the NFC.  The strength of the Dallas D  is the D Line, whose specialty is getting to the passer. Spencer, Ratliff, and Ware are nightmares for any O-Line in passing situations.  I am pretty sure Romo and the 'Boys will put up more than 20 and will really get going in the 2nd half once the crowd settles down and the emotion drains a little.  Can Old Man Favre keep pace?  I think Dallas wins 27-24.  But I HOPE MIN wins.  The Vikes bad passing defense and their recent trend of relying too much on the pass set up better for the Saints than the Cowboys balanced attack on both sides of the ball with no real weaknesses. 

One of their top 5 performances this year, and Brees wasn't even at his absolute best.   Defense was fast, active, and disruptive.  Hitting Warner early and often was so important.  Saints won the turnover battle and really could have had many more turnovers except for some bad bounces and drops. Brees was very good today and the receivers made plays and had no fumbles or drops.  The running game was very good as well and importantly was effective in the first half.  Unfortunately Shockey looks like he will be limited next week against whoever(here's hoping it will be the Vikes) they play.    Saints were VERY lucky Brees was not seriously injured when the Dlineman ran into his leg.  It looked like Tom Brady Part 2 when I was watching it.  One game from the Super Bowl....

    Man, I really thought the Eagles had a good chance to beat the Cowboys on Saturday.  It seemed like the perfect setup...huge pressure on the Cowboys and an Eagles team that knows the Cowboys well. I thought it would be an ugly game won by the Eagles because of their superior special teams and because of Dallas choking.  Then I thought the Saints would easily beat an Eagles team that was the worst of the 6 NFC playoff teams and face a very tough pick'em game in the NFC Championship against whomever they played.  Oh Well.  Watching Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers make pinpoint throws vs aggressive defenses(a la Saints) was not fun today.  Kurt Warner is maybe the best QB in Playoff history.  This is one of those few times I wish the Saints were a cold weather outdoors team because the pass friendly dome may negate some of the home field advantage the Saints have over the Cards.  Anyway let's review these remarkably similar teams:

Rushing Offense-Both teams run to set up the pass.  Both teams like to use the pass to get ahead, and then like to pound the rock with the lead later in the game.  The Saints like to use their backs more in the passing game though.  Fumbles have plagued the Cards backs at times this season but the Cards rushing game has inproved as the season has gone on. Beanie Wells and Reggie Bush can both be gamebreakers but do not even start at their position.  Pierre Thomas may/will be limited with cracked ribs.  Advantage: Cards(mainly bc of Pierre's limitations)

Passing Offense-The bread and butter of these teams.  Drew Brees and his band of Who Dats have the most efficient passing offense in the league. Brees( MVP) ranked first in TD's, completion %, and quarterback rating. Brees(MVP) was also 2nd in yards per attempt and yards per game. Kurt Warner's stats are not as gaudy and he is more streaky. Yet Warner has had some of the best games in playoff history, and he has arguably the best receiver in the league in Larry Fitzgerald.  The Cards have not been as consistent as the Saints passing through the entire season though and Warner can have an awful game every blue moon. Advantage: Saints

Rushing defense-The Saints have struggled vs the run at times throughout the season. The difference is, earlier this season teams had to abandon the run because the Saints were scoring so much in the first and second quarters.  Similarly the Cards opponents oftentimes had to abandon the run early in the game as well, yet the Cards were overall a little better at stopping the run.  I don't think  run defense will be a key factor until late in the game and on 3rd and short. Advantage-Cardinals(slight)

Passing defense-This is where the game will be won IMO.  Whatever team can defend the pass better will likely get ahead early and thus win this game. The Saints had been very good vs the pass until injuries in the secondary crept up. Surefire hall of famers like Mark Bulger, Jason Campbell, and Chris Redman lit up the Saints down the stretch.  Luckily the Saints entire starting secondary will be back for this game and fully rested, but then Charles Grant goes down for the season, which will effect the pass rush. The Cards defense has not been very good against the pass this season yardage wise and has had some injury issues as well.  Both defenses are amongst the league leaders in takeaways though, and this is likely where the game will be won or lost.  Both teams are aggressive, like to blitz, go for the strip, and will jump routes.  The Cards pass defense was not as bad as it looked today as the Pack(mainly Rodgers to Jennings) just made play after play(+ that onside kick really helped).  Pass defense was the Saints forte early this season.  Advantage-Saints(assuming Greer and Porter are back to early season form)

Special teams-Both teams have great punters, and the Saints have the advantage on deeper kickoffs. I probably trust Rackers more than Hartley right now to make a cruicial kick since Rackers got a repreive today which may help his confidence.  As we have seen throughout these playoffs and even leading up to the playoffs, the pressure on these kicks is overwhelming and reliable kickers often miss the big kicks.  Hopefully Courtney Roby will be back at full strength as he is one of the best special teamers in the game. Both teams have good punt returners as well, but will either returner get a chance in this game? Advantage-Even

Coaching-I love both coaching staffs. Payton is an offensive genius.  Whisenhunt had the balls to go with Warner over Leinart a couple of years ago. Great assitants and good front office people too.  Both owners kind of suck though, but that won't matter in this game.  Advantage-Even

Intangibles-Like I said earlier, the dome will be a smaller than normal advantage than usual since Warner is much better indoors.  However, Tom Brady struggled passing in the dome earlier this year and teams that like to audible may struggle with the noise.  The pressure in this game will be squarely on the Saints.  They will probably be a 2-5 point favorite, yet have lost 3 in a row. I think the Cards will be loose and will play the underdog role with the "us against the world", "nothing to lose mentality". Remember, in the second round last season, the Cards went into Carolina, who had the bye week, and won easily.  The Saints are on a 3 game losing streak where they have played subpar, while the Cards just won a nail biter in which their offense was unstoppable. Advantage-Cards

   Although, the Cards have the advantage in more categories IMO, I think the Saints are better in the 2 areas which matter the most in this game. Passing and defending the pass. If the Saints can defend the pass like they did through the middle of the season, they will likely win going away as Warner will get frustarted and start making mistakes. The Saints will get yardage and points vs the Cards, but can they get it done early in the game?  A couple of quick drives for TD's will set the tone and get the crowd rev ved up.  Although the pressure is all on the Saints, I am not worried about the Saints cracking because Drew Brees(MVP) has shown his mettle in big games before. Drew Brees(MVP) is a master preparer and motivator as well and will lead his team to the best of his abilities Saturday night.  Turnovers will be cruicial and the Saints have been a little better all year at creating turnovers and not giving up turnovers than the Cards.  I give the slight advantage to the Saints in what I think will be a well played game. Saints 38, Cards 27.  But I would not be shocked if the Cards play like they did this weekend and during last years playoffs and pull out the win.  I still wish the Saints were playing Philly though...

   Ok, the inevitable is finally here, its put up or shutup time. The NFC playoffs have officially started and the Saints have the #1 seed which gives them the best chance to make it to the SB.  First off lets look at the NFC field. I think the NFC field is overall better than the AFC top to bottom although Indy and the Chargers make the AFC stronger at the top.  All of the playoff teams in the NFC are remarkably similar.  They have top flite QB's, high scoring offenses and aggressive and fast defenses that do give up their share of points but create turnovers.  They all run the ball for show, but the bread and butter of every team is the pass.  Here is how I rank the teams going in:

1. Dallas-Playing the best overall at this stage and most importantly, their defense is playing far better than anyone else at this stage. Their pass rush is what sets them apart and was the Saints undoing in week 14. Their offense is very tricky with the delays, plus they have good receivers and backs and of course Romo is one of the better signal callers in the league. Special teams, especially placekicking, are suspect which may haunt them.

2. Green Bay-Probably clicking better on offense than any other team right now. We know how good McCarthy was at coaching offense when he was here. The offensive line still remains an issue and a good pash rush could really hurt this team.  Their defense has been improving through the season, but they are still susceptable to big plays. Also have a struggling kicker.

3.Da Saints-3 game swoon or not, this team has not been the same since they embarrased the Pats. However, I think the rest will help them immensely.  As we know, the Saints are the most explosive team overall in the NFC on both sides of the ball, but we have not seen this recently which leads to the 3 ranking. Special teams is pretty good, but the jury is still out on Hartley.

4. Arizona-I rate Zona just ahead of the Vikes because I think overall they have better leadership, receivers, and coaching. Warner is a great gunslinger throwing to ridiculously talented WRS.  Their running game will keep you honest, but fumblaya can creep in at times. They have the no-name defense of 2010.  No obvious stars, but they are very fast and disruptive at times. Not known for special teams and Rackers has missed some big kicks in his career.

5. Minnesota-Injuries to the Vikes defense have really hurt this team down the stretch. The Bye will help a little bit, but losing EJ Henderson was IMO the glue to that D.  It would be equivalent to the Saints losing Vilma.  The offense is clicking although similarly to Green Bay, a good pass rush will really hurt them as their line has been suspect lately. I think the disharmony down the stretch may creep back in if they get behind at home. Good special teams.

6.Philly-IMO, McNabb is the weakest QB of the above teams, but he is still one of the better QBs in the league. Pass heavy offense, but they do throw in more trick plays and wildcat than the other teams. Critical injury to their center hurt them the past couple of weeks and I think their performance against Dallas today is worriesome and one of the main reasons for this ranking.  When clicking, their offense is right behind the Saints in explosiveness and their very aggressive defense is built to rush the passer when they have the lead. In fact, the Eagles and Saints defenses are very similar in aggressiveness and have gotten a lot of turnovers.  The Eagles have far and away the best special teams of the NFC field as the abilities of David Akers and Desean Jackson speak for themselves.

HOWEVER...Just because I think Dallas and Green Bay are playing the best right now mean that they will meet for the NFC title.  HELL NO!!!  You have to consider bad matchups, homefield advantage, coaching, mental edge, pressure.  Plus Dallas and Green Bay have to win one more game than the Saints or Vikes and will also have to win on the road too both of which are big disadvantages. Lets look at the matchups.

Philly at Dallas-The game yesterday was UGLY for Philly.  Philly was playing for a BYE week so they were going full throttle.  Part of this is a testament to how good Dallas has been playing of late. Dallas has the better defense of the two, offensively I think its a wash, but the Eagles have a huge advantage in a few areas:1) Special teams-Eagles are top notch, Cowboys are awful, 2)Coaching-Andy Reid is one of the best coaches around and Wade Phillips is a better coordinator, and 3)pressure. The pressure is a biggie. This is a must win game for the career of Wade Phillips and to a lesser extent Tony Romo. Another playoff failure where the Cowboys were the favorite and Jerry Jones wil change coaches.  The Eagles will be under pressure too, but the pressure on the Cowboys will be immense.  I think Dallas comes out ver aggressive and will take a 2 score lead, but will tighten up as the game wears on. The Eagles will make some big special teams plays to hang around.  The 4th quarter will be a nail biter and I think the Eagles take the lead late.  Tony Romo will have to lead a late drive.  Unfortunately, the Cowboys have to rely on a kick to win it or lose it.  I say they lose it, 24-21, and the hottest team in the NFC loses first round. Very good result for the Saints as I think if Dallas finds a way to win this, they will go to the Super Bowl as their defense is the best in the NFC right now.

Green Bay at Arizona- Unlike Dallas and Philly, I think the game between these two teams yesterday means very little.  Zona mailed it in once the Vikings won earlier in the day. The Cards and Pack are very even in almost every phase: Offense, defense and special teams, although I  give GB a very slight edge in defense and ARIZ the slight edge in special teams.  Some intangibles in this game are coaching and home field. I think both coaches are very good  with a slight edge to Whisenhunt and his staff since they made the Super Bowl last year. Homefield has not been a big advantage for the Cardinals this season, and GB has been good on the road. The only advantage that may put Arizona over the top will be the fact that they saw GB at their best this week while Zona showed little. But this may be offset by the confidence the Packers will have from beating Arizona. This is the most evenly matched game of all the teams and most likely the winner will come down to luck and turnovers. GB pulls it out barely as Rodgers is too good to be stopped on the final drive. Pack 41, Cards 38.

Which brings us to the next round...Eagles at Saints, Pack at Vikes.

Eagles at Saints. Rematch from week 2 where the Saints romped. First off, this is a good matchup for the Saints, much better than Ariz or Green Bay whose wideouts we cannot cover and who have power running games. Offensively, the Eagles have a big playmaker at WR and a good TE, but they lack a good power running game which has demoralized the Saints at times this season.  McNabb is dangerous with his legs and arms and will annoy the Saints by making 3rd and longs with his scrambling ability. The Eagles like to blitz and are very aggressive, but Brees beats the blitz like no one.  The Eagles also tend to turn the ball over a bit.  I do think the Saints can negate the Eagles advantage in special teams, because 1)the Saints don't punt much and 2) Morestead can kick and punt the ball into the endzone from distance inside the dome.  The dome will be a big advantage to the Saints in this one with the noise and that it helps the kickers. The biggest disadvantage for the Saints in this one will be the pressure. I think Brees handles it and there will be no fumblaya from Reggie, Colston and the boys. The Eagles will score and the game will be close, but the Saints will win 35-27 with the help of some turnovers to move on. ASIDE-I think the Cards or Pack may beat the Saints if one of those teams turns out to be the matchup.  Go Philly, Beat Dallas!!!!!

Pack at Vikings. Another rematch, might be the highest rated football game ever. Vikes dominated the Pack twice earlier this season. Vikes are undefeated at home and that will be their biggest advantage. They will also have a slight advantage in special teams. Both teams are pretty equal on offense and defense, especially since the Vikes pass rush has fallen off lately. However, the Pack will win this game as they have more momentum at the present, a more positive midset coming in, better coaching, and less pressure.  Favre and Minnesota will be under extreme pressure to win this ballyhooed contest. I do think it will be close, but Favre will not be able to lead a last minute TD drive. Pack 31, Vikes 24.  Favre retires again, only to come back with the Bears next season.

Finally, to go to the Super Bowl------Pack at Saints. Yikes!!! I hate this matchup for the Saints defense. Power running game with the perfect mix of west coast passing, and just when you think Mike McCarthy will call a dink and dunk play again...Rodgers deep for the TD.  The Pack will control the ball while they have it, but so will the Saints. The Packers D is known for creating pressure and forcing mistakes, a la what the Saints want to do.  Brees will pick them apart per usual and the running game will be open because of it.  These teams are even on offense and defense, with the Saints having the edge in special teams. However, the Saints have more explosive potential in each facet. Home field will be a big advantage, but the pressure will once again be squarely on the Saints who have never been to a Super Bowl.  This will be a back and forth game and the Saints will need to score TD's on almost every drive. This will be the closest, most well played game of the year. My brain tells me to lean Pack, the homer in me says Saints. Here is hoping Rodgers cannot come through on the final drive and Sharper makes the saving INT vs his old team with 20 seconds left. Saints 42, Pack 38. 

Super Bowl Chargers vs Saints.  Chargers will beat Indy and roll to the Super Bowl.  The Saints will be emotionally spent and the Chargers offense will run roughshod. Saints make a game of it late, but cannot complete the comeback. Chargers 38, Saints 30.

Yes he did a dumb thing. But before we jump down this guys throat too much, lets think about the times you or me may have had "a couple" or "a few" and we said we were "fine" to drive home.  I am willing to bet that many on here that criticize McCray may have a little first hand experience with this and may even have gotten cited. I will also wager that many Saints fan who will criticize McCray probably drove home from the Tampa or Dallas game more intoxicated than McCray was last night. Also I am sure many Saints fans have never stayed out late drinking before work or class the next day. Never. McCray is not Drew Brees and is not paid for his smarts and is not the face of the franchise.  He made a big mistake and hopefully he'll learn from it and become a better player for it. 

OK,obviously  I am still mad at Devery from the other night.  That drop by Brick Hands was a huge reason the Saints lost.  Saints need to be throwing to the Meach or Moore as the second option.  But seriously, look at LSU players that have come out recently under Miles.  Jamarcus, Bowe, Dorsey, Jackson, Landry...Not NFL ready.  I think this is an indictment of Les Miles and shows what a bad coach he really is.  Addai is probably the best LSU player right now and the Colts drafted Donald Brown to replace him before the season.  Mawae and Faneca are pretty good but who else?

If this were so, with a win next week, the Saints would clinch a spot in the Super Bowl vs the Colts.  Minnesota could play the Chargers in the Rose Bowl, Eagles-Bengals in the Sugar Bowl and so on...The point is, the Saints have been the best or second best team the whole season.  The playoffs tend to lessen the accomplishments of the best teams and often the best teams do not even make it through the playoffs. If any league should have a BCS type format, its the NFL where the number of teams and the balanced schedule basically leaves out the argument of "they didn't play anyone in that weak-ass Big 10 this year" argument.  I know it will never happen bc of revenue, but I would like to see less playoff games.  I actually like CFB's way of crowning a champion as it rewards the regular season.  Even Baseballs old playoff format of only the top 4 teams from both leagues would be better than it is in the NFL with 40% of teams making the playoffs. 

You are Sean Payton. You accidentally get into a Delorian on the corner of Canal and Bourbon and time travel back to Draft Day 2006.  Prolly the biggest draft in Saints history.  Do you still select Reggie Bush?  I say a resounding...YES!!!!!  He brought the excitement back to the dome before we knew what we had in Brees.  He was the #1 jersey seller and brought national attention to the Saints.  He has been a model citizen and is very well spoken and humble.   He is an exicting player and has always made plays for the team when healthy.  Hopefully he will continue to consistently have games like last week. To all you Reggie haters, I carefully extend my middle finger. 

Jack of all trades, smart player.  Could play backup QB, FB, spec teams. Great character and team player.  Payton loves those kind of guys.  Versatile, smart, and humble.  He could even help Drew lead the chant before the game.  If Tebow slips, you never know with Coach Payton.  I know Tebow is projected mid first round now, but his game will get picked apart by scouts the next few months and he could fall out of the first round.  Plus, the Saints have done so well in FA and trades the past few years(note: Greer, Vilma, Sharper, Wendys, Shockey, Fujita, Shanle, Brees, Pierre, Evans, Moore).  They could draft a someone like Tebow and then sign or trade for another LB or DL or 2 in the offseason.   Just sayin'

    I liked the concept, just not the actual play.  Payton said in the presser that he ran the fake because he trusted his D, but I think he ran it because he did not trust them.  Now I am going to try to figure what Payton was thinking at the time...Payton is thinking----- "Damn what was Wendy's doing on that throw. Nevermind, next play, 4th down 7 to go.  OK, whew. We can kick the FG and go up by 6, and force the 'Cons to score a TD... which they have a good chance to do judging from the way they have beaten our secondary and linebackers all day. Or go for that fake we have been working on all season.  The Falcons sure won't expect a fake at this juncture and if we make the first down its game over and we can bask in the limelight of another W. Plus we can have some fun all week if Nicks catches a TD. But, even if we fail, I almost feel better having a 3 point lead, because if the 'Cons move into the red zone, they will likely get conservative and try to tie the game instead of  trying to win it with a potentially risky endzone pass. Please God, let this work so I don't look like an idiot."  Maybe I am giving Coach Payton too much cred, but I am sure some of these thoughts were going thru his head at that time.
   As for the play itself, I thought it was not the best design.  Notwithstanding, if the 'Cons hadn't reacted so well it would have likely worked and all youse guys and da' media would be labeling Payton as "genious" today.  Dinkins was wide open briefly and if Brunell throws a strike, Dinkins can turn upfield and get the first down and the glory.  But it was a low percentage play regardless. You have a backup QB who hasn't thrown a pass in a real game all season throwing to 2 guys not known for catching the ball.  With only 7 yards for the first down and the win, I prefer a running play or quicker throw instead of sending a guy deep as the primary target. 

    Remember no coach is perfect.  Coach Payton is apt to make a bonehead call every once in awhile.  But I would still take him over any other coach in the NFL right now.

As we all know, the Saints had long been rumored to be the team to move to Los Angeles to replace the Raiders and Rams.  Now a move is almost impossible, but a few years ago this was a real prospect. What NFL team would you be rooting for today if the Saints had moved and were 12-0 in LA?  I probably would have just quit watching the NFL and focused on college football more.

Trade Reggie Bush and the Saints #1 pick to the Raiders for their #1 pick.  Then take Ndomakong Suh from Nebraska.  When the crowd is chanting a D-linemans name during a game like the Neb fans were doing during the Big 12 Champ game, you know the guy is good.  I am a huge Reggie Bush homer, but getting Suh would make the Saints D-line incredible.  You know Al Davis drools over Bush and would make this move.