If Minnesota and New Orleans meet in the NFC championship game, immediately give three or four points to the Saints -- no matter where the game is played.Because while both stayed unbeaten Sunday, the Saints showed they have a huge advantage in one crucial area: coaching.
Beyond that, of course, was the way the Saints won -- 48-27 over the previously unbeaten Giants in a game that was never that close -- and the team they beat, although the last three of New York's five wins were against the Triple-A of this year's NFL: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland. (Another Giants victim, Washington, was relegated to that league Sunday by losing at home to the Chiefs.)
"We wanted to really dictate the tempo of the game the whole way through," said Drew Brees, who threw for 369 yards against a defense that entered the game leading the NFL by allowing just 104 yards passing per game. "Seven different guys scored touchdowns. That's big. That's the type of rhythm that, when you get in, you feel like you can call anything and it's going to work."
What did this game prove?
As far as the standings go, the Saints gained little, although if the Giants, who are 5-1, and New Orleans (5-0) finish with the same record, the Saints get the homefield edge for the playoffs -- assuming, of course, that both make it.
The unexpected mismatch also proved that the Giants' depth doesn't hold up against good teams.
New York has been missing four key defensive players for most of the season, three of them starters. Playing without cornerback Aaron Ross, safety Kenny Phillips, defensive tackle Chris Canty and linebacker Michael Boley works against the Bucs, Chiefs and Raiders. Not against the Saints, especially on the road. In this game, New Orleans scored touchdowns the first four times it had the ball, Brees standing practically untouched and throwing to wide-open receivers against a defense that had sacked Raiders and Chiefs QBs 11 times in two games.
The Vikings (6-0) are a different story, although Minnesotans are getting just as Super Bowl-happy as the the folks in the Crescent City.
How can they?
They nearly blew a 27-10 fourth-quarter lead to Baltimore, And they won 33-31 only because Steve Hauschka missed a 44-yard field goal on the game's final play after Brad Childress, the Vikings' coach, started playing for three points with over two minutes left while trailing 31-30.The Metrodome crowd knew Childress was playing with fire, booing him as he ran the ball into field-goal position, Brett Favre, whose 58-yard completion to Sidney Rice set up the kick, knew it too, noting (although he didn't cite the figure) that Joe Flacco had thrown for 347 yards BEFORE he got the ball back for a final drive.
"I hate to say that I was not real confident because I'm confident in our team, period," Favre said, about as decisively as a man trying to decide whether to fly from Mississippi to Minnesota in June or July. "But offensively, they probably just felt like, 'We could do whatever.' "
In the end, it's a long season.
This was one of those "any given Sundays'' in the NFL, one in which Oakland, a 44-7 loser to the Giants last week, upset Philadelphia as a 14-point home underdog. The Raiders not only beat the Eagles but beat them up, sacking Donovan McNabb six times after not coming near Eli Manning a week ago, when Manning sat down before halftime.
That's another note about this week: The NFC East is supposed to one of the strongest divisions -- if not THE strongest -- in the NFL.
Well, the only team that gained was the Cowboys, who didn't play. All three of their rivals lost, two to teams that had one win between them going in and that was Oakland over Kansas City.
There were other strange results -- Buffalo beat the Jets in overtime and St. Louis almost broke its losing streak, now at 16 games, by losing in overtime in Jacksonville. In that Bills-Jets game, Mark Sanchez, who had been anointed early in the season as the second coming of Tom Brady, threw five interceptions
So let's not get too excited.
We're barely a third of the way through the season. Even the Raiders might still have a shot.
Latest NFL Images
ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears watches his team play in the fourth quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons won the game 21-14. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lovie Smith
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Center back Chris Houston #23 of the Atlanta Falcons breaks up a pass tended for wide receiver Johnny Knox #13 of the Chicago Bears in the second quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Chris Houston;Johnny Knox
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Chicago Bears Matt Forte coughs up the ball near the Atlanta Falcons end zone during the third quarter of their game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, October 16, 2009. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
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Chicago Bears Matt Fort? loses the ball while diving for a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, Sunday, October 16, 2009. (William DeShazer/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears calls a play in the fourth quarter of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Cutler
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Garrett Wolfe #25 of the Chicago Bears runs through Brent Grimes #20 and Jonathan Babineaux #95 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Garrett Wolfe;Brent Grimes;Jonathan Babineaux
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Garrett Wolfe #25 of the Chicago Bears runs past Jamaal Anderson #98 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jamaal Anderson;Garrett Wolfe
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Garrett Wolfe #25 of the Chicago Bears runs through Brent Grimes #20 and Jonathan Babineaux #95 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jonathan Babineaux;Garrett Wolfe;Brent Grimes
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Center back Charles Tillman #33 of the Chicago Bears tackles wide receiver Roddy White #84 of the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter of the game at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roddy White;Charles Tillman
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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 18: Running back Jerious Norwood #32 of the Atlanta Falcons walks on the sidelines during the second quarter of the game against Chicago Bears at the Georgia Dome on October 18, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jerious Norwood
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-19-2009 @ 12:21AM
cantstopdrinkin said...
Wow how come all these wrtiers werent talkin aout the GIants schedule before the game. I was telling anyone that would listen that 20+ teams (at the least) would be 4-1 with their schedule (WAS,KC,TB,OAK,DAL). It was ridiculous how some media outlets were pumping the Giants up to be the king of league, laughable actually. And now after the Saints spanked them they bring up the scheudle , lol. So Dave G. what else do my Saints have to do? Im not saying they will win the SB but you cant deny they are definetly for real and a top 3 team in the league. They would have been an elite team last year but they had the most injuries to starters in the league with 16 outta 22 hurt, played in the toughest division (only one to have all 4 teams finish .500 or above), and lost 6 of their 8 games by a combined 18 points!! This didnt come out of nowhere. They had the pieces and Greg Williams, Sharper, Greer, Evans, and even Jenkins some have completed the full puzzle. This is an elite team. With Brees they always have a chance, but with G.W. and a top 15 (which we are better then that) defense they have a legit chance to make noise in the playoffs.
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10-19-2009 @ 12:40AM
cantstopdrinkin said...
Who else has an offense thats so dominant and a defense that has as many takeaways? Those 2 things together make a team extremely tough. A defense like that creates even mroe opprotunities for the powerful offense so you end up with outcomes like this even agaisnt a really good team (also happened to the Eagles IN PHILLY).
Who else has killed 2 teams that are in a lot of websites top 10 power rankings like the Saints have with the Eagles and Giants and also beat a hot team like the Jets were. No other team has played as consistently on BOTh sides of the ball then the Saints. The only other team close was the Giants but they did it against an extremely padded schedule. The Saints still had better stats even against a tougher schedule. Im not saying it was the hardest in the league or anything but we didnt play FOUR last place teams. Come on now you cant write an article like this just because its week 5. Five weeks in or not the Saints have shown that they are definetly an elite team that can win with a different phase of their game if one phase is having an off day, thats the true sign of an elite team. They have won with offense (passing some games and running others), defense (they are one of the top teams in takeaways,and had only allowed 2 points in the 4th quarter heading into today's game and that was on an intentional safety), and special teams (crucial strips that helped win 2 games).Im sorry your obviously a really good writer and know your sports to have the job you have but you are wrong about this and all the stats/evidence point to it.
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10-19-2009 @ 2:00AM
grgmeister said...
The end of the Vikings game proved what I have known since they lost to Philadelphia last year: Colonel Klink (my nickname for Brad Childress) has no balls. Even the crowd was booing his conservative play-calling. And the Vikings should have lost--due only to bad coaching. I know now that the Vikes have no chance to make it to the Super Bowl--not with Klink at the helm. You can't count on NFL kickers to miss 44-yard field goals very often.
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10-19-2009 @ 2:05AM
Pimp Daddy said...
cantstopdrinkin well said.nothing left to say but,WHO DAT GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?
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10-19-2009 @ 5:32AM
Buddy Clark said...
Brett has found one person he can not beat.... his coach!!! this guy will bring this team to its knees. Brett can make all the super plays but he can't over come an inept coach. You do know the last pass play was NOT the play the coach called! the "gunslinger" adlib the play. Thats the only way they won. No I am sorry I really believed this was the year but, unless management dumps the coach we have gone just about as far as we can.
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10-19-2009 @ 9:54AM
Steve! said...
Let's also point out how the media drooled all over itself claiming "Brady is back" because they ran up 59 points against the winless Titans in the snow. A pop warner team could have done the same. I'm sure next weekend, when the Pats mop up another winless team, Tampa Bay, the media will Sh--t themselves with delight, "Yep, our darling Brady is definitely back." Give me a break.
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10-19-2009 @ 10:44AM
anironman4u said...
Minnesota has won against two teams with winning records...barely. They have had a missed field goal to be 6-0 over Baltimore at home...barely. Very bad officiating allowed them to beat the Packers at home...barely. They teams they beat have a collected W-L of 11 wins and 18 losses. I am not impressed...no one should be. Wait till Pittsburg knocks the snot out of Brett...he will wish he stayed retired or not retired or retired or not retired...I can remember...what did he decide...is he playing the whole season?
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10-20-2009 @ 3:36AM
setbook2k said...
Minnesota has it all...Yes there coach is in the way..Besides the coach we miss Sharper..But we still havent reached our ceiling while New Orleans have..See ya at the NFC Championship Game!!
10-20-2009 @ 3:26AM
peterparker697 said...
@anironman4u...
not sure which vikings-packers game you were watching, but the vikings dominated that game. no need for help from the refs(which we most certainly did not get) when you sack the qb that much.
also, it's a bit unfair to state that "Minnesota has won against two teams with winning records" considering that the vikings beat green bay, san fran and baltimore when they had winning records. part of the reason the vikings opponents win-loss record is 11-18 is because the vikings have added +6 to the loss column.
way to slant your moronic views, though. im guessing you're another pissed off bears or packers fan. enjoy duking it out for 2nd place.
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