There were many big stories that have come out of this year. The Greenbay Packers were close to tying the Patriot’s single-season record as well as projected by many to become the first 19-0 team ever, Tim Tebow was defying logic by winning very close games and playing flawless when the game’s on the line, and the Lions, 49ers, and Bengals all surprising the football experts by putting together good seasons.
Since the Packers lost to the Chiefs, Tim Tebow has lost two straight and has looked very human, and the fact that almost every year the NFL has surprise teams, no story coming out of this regular season is bigger than Drew Brees breaking the record for the most passing yards in NFL history.
In 2008, the Saints went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. There’s no big story there except for the fact that Drew Brees was only 15 yards away from breaking Dan Marino’s record. Just three years later, Drew Brees proved that it was no fluke as this time he broke the record.
The NFL has become an egotistical, self-center, and obnoxious league. But that doesn’t mean that there’s isn’t any class act people in the NFL. Drew Brees is certainly in the top tier list of those people, and I don’t believe there is a better overall person in the NFL that deserves to break a record as great as this one is.
I don’t want to turn this into a wiki-page article, but Drew Brees was somebody that nobody thought would be anything but average at best in the NFL. The Chargers made the decision to get rid of him for Phillip Rivers, sending Brees to the Saints. Meanwhile, Sean Payton took over as the head coach. Brees and Payton put their smart heads together, rekindling a broken team, and turning them into one of the best teams of the last 5 years.
I’m not one to get overexcited over passing statistics, but this is a special moment for Drew Brees and a well deserved one to boot.
In addition, the Saints pick up their 12 win of the season and clinch their division. With a win next week and a 49er’s lost, the Saints have a chance to get a first round-bye. Meanwhile, Falcons have nothing to play for and will most likely rest their starters next week.
This game showed a lot, but most of it was what I already knew.
The Saints are a well-balanced and overall complete team. They have everything you need to win a Superbowl – QB, coaching and a defense that can take the ball away from the opposing team. The only teams to beat the Saints this year were the Packers, Buccaneers, and Rams. In all three games, the Saints beat themselves. When on, this Saints team can beat any team in the league; however, their biggest problem are the mistakes they make. If this team can play on their level in the playoffs, they’re better than any team in the NFC.
Where they headed?
It will come down to three team in the NFC so it seems. Those teams are the Packers, 49ers and Saints. The Saints will win their first round game; therefore, they will play the Niners (bar from a Niners lost and Saints win in week 17) in San Francisco. That game will come down to simply which team makes the least errors. Like I said above, if the Saints don’t shoot themselves in the foot, they can beat any team in the NFL.
I cannot say the same about the Falcons. No team is a fluke playoff team , but the Falcons are the closest you can come to one. They’ haven’t beaten a great team this entire year and when they’re on the road they look like a below average football team. Even when they play bad teams, they play them close. Last week was just their 2nd big margin win of the season as they blew out the Jaguars. It seemed impressive at the time, but then everyone quickly remembered the Jaguars are pathetically bad.
What’s their problem?
For and foremost, their defense. It’s banged up right now and its feeling the affects. Their secondary cannot stop anything and they generate little pass rush to help aid that secondary. Plain looks and vanilla schemes aren’t going to cut in the NFL with a patchwork defense. And let’s face it, Matty Ice and this offense isn’t like Tom Brady and the Patriots or Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense.
Where’s this team heading?
In my opinion, they are heading nowhere. Unless something bizarre happens and Rams pull a major upset on the Niners while the Saints beat the Panthers, the Falcons will have to play the Saints again in the first-round of the playoffs. From their level of play tonight, there is no way they’re going to walk out of that game with a victory.
