Remember this thread should the Saints miss the playoffs...

I have been a long time non-local Saints fan so and have sat through so many heart breaking seasons to know the mental make up of my team inside and out.

You can't be home grown enough to know that our record is exactly where it should be. We are a 10-5 team no better and no less. We just got the bulk of our wins early on in the season. We have lost the last 3 out of 4 games when we were just a short while considered a threat to the Super Bowl.

We are having pass protection problems. Our $100 million dollar QB keeps providing costly turnovers when the line breaks down and our WR's can't seem to get open. We have been relying on the screen game so far and even that is getting stopped. We are facing a team who always gives us cover 2 problems even when giving Drew lots of time in the pocket. What is going to happen if nobody could get open quick enough before our O-Line collapses?

I think the drama WILL be set on Sunday and it will be squarely on the Saints winning at home. I don't think Atlanta can stop a running Cam Newton. Then in the afternoon games Seattle could get off to a fast start against the Rams because the Rams will be without their best pass rusher. Russell Wilson could get hot early and open up a big lead. Thus allowing 49ers to pull their starters early in the second half. Swings like that always have a tendency to help and hurt two teams. Those two teams this year are the Cardinals and the Saints.

It is very rare when the possibility of an 11-5 team misses the playoffs happens in the NFL. Some parity has to ensue, the last team to finish 11-5 and miss the playoffs and their season was a true underdog late season charge type team like the Cardinals. The Patriots didn't control their own destiny but won their game and needed a team ahead of them to lose and it didn't happen. I pray for a repeat outcome but I know my Saints team. We lose to below .500 teams and we have some hard luck stories. Do you not remember the 2003 Saints season with that John Carney missed extra point that cost us the playoffs after the ESPY winning special teams TD on the last play of the game. All I am saying is if we gonna get it, it won't come easy. And if we don't get it, it could define this franchise and careers.