Time to Cowboy Up
The Saints lost a couple of games in a row and gave themselves a good beating against Baltimore. Doesn't mean much to me. I was listening to the radio this morning and everyone seemed to be talking about how they don't want to see a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan. The consensus seemed to be that Michigan wasn't even in the same league as Ohio State because Ohio State won a close one only because they turned the ball over 3 times. The attitude seemed to be that even if Michigan had won the game since Ohio State gave it to Michigan with all those turnovers that really it wouldn't count as much and under the scenario of Michigan winning a rematch would be OK because of all the turnovers. I thought to myself, well then I guess under these rules it's almost like the Saints WON those games against the AFC North. Sounds good to me!
All joking aside though it does make a good point. Turnovers are correctable, a bad offense isn't, bad leadership isn't. We have a great offense, great leadership, and a good enough defense when the offense doesn't put them in a dang hole. Think about it this way, when the offense puts points on the board it forces the opposing offense to abandon the run and puts our defense in the position to do what it does best, rush the passer. Rushing the passer thus puts our DBs in better position to make plays on the ball because the opposing QB is pressured. It's a Domino effect.
Football often is attitude. There is nothing wrong with the players on this team, offensively and defensively. They just need to Cowboy Up. A Cowboy doesn't think about that bull from last week that knocked him flat on his hind quarters after 3 seconds. He can't. He just puts on that glove, squishes that hat down, makes sure he has a good grip, and says "let 'er rip". That's all the Saints have to do to keep this magical season alive, forget the last few weeks and get back to scoring in bunches so the defense doesn't have to work so hard.
I know what some of you are feeling, oh it's the curse of the Saints, oh it's 2002 again, oh this team will never win. I call bull---- because that's all it is. I've watch Drew Brees down in San Diego since his rookie season. The guy is good, he took his lumps early and he learned from them. The reason we didn't make the playoffs in '02 was Aaron Brooks was under center and we had a stubborn coach who wouldn't pull him for a healthier, more mentally steady QB in Jake Delhomme. Now we have a coach who knows what to do and a QB who has learned how to win. Brooks wasn't a winner, he was a guy who lucked into a team that Jeff Blake had already put on a winning path, he won about half of the games he had to to finish the job, played against the most poorly coached talented team in the NFL in the playoffs and lucked into a win due to a miracle drop by Hakim. Brooks is the same guy in Oakland as he was in New Orleans. Brees is the same guy in New Orleans that he was in San Diego, a friggin' winner who does his job, puts on his Cowboy hat, tightens his glove, doesn't think about that stupid bull that kicked his tail last week, and enjoys the friggin' ride!
This season ain't over, it just started, we're all even at the top of our division with the Panthers and if we show up with the attitude of winners then we are going to win. Payton got rid of most of the guys who were used to losing and brought in guys who are used to winning, Brees, Bush, Fujita, Hollis Thomas, etc. He's also got a bunch of guys who yearn to win and have been stuck with a bunch of guys who were satisfied with losing, not these guys, not Joe Horn, or the Deuce, or Charles Grant, or Will Smith, or Jamaal Brown, or Michael Lewis. Those guys would give it all up to go all the way with THIS football team. It starts on Sunday, it's a brand new day. Time to Cowboy Up with the team because this bull we're facing Sunday looks more like a cow heading to the slaughter to me.
Geaux Saints
The Saints lost a couple of games in a row and gave themselves a good beating against Baltimore. Doesn't mean much to me. I was listening to the radio this morning and everyone seemed to be talking about how they don't want to see a rematch of Ohio State and Michigan. The consensus seemed to be that Michigan wasn't even in the same league as Ohio State because Ohio State won a close one only because they turned the ball over 3 times. The attitude seemed to be that even if Michigan had won the game since Ohio State gave it to Michigan with all those turnovers that really it wouldn't count as much and under the scenario of Michigan winning a rematch would be OK because of all the turnovers. I thought to myself, well then I guess under these rules it's almost like the Saints WON those games against the AFC North. Sounds good to me!
All joking aside though it does make a good point. Turnovers are correctable, a bad offense isn't, bad leadership isn't. We have a great offense, great leadership, and a good enough defense when the offense doesn't put them in a dang hole. Think about it this way, when the offense puts points on the board it forces the opposing offense to abandon the run and puts our defense in the position to do what it does best, rush the passer. Rushing the passer thus puts our DBs in better position to make plays on the ball because the opposing QB is pressured. It's a Domino effect.
Football often is attitude. There is nothing wrong with the players on this team, offensively and defensively. They just need to Cowboy Up. A Cowboy doesn't think about that bull from last week that knocked him flat on his hind quarters after 3 seconds. He can't. He just puts on that glove, squishes that hat down, makes sure he has a good grip, and says "let 'er rip". That's all the Saints have to do to keep this magical season alive, forget the last few weeks and get back to scoring in bunches so the defense doesn't have to work so hard.
I know what some of you are feeling, oh it's the curse of the Saints, oh it's 2002 again, oh this team will never win. I call bull---- because that's all it is. I've watch Drew Brees down in San Diego since his rookie season. The guy is good, he took his lumps early and he learned from them. The reason we didn't make the playoffs in '02 was Aaron Brooks was under center and we had a stubborn coach who wouldn't pull him for a healthier, more mentally steady QB in Jake Delhomme. Now we have a coach who knows what to do and a QB who has learned how to win. Brooks wasn't a winner, he was a guy who lucked into a team that Jeff Blake had already put on a winning path, he won about half of the games he had to to finish the job, played against the most poorly coached talented team in the NFL in the playoffs and lucked into a win due to a miracle drop by Hakim. Brooks is the same guy in Oakland as he was in New Orleans. Brees is the same guy in New Orleans that he was in San Diego, a friggin' winner who does his job, puts on his Cowboy hat, tightens his glove, doesn't think about that stupid bull that kicked his tail last week, and enjoys the friggin' ride!
This season ain't over, it just started, we're all even at the top of our division with the Panthers and if we show up with the attitude of winners then we are going to win. Payton got rid of most of the guys who were used to losing and brought in guys who are used to winning, Brees, Bush, Fujita, Hollis Thomas, etc. He's also got a bunch of guys who yearn to win and have been stuck with a bunch of guys who were satisfied with losing, not these guys, not Joe Horn, or the Deuce, or Charles Grant, or Will Smith, or Jamaal Brown, or Michael Lewis. Those guys would give it all up to go all the way with THIS football team. It starts on Sunday, it's a brand new day. Time to Cowboy Up with the team because this bull we're facing Sunday looks more like a cow heading to the slaughter to me.
Geaux Saints