Next week is essentially a playoff game (1 Viewer)

[SaintsBrah]

Win out and we are *likely* in unless major upsets

Lose next week and we need to win the last 3 as well have a combination of things go our way.

Either way is a long shot, but next week likely will define our season.

Or we best Tampa and lose to the Dolphins and are screwed anyway

 

[ndcc]

We’re starting to get key players back, but realistically, it’s a long shot.

I keep going back to this, but in 1990 season, the Saints were 4-6 after 10 games. They won 4 of their last 6 to finish 8-8, and captured the last (#6 seed) playoff spot.

Should our boys make the postseason AND get healthy, they’ll be BETTER than our ‘90 team, and just as dangerous as the ‘87 Vikings who finished at 8-7 (in a strike-shortened season). Most of the “talking heads” dissed the Vikings and said that they “...backed their way into the playoffs” that year. Yet, they went on the road to beat the teams with the BEST regular season records (...outscoring those top-2 teams 80 - 37):

Saints were 12-3; lost to Vikings 44-10 in Wild Card game

49’ers were 13-2; lost to Vikings 36-27 in Divisional round game.

Vikings ultimately LOST to the eventual SB Champ Redskins 17-10 in a hard- fought NFC Championship game.

You can go to Pro-footballreference.com to check the history.

Get your foot in the door, and peak at the right time... anything can happen.

For our boys, it’s one-game-at-a-time. Let’s see what happens.

WhoDat!!!!!

 

[Kegger]

I know this is a fan forum, but we’re coming off a win against the lowly Jets after a 5 game losing streak. It’s just a game to the Bucs. If they play at their normal level, they’ll have a fairly easy win.

As for the week that defined this season, I think it was the week before the league year started in March where we lost so many starters because we could do nothing to retain them or the week free agency began because we could do nothing to add to this team.

No need to treat the Bucs like the hot girl you think you have no shot with. They are just another team, we can beat them if our D shows up and we keep the penalties to a minimum.

 

[Sailorsaint]

No need to treat the Bucs like the hot girl you think you have no shot with. They are just another team, we can beat them if our D shows up and we keep the penalties to a minimum.

This part is out of our hands.

 

[meily]

I know this is a fan forum, but we’re coming off a win against the lowly Jets after a 5 game losing streak. It’s just a game to the Bucs. If they play at their normal level, they’ll have a fairly easy win.

As for the week that defined this season, I think it was the week before the league year started in March where we lost so many starters because we could do nothing to retain them or the week free agency began because we could do nothing to add to this team.

I agree that the Jets win was not an indication of the Saints getting back in stride more so just played an obviously inferior team we won despite ourselves and the Tampa game is going to remind us were we actually are in the pecking order this year.

The Season was defined by injuries, the Saints Organization fielded a pretty good team this year but injuries set us back, if it wasn't losing a young prospect early in Jalen Dalton, then it was the suspension of Onyematta, the hamstring injury to TQS, the continued ankle issue with Thomas. then the season starts and McCoy goes down, then Winston, Peat, Alexander missing games, CGJ, RAM, Armstead, Kamara another suspension by Harris. its just been a season of constant reconstruction week in and week out and Payton having to come up with a game plan each week predicated on who is available.

 

[Saint Spud]

I know this is a fan forum, but we’re coming off a win against the lowly Jets after a 5 game losing streak. It’s just a game to the Bucs. If they play at their normal level, they’ll have a fairly easy win.

As for the week that defined this season, I think it was the week before the league year started in March where we lost so many starters because we could do nothing to retain them or the week free agency began because we could do nothing to add to this team.

The last part is false. No team could survive the number of injuries we’ve had, including MT. It’s not just the number of players we’ve lost due to injury, it’s the quality.

Keeping Jenkins wouldn’t have changed this season and we were never keeping Sanders or Hendrickson.

What Jameis did to keep this offense competitive was borderline miraculous in hindsight.

 

[Sailorsaint]

I like the win because we were supposed to win and did. We were supposed to beat the Falcons and Panthers too. Win the ones you are supposed to win and compete in the ones that everyone says you don't have a chance in, and maybe everything will work out.

 

[SWJJ]

When we beat the bucs next week I hope everyone realized we are a legitimate contender with this defense.

When the line gets healthy and we have the whole defense back we will be ready for tough competition.

We are going to win the championship and CSP will be coach of the year!

BELIEVE!

 

[mc4saints]

This all brings me back to my youth. Just hoping for a year where the Saints were not mathematically eliminated and you would spend time dissecting the teams close to you in standings and upcoming schedules and figuring out any way to get in. Don't forget how we used to long for this.

IMO, every team at 6-7 and SF at 7-6 has a tougher finishing schedule than us except for Philly. As bad as we seem to be right now, none of the other current 6-7 teams are any better.

I think if everything goes great, based on Saint's current healthy roster, at best Saints go 3-1. If we somehow beat TB, you know the Saints always seem to have a letdown game.

The problem is currently we have 4 teams tied with us but in front because of tiebreakers for the last spot.

I assume Saints would have the tiebreaker over Atlanta if we beat them next time? We beat WAS head to head so I am sure there would be a scenario that tiebreaker could go in our favor? (More than 2-way tiebreakers are always tricky.) We probably for sure need Philly to have more losses than us because of head-to-head loss.

All I am saying, there is a chance!

 

[BoNcHiE]

We don't need to win out. 3-1 almost certainly gets us in.

The game against the Bucs is actually the one we can drop. But you have to beat the Falcons, Panthers, and Dolphins, all possible to win. Taysom has his flaws, but he can feast on bad teams, specifically as a runner.

 

[neworleanshoo]

Your premise makes no sense - you're saying we can lose and still make it, but it's a "playoff game?"

 

[jdpower13]

I posted this earlier last week in the thread 'Should we EXPECT the Saints to win next Sunday against the Jets?' where like 50% of the posters said no.

The lineup we had in our win against the Bucs on Halloween :

Armstead
Hurst
McCoy
Ruiz
Ramczyk
Callaway
Smith
Harris
Trautman
Kamara
Winston/Siemian

Jordan
Kpassagnon
Onyemata
Davenport
Davis
Werner/Kwon
Lattimore
Adebo/Roby
Gardner-Johnson
Williams
Jenkins

Harris had 35 yards, Trautman 4, Winston played 25% of the game. Those guys in orange could come back, everyone else is healthy as far as I know. We have a chance.

 

[DerrickB]

To be honest, the MNF game against Miami is the playoff game. Lose that one, and it's a wrap for 2021.

 

[gregh]

have to get in and see how it shakes out, once you're in you never know what can happen, ask the giants when they beat the undefeated Patriots. weren't they the 6th seed and got hot?

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

yes it's playoff games from here on out, but more like double elimination playoffs than one and done