Poll The way the last 2 seasons ended (1 Viewer)

[insidejob]

I agree that one hurt, but could you imagine if that happened during the super bowl?

If that was one of the pole answers, I'd definitely go with that. But if we made it to the big game, played well and lost, I'd still be proud of our guys and it wouldn't hurt nearly as much as getting cheated out of the opportunity for that to even happen.

 

[insidejob]

Some equate endings from the last two seasons as failures. I do not at all.

Two years ago, a freak mistake kept us from moving up the ladder, and the offender's remorse was immediate. Also, there was still football to be played b4 we got a chance at the big game.

Last year was absolutely different in every way. We were 90% SB bound with 90 seconds to go. There was neither mistake nor remorse by the offender(s).

One was a loss. The other was theft.

For me, an honest 0-16 season is better than what happened last January.

I remember a graphic that said that had the DPI call been made there was a >99% chance that we'd have made it to the Super Bowl. It would've been nearly impossible to lose. Ball inside the 5, run the clock down and kick the game winning field goal. Yeah, nothing can top getting screwed like we did last year. The Rams only scoring 3 points in the Super Bowl I didn't watch made it sting even worse.

 

[Vega$$aint]

this is easy, we cost ourselves with the Minnesota miracle by not making the tackle. The Nola no call was out of our hands. That's why it hurts the most

 

[Paul]

What sucks for me is knowing that we likely left 3 additional Super Bowl appearances on the table (2011, 2017, 2018), whether through our own fault or the debacle with the no-call last year. I can’t predict what would have happened had we beaten SF in 2011, but I’m confident that the Giants weren’t coming to New Orleans and walking out with a win. Would we have beaten Philly had the Minnesota thing not have happened? I say yes. And then there was last year.

We need to get back to the SB which requires this team to be focused and close out games. We didn’t close out in 2011 or 2017, and I’d argue that even with that crap no-call last year, we still had a chance to beat the Rams. We have to close out games in the playoffs.

Edit: By the way, the prevent defense should never be a part of Dennis Allen’s playbook in the playoffs. It’s all or nothing.

 

[joeyseven]

How we ended the last two seasons hurt so much but we came back stronger.

I don't want to lose in the Superbowl, not only it will hurt 100 times more and being reminded until the next Superbowl win, but also it takes many years to recover and build the team again.

See how we are enjoying the rewards from Falcons and Panthers!

 

[gboudx]

this is easy, we cost ourselves with the Minnesota miracle by not making the tackle. The Nola no call was out of our hands. That's why it hurts the most

Right. That game was decided by the players on the field, unlike last year when it was decided by the officials on the field which is nothing the team can control. I was disappointed after Diggs catch, but I wasn't devastated. Last year was completely different. I could still turn off the NFL and be done with it forever if not for the Saints.

A SB loss would be tough as long as its a result of the players on the field and not the officials.

 

[Bronson]

It's funny. I never thought much about what hurt the most. I just mentally categorized it all in an all inclusive suck bin.

But the other day, someone asked me which was worse, and without hesitation I responded getting screwed over by the refs. When you lose, you lose, even if it's a last second miracle play. It sucks, but it's what should be part of the game.

When you get screwed over by the refs, there's nothing you can do, and that shouldn't be part of any contest.

 

[FGE413]

I don't think we'd be singled out like that.

Look at the Rodgers era Packers for instance. Like the Saints, they have a HOF QB, 1 Super Bowl and a lot of what ifs (the 2009 Pack lost in OT to AZ, the 2011 Pack was 15-1 and lost at home to NYG, the 2013 Pack lost at home on a last second field goal to San Fran, the 2014 Pack lost the NFCCG in OT to SEA after botching an onside kick recovery, the 2015 Pack lost in OT to AZ in the divisional round after GB tied it with a Hail Mary at the end of regulation, the 2016 Pack got blown out in the NFCCG by Atlanta). Those Packers teams are our closest comps for the Payton/Brees era (if you extend to when Sean/Drew joined the Saints in 06 and not just limit it to Rodgers, the Favre Pack also lost in OT at home in the NFCCG to NYG in 2007).

How about Peyton Manning's Colts? Again, HOF QB, 1 Super Bowl win...and a SB loss when they were favored (YAY!), 2 AFCCG losses to New England, losing at home as the 1 seed in 2005 to PIT on a missed last second field goal, losing at home to San Diego in the divisional round in 2007, losing to San Diego in OT in the 2008 wild card, losing in OT to Miami in 2000, losing at home in the divisional round to TEN in 1999.

There are plenty of other versions of teams who didn't win at all. Yes, the 49ers have won 5 SBs, but the Harbaugh 49ers lost in OT in the 2011 NFCCG, were stopped at the goalline in the SB in 2012, and lost on an endzone INT late in the NFCCG in 2013. The Matt Ryan Falcons, the Phil Rivers Chargers, the Romo Cowboys....


As long as you've won a Super Bowl, you're not in Bills territory. Heartbreak and sports go hand in hand - at the end of the year, every team but one gets their hearts broken. We're not all that unique in that regard (yeah, the no-call was pretty "special" but that wouldn't go as a strike against the team in history).

If we exit the playoffs this year in dramatic fashion again, it will put us in the same atmosphere as the Bills 4 Super Bowls imo. Obviously the Bills scenario is worse, but I think it would put a real stigma around the Payton/Brees era Saints. This is the best era in Saints history and if this ends up being the case, then I hope we only grow from here. But it would really put a bitter stamp on this era of Saints football. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful to witness and be a part of this time in Saints history. Just not sure I can stomach another exit like the last 2 years again.

 

[FGE413]

I can't honestly answer this question because I thankfully don't know how it feels to lose a Super Bowl. You'd have to ask a Seahawks fan (they lost on a last second field goal to ATL in 2012 Div Rd and on the Butler INT in the Super Bowl) or a Falcons fan (blowing a 17 pt lead at home to San Fran and failing to score in the red zone at the end of the 2012 NFCCG and blowing the 28-3 lead in the SB).

 

[GW93]

No-call is so much worse. As it has been pointed out, the thing in Minny came in the quarterfinal -- no gaurantee we win in Philly that next week. And that was just football -- Vikes got the break they needed to escape.

The NFCCG last year was straight up stolen by either incompetence, or worse, a scheme to get the NFL's spanking-new large-market team in the final game against a two-decade dynasty. Either way, someone should have been fired -- the officials on that part of the field who were responsible for making DPI calls, or the league slimeballs who wanted to fix the game.