The Panthers from Carolina showed up at the Superdome on Sunday, played the game and defeated the Saints. The Saints also showed up but failed to play. As a result the Saints regular season will end with no more than a break even record of 8-8. With three games to play on schedule, two away and one at home their final number is in doubt.
This Saint team is the latest version of the Coulda, woulda, shoulda teams under coach Mora in his early years as coach of the Saints. The players and coaches have run out of excuses and answers. One thing is for certain, the players and coaching staff have problems themselves and between themselves. It shows on the field, in their faces and in their performance. The highest paid players and coaches are not earning their pay.
Sports writers for the Times Picayune continue their apple polishing stories about how Brees is still the same quarterback stat wise. They mistake individual stats for a team effort like the Saints on paper were the best since the 2009 team. Paper rosters do not make a team. Payton Manning is in his 3rd. year with a new team and continues to do more for his team than Brees does for the Saints and Manning had to sit out a whole year due to surgery.
Not too many Saints opponets are "Feeling the Brees" the last 3 years. During that time I questioned in several commentaries the ability of Payton and Brees to keep the Saints on top. I felt that way after Bountygate was exposed and so far they have not delivered. Meanwhile Mickey Loomis and Tom Benson are silent on what is taking place. They too are drawing large pay checks. Will there be an accounting after the disaster is over? This writer will be watching.
With Atlanta's loss on Monday night no team in the South division will have a winning record at the end of the season but one will still make the play offs. No team in that division deserves a shot at the play offs so this will be my last commentary on the Saints until the season is over. I will then write a wrap up commentary on the team. Stay tuned.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
