The Saints beat Tampa Bay on Saturday while the Redskins won their game and mathematically eliminated the Saints from the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. The Saints will end the regular season in Atlanta this weekend and will finish the season with another non-winning record, their fourth in the last five years and the third straight non-winning season.
The Saints actually were eliminated from the playoffs when they suffered their seventh and eight defeat on consecutive weekends to Detroit and Tampa Bay. (although not mathematically) But sport fans who are objective knew it, so did a few sports writers. In those two defeats Drew Brees threw 6 interceptions and those two games turned out to be the most important ones of the season for the Saints to stay alive.
This writer stands by his commentary that Payton should have been fired for allowing bounty gate to happen. It was an irresponsible act on Payton's part and the Saints had to play the 2012 season with out their head coach. Payton's designated co-head coaches for that season were a disaster and even though Payton was not on the sidelines he bears responsibility for the Saints record that year. Times Picayune sports writer Larry Holder in an article of December 17 does not think Payton should be held accountable for the 2012 season. That is par for the course for Holder.
In the same article Holder asks, "Is it time for a change." (concerning Payton) He then gives several examples to try and justify why the Saints should keep Payton but never gives the reader his own answer. Holder is the same writer who during the season talked about Drew" personal performance as if the team was letting him down. (T.P. article of October 2) That could work both ways. Maybe the team feels Brees let them down with the six interceptions in those two games.
Yes, bounty gate started it all five seasons ago and there is no progress. The entire coaching staff needs to go because they are not doing a professional coaching job. And Drew Brees may have a lot of personal records but again, Tom Brady has done more for his team than Brees has done for the Saints. And that really says it all for Brady is a better leader.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
