SaintPauly

Someone said on ESPN today, that coming into the season, the Jets were supposed to be the worse team in the league, but due to Mangini's coaching abilities, they could be a play off contender. Why aren't the critics on their backs with some of this negativity? The Saints are "getting lucky", but the Jets are "coached well". Now, Mangini is getting coach of the year predictions. I'm sorry, are the Jets leading their division? Last time I checked New England was. Not to take anything away from the Jets, but if Peyton doesn't get coach of the year, something is rotten in Canton.

Also, the Bears schedule couldn't be any softer than it is, unless they had Mississippi State on their schedule, but they, along with the Cowboys, are the so called "favorites" to win the NFC. What's going on here? The only thing about this situation that makes me feel real good going into the post season, is that almost every freakin sports genius, was dead wrong about who would go to the Superbowl last year. The Saints have just as much of a chance to win it all in the NFC, as anyone else in contention. So shove it up yours Tom Jackson!

SaintFanInATLHELL

Nation media operates on reputation and consistency. They have the "You are what you have shown me in the past" syndrome.

Chicago was 13-3 last year. They were the #2 seed in the NFC. They have the #1 defense in the NFL. Each of these are indicators of future playoff success under normal circumstances.

Grossman cannot get the Bears where they need to go with the way he's playing now. Every playoff team will have a decent, if not outstanding, defense. Four or five turnovers to a good team equals a loss.


Agreed. Again the national media simply cannot accept a team that comes from nowhere. They don't have a frame of reference to categorize them.

Now playoff football is about defense, stopping the run, and running the ball. The Saints have shown that they can consistently do 2 out of 3 of these tasks. The overall defense, especially the secondary, is suspect. Thomas, Craft, and the safeties have been beaten like drums at times this season.

The game this Sunday will be an excellent indicator of playoff football for this team. We're playing a talented, well coached, playoff team with both the defense and the offensive weapons to make some noise this year. We need to beat Dallas in order to prove that we are ready. And in doing so we put ourselves in prime position to make a deep playoff run.

No worries about the pundits. They are there to do a job. The Saints need to simply focus on their job at hand and everything will be fine. We own the #2 seed in the NFC. That likely means that the NFC championship game may well be in the Superdome.

So let stay on track for that.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

papz

Mangini is doing a great job up there. They rotate three backs, lost Abraham, had a quarterback controversy and they're 7-5. I can see why there's been talk about him possibly winning Coach of the Year. But Payton will win it by a landslide if we make it into the playoffs. Remember it was Sean Salisbury saying Mangini will win it... and he's a turd. I don't take anything that guy says seriously.

jrmllb

I dig papz & saintpaul....I think Payton will win it....Plain and simple Mangini did not have the challenges that Payton had coming in...and just look at the schedules...

fhotard

yeah, I caught all that 'coach of the year' talk last night, as well.
The reasoning that he gave for choosing Mangini over Payton was that Payton has had so many great tools to work with: Deuce, Horn, etc.
Regardless, I still think Salisbury (or however it's spelled) is an idiot.

Hopefully, all the so-called 'experts' will keep discounting the ability of our Saints. Let them keep thinking that we've just been lucky. If it comes back to bite them in the rear, I'll be laughing my butt of when we're racking up W's in the post-season.

yasoon

If the Saints can split here over the last 4 weeks, Payton is a lock to me. (Yes, I hope we do better than that, but a split will get us the division and it's gonna be tough with all the injuries.)

Sometimes, we as Saints fans are a little overly sensitive. I have heard ALOT of talking heads acknowledge what Payton has done. More than I have heard talk about Mangini. The Jets are having a good year, but they did not have to overcome what we did.

And anyone who wants to say that we had weapons going in.....well they sure as $hit weren't saying that in August. Hell....we've had weapons for years. That doesn't mean anything. The Raiders have weapons too.

I think Payton will win coach of the year, barring a brutal stretch here at the end. We're guaranteed not to have a losing record, and NOBODY even predicted that much. We're in the driver's seat to be the 2 seed, but we have a harder road than Seattle or Dallas. It's gonna be tough.

Ultimately, I say we go 10-6 and play a home game in week 1 of the playoffs. I think Payton will be coach of the year and Brees will finish second in the MVP vote behind LT.

Having said that, I have a funny feeling that we may go on a roll here at the end. But my instincts have been way off all year. So, that amounts to a bucket of jack squat.

SaintPauly

Well, not one prognosticator has picked us to win this Sunday. The guy from NFL Live even said that he thinks that the Panthers are going to win out the rest of the season, and take the division. Wow. What did we do to deserve this?

You reallize that when we win on Sunday, all of this BS is going to make it that much sweeter. Geaux Saints!