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Some people might look back at the New Orleans Saints’ season opening win over the Atlanta Falcons last year and conclude the fate of each team was set on the final meaningful play of the game.

After safety Kenny Vaccaro tipped a Matt Ryan pass away from Tony Gonzalez in the end zone to Roman Harper, who dived to pull in the interception and seal the Saints’ 23-17 win, the teams were sent down different paths. New Orleans finished the year 11-5, while the Falcons limped to a 4-12 finish.

Did the Saints end up on the right side of the momentum that day? Were the Falcons crushed underneath it?

It’s possible both of those things happened, but that might not be asking the right question.

The right question is this: Does momentum even exist on a week-to-week basis?

The idea of what happened one week somehow influencing the next week is something that Bill Belichick will not entertain. The New England Patriots coach has fielded that inquiry several times throughout his tenure, and each time he dismisses it by saying something along the lines of, “Each week’s different, each game’s different.”

But not everyone agrees with Belichick — at least not fully.


Read more: Saints and Falcons hope to set the tone for their seasons in opener on Sunday | Sports | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

All little common sense goes a long way.