Jimmy Graham's Dunk? Momentum Shifter? (Odd Theory)

Listen: I love me some Jimmy Graham. I love his story and him as a player. But I have been starting to think lately, that it's possible Jimmy Graham is actually kind of effing us up, with his patented "dunk" over the crossbar move after a score.

"That's crazy" you say -- I know it sounds crazy. It's not the ONLY thing wrong with the Saints, or the biggest thing wrong. But put on this tin foil hat, and hear me out.

I think when he does that dunk move, it is pumping up the other team and causing them to get back into the game. Or they respond with a big play of their own, almost every time lately. Especially when he does it on the road. It pisses the crowd and the opposing players off, and gets them fired up to beat us, instead of them rolling over and laying down or quitting. It didn't used to have that effect on the other team, but now that he's famous, I think it does.

Exhibit A: he did it in the San Francisco playoff game, on the road. Dunk. Then when San Francisco drove down the field a bit later and scored a TD, their guy did the patented Jimmy Graham dunk move, over their goalpost. To taunt us. It was obviously aimed at mocking Jimmy, ON PURPOSE. Because that's Jimmy's big Sportscenter and Madden move, the basketball dunk, right? I knew we were in trouble then, when the 49ers guy did that, because you could tell the Niners were pissed. Jimmy's dunk and the other dude's "answer" dunk, making fun of him -- well it was one of those weird little things that might have kinda changed the whole dynamic of the afternoon, tilting it in their favor. Pumping them up. I know, I know -- we lost that game on turnovers. But I'm talking about momentum, energy, or fire.

(Along with other things that changed the momentum that day, of course, like killing Pierre Thomas' head and stuff --they were REALLY celebrating and high-fiving over that, and yet we're the ones with the supposed bounties, who get players and coaches suspended, but never mind.)

Then Jimmy did it again after the crazy long TD at the end, and what happened after that?

Well I know we all like to blame the Gregg Williams defense for the loss at the end, but the Niners were pretty fired up, at the end of the game, would you say they were not? Did the Niners and Alex Smith look flat and dejected to you on that last drive, tired and desperate, or did they look REALLY SUPER PISSED OFF and coming at us with everything they had?

Exhibit B: the Skins game. First quarter, touchdown pass, Jimmy Graham. He does the dunk. Next play from scrimmage? Why that's an 88 yard TD pass to Pierre Garcon. You can't tell me the Skins bench wasn't fired up after that, the rest of the day. Some say it was the turning point of the game. So, just a coincidence, or right after the dunk?

If the other team dunked it on you, would YOU be mad? Sure you would. I remember one time I got completely enraged, when some Falcons player (I think it was Grimes) ran around the field with the ball, after the play was over, acting like he was showing it to the crowd, waving it around after he made an interception on Drew. Steam came out my ears.

Exhibit C: Panthers/Saints. First quarter: Jimmy Graham Touchdown, he does the dunk. Big celebration in the Panthers end zone. Three minutes later, very next Saints possession -- Drew throws the Pick 6.

Now I know you want to say that Drew threw that pick 6, it was his fault, but the other guy DID catch it, he DID read the pass, made the jump, and he was EXTREMELY fired up to take it back to the house...everyone agrees it was the game changing play of the game, and it was the next time the Carolina defense was on the field, only two plays after the dunk.

And keep in mind, that was ALSO right about the time that the Saints started falling apart in that game, in the series or two right after that. The offense fell asleep and didn't wake up, their defense was swarming all over us, and our defense suddenly couldn't stop Cam, who was dying to get into the end zone and do his OWN little patented Superman TD move for the cameras. He was super fired up. Earlier in the game he was kinda flat. See what I mean?

And Exhibit D: Chiefs game, 3rd quarter: Jimmy scores and does the dunk. Next series, Jabari intercepts Cassell, our one big defensive play...we get the ball on the 6, for an almost inevitable score by Jed Collins. Now we should be rolling, right? Well what happens next? The Saints offense went into a COMA, that's what. The offense was acting NORMAL, before the dunk. After the dunk, if you didn't give them the ball first and goal on the Chief's 6, nothing would happen for the Saints offense. They could get 6 yards in 3 plays for the TD, but not ten....the rest of the day.



I don't know, it's just something I've noticed over the past few games, a weird feeling I had, so I went and looked at the box scores and what was happening to the game momentum or "vibe" when Graham does the dunk.....it's there at arguably pivotal places in four losses in a row...it might be coincidence, or it might be backfiring, and revving up the other team, to actually help them beat us.
Weird.