SHOW TIME IS NOW
 

Saints 6-4
Nov 26 @Atlanta
Dec 3 San Francisco
Dec 10 @Dallas
Dec 17 Washington
Dec 24 @N.Y. Giants
Dec 31 Carolina
2-0 Tampa, 1-0 Atlanta, 0-1 Panthers

Carolina 6-4
Nov 26 @Washington
Dec 4 @Philadelphia
Dec 10 N.Y. Giants
Dec 17 Pittsburgh
Dec 24 @Atlanta
Dec 31 @New Orleans
2-0 Tampa, 0-1 Atlanta, 1-0 Saints

Atlanta 5-5
Nov 26 New Orleans
Dec 3 @Washington
Dec 10 @Tampa Bay
Dec 16 Dallas
Dec 24 Carolina
Dec 31 @Philadelphia
1-0 Tampa, 1-0 Carolina, 0-1 Saints

If we are to even think of a playoff birth we must win Sunday. we could easily end up with a three way tie in the division. A win now gives us the tie breaker edge going into the last game of the season with Carolina. That to will probly be a must win game.


NFC STANDINGS
1 Chicago 9-1-0
2 N.Y. Giants 6-4-0
3 Seattle 6-4-0
4 Carolina 6-4-0
5 New Orleans 6-4-0
6 Dallas 6-4-0
7 Philadelphia 5-5-0
8 San Francisco 5-5-0
9 Atlanta 5-5-0
10 St. Louis 4-6-0
11 Green Bay 4-6-0
12 Minnesota 4-6-0
13 Tampa Bay 3-7-0
14 Washington 3-7-0
15 Arizona 2-8-0
16 Detroit 2-8-0

So as you can see every game from here on is all about the playoffs for all the teams we play. well except for washington who will be out to wreck any teams playoff dreams they can. they want company to eat popcorn with while watching the playoffs.

Man I wish McNabb was not on IR. This should be a fun finish

Just for S&G

AFC STANDINGS
1 Indianapolis S 9-1-0
2 Baltimore N 8-2-0 1
3 San Diego W 8-2-0
4 New England E 7-3-0
5 Denver W 7-3-0
6 Jacksonville S 6-4-0
7 Kansas City W 6-4-0
8 N.Y. Jets E 5-5-0
9 Cincinnati N 5-5-0
10 Pittsburgh N 4-6-0
11 Buffalo E 4-6-0
12 Miami E 4-6-0
13 Cleveland N 3-7-0
14 Tennessee S 3-7-0
15 Houston S 3-7-0
16 Oakland W 2-8-0


For those wondering we would have the 21st pick in the draft if the season was to end today.

Re: SHOW TIME IS NOW
 

I agree, and I'll go a step farther, if we do not beat Atlanta Sunday, I guarantee that we will not make the playoffs.

RE: Re: SHOW TIME IS NOW
 

U agree too, but I guarantee that if we do beat atlanta, we will make the playoff's!!!!

RE: Re: SHOW TIME IS NOW
 

Nah, if we beat ATL, we're still in the playoff hunt. If we lose, the hope for playoffs become slim unless we win out. Absolutes don't work well with this many games left to go.

But if we lose, a great beginning will be squandered, and this team should be embarrassed.

The remaining schedule - Atlanta, San Fran, Dallas, Washington, Giants and Carolina.

The 49ers are playing decent ball, 5-5 and contending for their division? Like we didn't have enough to worry about.


Good grief.


8)

.... not to mention a must win for the Falcons. :wink:


8)

we have to go on a 4 game win streak... its time to get hot for the playoffs

This team has the capability to do it too. I now that the defense isn't stellar. But they are good enough against average offenses to be serviceable.

The offense must take care of the ball. They can move it all over the field. But when they turn it over, we're in trouble. I'd rather have 300 yards of O, 36-37 minutes of ball control, and win the game, rather than 600 yards of O and lose.

The NFC is weak. 10-6 is looking like division winners everywhere except for the North. We have NFC game here on out.

BTW are we not second in the NFC right now? Only the Bears have no conference losses, and only the Saints have 1. The Giants are falling fast, and 3 of Dallas' 4 losses are in conference. Plus we get both those teams down the stretch.

The Saints have lost some bum games. But fortunately it's bum games that have less damage when it comes to playoff implications.

Let's take care of the ball and take care of business from here on out. Two wins in the next two weeks will likely wipe out this down feeling.

SFIAH

Hmm.... we're second in our division right now.




Conference standings and seedings....
http://www.nfl.com/standings/conference


Playoff Tiebreaking Procedures...
http://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakers






8)

This week's game is huge, obviously, as everybody has been saying. I wonder how we're going to play the Falcons this time around. Week three was one of the strongest home field advantages that might have ever existed in the history of sports. How do we play without that? We need to stop fumbling the ball, and we need to give Deuce the damn ball. He's a beast, he's in great form, and and he's got his explosiveness back. I just really don't understand why he isn't getting the majority of the carries.

But anyways, I think that the rest of the way will be more favorable to us than the last few weeks. Here's why I think so:

Baltimore has an absolutely nasty defense. I just don't think our team is good enough to overcome our offense being shut down.

We should have won the Bengals game, and I think it shows that if we keep up this frustrating trend of turning it over more than we take it away, that we're just not going to get lucky like we did at the beginning of the season. We're among the worst in turnover ratio in the NFL. If we hadn't turned the ball over, our offense could have kept up with theirs, but we just can't do that when we're giving them more opportunities.

Anyways, huge game this weekend. I hate the Falcons more than any other team, and I hope they give Deuce the damn rock so he can pull one of those moves like he did against Keion Carpenter a few years ago.

dido duce
first team to 4 wins i agree. Dec 24 Carolina
the loss of McNabb looms big right now.

I forgot about Carolina. Hopefully they will provide incentive not to further screw up. We'll be chasing them until we get a game up again or until we meet them the last game of the season.

Carolina has already lost 3 conference games. They have 5 conference games down the stretch with only Pittsburg in the AFC left.

If we fall to Carolina the last game, then the point is probably moot as we'd have to finish a game ahead of Carolina to win the division.

However, if we take that game, then the head to head goes back to even, and division record comes into play. Right now that's tied 3-1 each.

So the Falcons game is a must win. We take care of the Falcons then we're in the best division position we can get in walking into the last game. Then we can have Carolina come in any of a game ahead, tied, or a game behind with a chance to win the division.

The key is understanding that the #2 seed is still in reach. Frankly, if a two game losing streak, or losing 3 out of 4, needed to occur, losing to the AFC North was the way to do it.

Let's look at the teams left in the NFC that currently have winning/even conference records:

East: NY, Dallas
North: Chicago, Minnesota
South: Carolina, NO, Atl
West: Seattle, San Fran.

Now on this list we only do not play the North teams and Seattle. That leaves 5 games against the direct opposition in the division and conference (along with
Washington). Each of those 5 teams have more conference losses than the Saints. Of course head to head is the first tiebreaker.

So here's the priority order of wins going down the stretch:

1) Panthers - Must win. In the division. Needed to even head to head and to put a second division loss on Carolina.

2) Falcons - Another must win. In the division. Needed to keep division record intact. Also needed to push Falcons a full 2 games behind us.

3) Giants - Currently are 1/2 game behind us in the conference. May lose their division so may be moot point. Still want the head to head.

4) Cowboys - Looking like a division winner at this point as they have the least injuries. So plunking a loss on them means they have to finish a full game.

5) San Francisco - May win their division considering that Seattle still has Denver, San Diego, and a rematch with San Francisco down the stretch. The 49ers have 3 games against teams with winning records too (Seattle, Denver, and New Orleans). They are only a game behind the Saints, so a win is a definite plus.

6) Washington - Out of the playoffs. But the Saints cannot afford to be trapped in a conference loss.

We are in complete control. It would have been further cemented with a win (or two) in the last couple of weeks.

SFIAH

The Saints have to beat Atlanta because if we lose this one it puts them in a very tough position.
We need to win this game plus, Wash., 49'ers and Carolina to have any chance in making the playoffs.
I don't see us beating Dallas and see Carolina improving each week so the Saints need to handle up NOW.
The season IMO starts Sunday for the Saints, their defense is getting worst each week, if we continue to play as we have the last 2-3 weeks then I say we're done, well done.

Good analysis SFIAH.

Play one game at a time and there's nothing to worry about. Win the next two, lose to the boys, win the next three and there may be a bye in our future.

Optimistically, this team could win out. Realistically, there's 3 wins in there and we need to sneak another one te ensure playoffs. Pessimistically,there's probably only two sure wins (WAS and NYG), and 8-8 stays home.

@ NYG is a sure win? did i miss something?

i hope youre not saying that cuz of the way Eli is playing, struggling quarterbacks always come to life when playing our secondary

Every game we play from here on out
is huge. Every team that have a chance
to get into the playoff is stepping up and
is playing aggressive and hitting hard.
If we can not compete at that level we
can foreget about the playoff.

:x

True. Beat Atlanta - all good. Don't and. :cry:

Definitely. According to the playoff determining rules, division wins only come second to head to head in importance. And since getting head to head splits occur so often, the division record is critical.
10-6 will probably get a team into the playoffs. The positioning will be dicey though.

Dallas and Carolina are two of the three key games along with the Falcons. Dallas will end up being a shootout. Depending on the turnover situation, the Saints can win a shootout.

The Dallas game will be key because it's looking like they will win the East. If they do and the teams end up tied, then playoff positioning will go right to that head to head matchup.

If you want to get deep into the playoffs, you have to be able to beat not only the weak sisters, but also your rival teams.
I think we all know that our defense is limited. But I also think we have the offense to compensate. The key is not turning the ball over, because it puts our defense in really bad positions, and to put the ball in the end zone, so that we can keep up in a shootout.

I also think we need to run the ball more in order to control the clock.

The Saints play better with a lead. That leads to a more ball control offense. Playing from behind and slinging the ball all over the field gets us in trouble.

SFIAH