ScottyRo

Reggie's taunting and dancing is not what changed the momentum. I know it was big on sports radio yesterday and Bears' players said it fired them up, but what happened in the game shows a different result.

Consider the evidence: A) The Bears went 3 and out (I think. They at least punted fairly quickly.) immediately following Reggie's TD; B) When the Saints got the ball back on offense, they moved it down the field pretty easily to the Bears 29; then C) Saints missed a 47 yard FG, but stopped the Bears offense once again and took the ball on the Saints 5.

Does any of that look like anything had changed in the Bears' mental state as if they were more fired up after what Reggie did? It doesn't look that way to me. The Saints were still stopping the the Bears O and were moving the ball pretty well themselves against their D.

Consider the next couple of series: 1) Saints get called for intentional grounding for a safety and 2) Bears get ball after safety and drive for a TD.

Momentum changed. What changed momentum? The safety.

"So, what caused the safety?" you might ask. I'll be happy to tell you, but you may not like the answer.

It was the decision to try the FG from 47 yards in those conditions. It wasn't even close by the way. If Payton had elected to punt giving the Bears the ball at their 15 or 20 and then supposing that the D still held the Bears to a 3 and out, the Saints would have gotten the ball back around their 35 (more or less). Guess what? There wouldn't have been a safety since the Saints wouldn't have been backed up to their goal line.

The safety changed the momentum. The missed FG changed the field position causing the safety.

I read and heard many times how Payton knew this game was going to be one of field position and when he had it in his favor with the Saints having momentum, he gave it away on the long FG attempt.

I want to be clear that I understand the logic in even attempting the long FG. The Saints had been down 16-0. Putting the Bears down 17-16 would have been demoralizing for them - especially with Grossman playing as bad as he did. It was a tough call and it didn't work out for the Saints, unfortunately.

To suggest that what Bush did caused the swing in momentum is to ignore what happened on the field and to accept as truth that which is being said off the field and after the game.

JeauxW

He didn't need to point before getting into the end zone. Get there then have fun. But, that was not the big killer...there were several small killers that affected field position:
1. Cundiff kicks out of bounds after bush score. We stop the bears. Not bad.
2. The missed field goal - still not too bad.
3. Intentional grounding - a 2 point gift but not a killer.
4. Free kick & we get the ball back.
5. Thomas gets beat for a score - the bad starts here.
6. Brees fumbles....great short field for bears.
7. Bears score.
8. Saints abandon the run.
9. Interceprion
10. 2nd intentional grounding

Not to be funny, but it was a snow ball effect of these mistakes that led to the defeat.

saintsplaya

if reggie hurt us sooo much by taunting.....why did the bears go three and out on the ensuing possession and punt to us, and have us drive down to their 30 with all the momentum, only to kill ourselves with 3 passes and miss a long field goal. if his 88 yards did anything it fired the saints up, only to shoot themselves in the foot too many times.

along

Man, Ta hell with the bears and Urlacher!!!
Urlacher most likely as talking a lot of
trash himself.
Bush just beat the bum thats all.

JOESAM2002

Reggie's show didn't cost us the game! 4 turnovers cost us the game. As far as blaming any one player.......I call BS!!!!!

SaintFanQ

Before the missed field goal attempt why did we try 3 failed passes. Would it not have been better to get Deuce to try and run the ball a bit nearer, even a few yards would have helped and maybe, just maybe we could have got that FG and a little more momentum and a good confidence boost at the same time.

When all said and done, and I don't like admitting this but, the better team won!

Still looking forward to next season though. GEAUX SAINTS!!! YEAH!!

GoldRush26

I'm tired of this "Reggie cost us the game" crap. Oh really? I could've sworn that there were others fumbling the ball, allowing safties, and allowing a ridiculous pass from Grossman to be completed for a TD. My bad. I must've been watching another game.

Reggie is the reason that we were close in the first place. He scored the TD. If you want to believe that crap that the media is feeding you about "Reggie giving them momentum" you can believe it.

Some people seemed destined to use Reggie as a scapegoat no matter what. He's been doing that somersault dive since high school and all throughout USC. Everyone knows that's his thing.

Euphoria

No I think some of you are blowing it all out of wack. Reggies finer pointing was classless, distasteful and wrong. Did it fire up the Bears D more than likely yes... if it wasn't for the Bears D we could very well be in the SB. There D made us turn the ball over not there offense. reggie does need to grow up. He needs to learn it takes many others to get him to the SB its not all him. Doing a flip and celebrating like that will only get you hurt one day. The last last time he started to act up he drops the ball out of bounds when he had a sure TD during the season.

E U P H O R I A

Brann

Thank you for stating it succinctly. Guys, the better team won. If you can't see that, no amount of hand-wringing over Reggie will help you. Get over it and look forward to a good offseason.

Euphoria, tell me, how did he "act up" against SF? Did you even watch the game? The ball hit his bicep on the upswing and that jarred it free. Honestly, go find another team to root for. You seem to root against this one well enough as it is, you may as well find another one. Perhaps you'd favor a return to the Billy Joe platoon and constant losing. It amazes me how so many of you are so short on that which is essential to being a Saints fan: FAITH.

hagan714

bingo..better team won,
could we have beat the bears...yes
but we did not
turn overs killed us.
reggie will learn not to mess with the ego of a top defensive team. yes it fired them up. that play along was going to get them fired up. the word is pride. we stunk up the place in the 4th. we were the team that paniced and lost focus not the bears. results. we lost and bush is not to blame the team as a whole is.