bobad

I think it's the elephant in the room. Time to acknowledge it!

Dropped passes. Missed tackles. Fumbles. Looking bad against undistinguished
teams. Slow starts on offense and defense. Why?

Think about it. Not 1 player or coach on this team have ever been 9-0. The
pressure must be awful.

I'm sure the players and coaches are thrilled to be 9-0. However, despite
what they are saying, I believe there is a great deal of pressure causing
some of the recent erratic play.

I think most any player or coach would feel like there's an anchor around
his neck under the situation. Who wants to be the one that makes a
bad play or bad call that stops the winning streak? I bet that thought is
always in the back of everyone's mind. Many are holding up well, others
seem to be falling off a bit, the overall team is falling off.

I'm sure Payton is doing what he can to take the pressure off, but it's an
impossible task. All he can do is tell them to play their game, do what they
do, and don't worry about the undefeated streak. The defense should be
trying to shut out the opponents, the offense should be trying to score on
every possession.

The 2009 Saints are my heroes, and if they lose to the Bucs, they will still
be my heroes. I want 19-0, but it couldn't make me a lot more proud than I
am right now.

What are your thoughts on how the pressure is affecting team play, if at all?