Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

ATLANTA — When it was over, when 71 points sent sparks shooting from the Georgia Dome scoreboards and the teams combined to melt the artificial turf for 1,040 yards and the lead changed hands like a relay baton five frantic times after halftime, the Atlanta Falcons celebrated victory over their most hated rival by turning the New Orleans Saints’ signature chant into a bitter taunt.

“We dat!” the Falcons faithful yelled. “We dat!”

The objective eye will look at Sunday’s 37-34 overtime Saints loss to the Falcons and see an incredible game, a true classic in the Deep South’s best and most passionate pro football rivalry.

But there’s no objectivity when it comes to the Saints and Falcons.

History is written by the winners, and the Falcons will write this up large in their annals as one of their franchise’s greatest wins.

The Saints will mourn an opportunity lost and wonder if an offseason of bright promise and enormous expectations has merely been deflected or suffered a mortal wound.

There is no room for rational perspective when the Saints and Falcons play. There is only overwrought emotion, unbridled euphoria or doomsday-grade despair.

The Saints have enough talent, coaching and time to heal 100 percent from this loss. Come February, black and gold-clad Saints fans may well be in Glendale, Arizona, lubricating themselves with margaritas for the Super Bowl and remarking, “Remember how worried everyone was when we lost in Atlanta? Bartender — another round!”

New Orleans right tackle Zach Strief’s margarita glass is still half-full.


Read more: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Our goal should be to win 7 or 8 at home, and 4-4 on the road.

We're 0-1 on the road. We still have
Cleveland
Dallas
Detroit
Carolina
Tampa
Pittsburgh
Chicago

I can see 4 wins in that group for sure. In fact, Atlanta was probably our toughest road game on the schedule.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

This game proved one thing: you can't let a team hang around.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Not worried, settling for 3's in the beginning came back to haunt them. Clean up the mistakes and they would have dropped 50 on Atlanta.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

really? ya think?

this is the NFC South baby and anytime you get a road win in our division it is a HUGE deal.

Is the sky falling? Nope it is not falling

But this was a great missed opportunity.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Rub some dirt on the sting and move on.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Ok, who's up next.

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

On the bright side, we get to play the Browns next week. :D

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Browns have a better OL than the falcons so we will see. we at least on paper and if we are lucky we can try to live up to all the press clipping for defense during the off season.

but do not think we will walk through that line with out some serious corrections and gut checks

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Our players had that attitude vs the falcons and looked what happened

The browns are not to be underestimated, they played well vs Steelers, we have to score and keep the throttle down, if we get into a shootout, I don't think our defense will fare any better

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

You're absolutely correct about the Browns, they played the Steelers hard on the road. It was another inter division slugfest. But really, we're just fans so if we underestimate the Browns, it will have absolutely no bearing on the game whatsoever. :)

Just curious, why don't you think our defense will fare any better? I think the pressure the d-line put on quarterbacks last season for 16 games is probably more indicative to what we will see over the course of the season than the one game we just witnessed. I don't think the Browns will be able to overwhelm our secondary the way the falcons did. Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas and Devin Hestor is a pretty impressive lineup and a handful for any team to try to defend. Also, I expect Ryan to start fixing things that obviously didn't work, like playing the safeties a mile and a half off the line of scrimmage, change up the Dline rotations, etc...

just my 2¢

Re: Rabalais: This Saints loss stings, but there’s a whole season left to turn it around
 

Our D may fare better, but if we let the browns control the line of scrimmage (their O line is way better than the falcons by the way) and get 8 yards a carry like the falcons did, they will make it close

We need to be able to play fundamentally sound football first, turnovers shouldn't substitute sound fundamental football, when it does we see a defensive output like we just have

Obviously like you said, fans have no control of the game but I feel that our players got caught up in the hype, junior galette was doing nothing but tweeting how much he was going to destroy the falcons rookie tackle, then he got manhandled by a backup lineman, days after getting a big contract