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The New Orleans Saints find themselves trapped in some sort of football limbo from which there seems to be no end.

Not quite bad enough to be condemned to the kind of hell reserved for the truly dreadful teams — I’m thinking of you, Oakland Raiders, despite that win over Kansas City. Not good enough to be a team that is actually feared and respected as a championship threat.

The Saints came into Monday night’s game with the Baltimore Ravens needing this win if for no other reason than the death spiral of a three-game home losing streak at such a critical juncture of the season had to be avoided at all costs.

It was, for most of it, a great game.

There were huge plays, blasts from the past from old adversaries like Joe Morgan for the Saints and Steve Smith Sr. for the Ravens, the former Carolina Panther who showed the Saints that he is, apparently, some kind of immortal vampire. (No truth to the rumor Smith was staying at Anne Rice’s old mansion Sunday night.)

There were colossal mistakes like Mark Ingram’s fumble at the goal line and the ball Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk lost to Pierre Warren at the same spot on the field.

And there were eruptions of emotions, raw and overwhelming, from players like Smith and Kenny Vaccaro, who duked it out on the Ravens sideline after Smith caught yet another big pass against New Orleans.

It was, in a word, the kind of game that “Monday Night Football” is supposed to be but often never is.


Read more: Rabalais: Worst or first? Saints remain stuck in NFC South limbo | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Mardigras9

That Ravens team would DESTROY every other team in our division. The Saints hung in there with a clearly better opponent. The Saints are clearly the best team in this division and will win the division. Getting to the playoffs is the first step, and if it happens at 6-10 or 7-9, whatever, anything is possible at that point.

dizzle88

Really need someone to explain how Kenny vaccaro got flagged when SS yanked his helmet off and started pushing him into Baltimore's sideline

Nothing at all is going our way this year
You could tell a pick 6 was coming last night, only a matter of time.

We find ways to lose games, final minute meltdowns, turnovers, not tackling

Mardigras9

Drew got hit as he threw, this particular one was not on him.

st thomas

anyone thinks this is just a nightmare and when we do wake it will be a win in our first playoff win against Seattle?

hagan714

yep as they say the ball is not bouncing our way.

- the goal line stop was one thing but the turnovers last night says it all

- we drop a pick 6

- they catch a pick 6

that IMO was the three major plays of the game and sum up our season and was the difference in winning and losing this game.

on the bright side we got the turn over at our goal line this time

dizzle88

I could hear Baltimore's defense shouting "it's a screen!!" When ever PT was in the game, they got it right twice aswell

Was nice to see Morgan make some plays, that reverse was sweet, wish he could have outrun the last guy though, Cooks would have been long gone

exiled

at this point the NFC South should just collectively agree to forfeit their #4 Seed and give the conference an additional wild card pick.

arsaint

Not no but hell no! The South winner likely helps keep the 49ers, Seahawks or Eagles out of the playoffs.

That alone makes the current system superior...

exiled

of course I was being flippant, but I do remember myself and others crying about having to go to Seattle. I have a hard time wanting myself to have it both ways.

My usual rule of thumb is if you are hovering around 500 at thanksgiving - yer in the hunt.

But this year - we are three games under and somehow still in it.