SmashMouth

Christmas Eve in New Orleans began with a plea from Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

"It seems to me that, in our world today, we are as much in need of hope as were the Israelites of old, 2,000 years ago," Aymond said in his annual holiday homily to New Orleanians. "We need hope."

A few hours later the New Orleans Saints did their part, delivering some much-needed hope to their frustrated fans in the form of a 31-24 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Considering the quality of the opponent and the circumstances, it was one of the Saints' most complete performances of the season, a second consecutive impressive effort after their season slipped away in back-to-back losses to the Lions and Buccaneers.



And yet, with little to play for other than pride, the Saints again played with passion and poise, a ringing endorsement of Saints coach Sean Payton and his staff.

"We've been resilient," Payton said. "This group, I'm proud of how they've prepared."

Hope can be a powerful elixir. When misused, it can also be a dangerous opiate.

Just one week removed from the offseason, the Saints brain trust must determine if indeed there is legitimate reason for hope, if this team is truly close to turning the corner and becoming a playoff contender, or if they are simply deluding themselves and falling victim to wishful thinking.

These are the kind of sober decisions Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis are paid to make, and if they are being honest with themselves they will find plenty of reasons for both optimism and pessimism. That's what happens when you finish around .500 for a third consecutive season.


read more on the ten reasons here

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