Saints need to win now if this is to be Brees’ last rodeo

By Ed Daniels
ABC26 WGNO Sports Director

Is this the year when the football gods finally repay the New Orleans Saints?

Is the 2020 season a “make good” for the Minnesota Miracle or the infamous NOLA no call?

Luck is a big part of playoff football.

In January 2010, Minnesota was penalized in the final seconds of regulation for having 12 men in the huddle.

Instead of playing third-and-10 from the Saints 33, it was third-and-15 from the Saints 38.

On the next play, Brett Favre was intercepted by Tracy Porter, and the game went into overtime.

A Vikings field goal would have won the game.

Two weeks later, the Saints were Super Bowl champions.

As the playoffs begin, the Saints were waiting to see if running back Alvin Kamara would come off the COVID-19 list in time for Sunday’s game vs. Chicago.

And, after a three-week hiatus on injured reserve, wide receiver Michael Thomas was scheduled to return.

The Saints were getting healthier, something that wasn’t the case a year ago, when their beat-up offensive and defensive lines were handled by Minnesota.

In previous playoff years, the Saints would get a bye as the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but that changed this season when the NFL added two more teams to the playoffs.

Welcome to “Super Wildcard” weekend.

Six games kick off, where allegedly any team in the tournament has a chance to win it.

But, do they really?

Since the 2013 season, the Super Bowl champion has won at least 12 games in six of the seven years.

The 2018 Patriots were the only exception to that rule, finishing the regular season with 11 wins and five losses.

But, the regular season recently has been a true barometer of what teams have a chance to win the Lombardi Trophy.

This season, six teams won 12 games or more.

And, only a handful seem to be good enough to win the Super Bowl.

The Saints’ potential road to Tampa could include a divisional-round game against Seattle and a trip to Green Bay for the NFC Championship Game.

A few weeks ago, when discussing the playoff loss to Minnesota a year ago, head coach Sean Payton admitted the Saints were flat.

That doesn’t figure to be a problem a year later.

In what figures to be Drew Brees’ final year, the time for the Saints to win a second Super Bowl is now.

Time is running short for Aaron Rodgers, but he will still have other chances.

So will Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

But, for Brees, this is likely the last rodeo.

And, the best way to win is to run the football.

In the Saints’ last five playoff losses, their team rushing totals were 97, 48, 80, 108, and 37.

That’s an average of 74 yards a game.

And, that is not good enough.

In the offseason, Payton drafted an offensive lineman in the first round and re-signed guard Andrus Peat.

Their job is simple: Control the line of scrimmage.

For most of a 12-win season, that’s exactly what happened.

Now, it’s time for the Saints to enforce their will when it really counts.

The 2020 Saints have a sense of urgency, and then some.

Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at edaniels@clarionherald.org.