"From the Perfect Storm to the Perfect Season"

(Note to reader, what was supposed to be an NFC title game preview turned into a brilliant piece on the 2006-07 Saints…and an NFC title game preview. I simply can’t help myself sometimes. Look out tomorrow for the AFC preview by guest-Jew Gaba-gooz.)

When I first read that the Houston Texans were even considering drafting someone other than Reggie Bush with the first pick of last year’s draft, I couldn’t fathom that such a desperately bad franchise would make such a blunder on such a no-brainer. But when it became close-to-official in the days leading up to the draft that they were taking Mario Williams (and this is because in the NFL, players practically sign with teams even before the first pick is announced), I tried to find a good reason why the Texans were passing on such a phenom in Bush.

For starters, taking a defensive end with the first pick is never a wise choice, because it’s simply not an “impact position” in my view. While the best of them (Seymour, Peppers, Freeney) are ridiculous athletes, they basically make a few “impact” plays a game, and at best put pressure on weak offensive lines and old white quarterbacks (see Mark Brunell weeks 1-6). And they usually thrive the most in pairs, as in teams with two great ends (Giants, Colts, Panthers) attacking from both sides. But I’m getting really off-base here - because it doesn’t matter who the Texans picked, just that they didn’t pick Bush. They needed a sure thing, and even if his all-around offensive prowess wasn’t enough to entice them, his marketability definitely should have. They are a young franchise in need of a star savior, and in the simplest terms…they fucked up big time.

One team who didn’t fuck up big time was the New Orleans Saints, which brings me closer to my preview of this weekend’s NFC title game (a bit of a delayed intro I know, and it will probably read more like a 2006 Saints biography). In my mind, and probably in those of many others, the team had three key off-season acquisitions. The first was the hiring of head coach Sean Payton, exactly one year ago to this day. The next came in March when they signed Drew Brees as their new starting quarterback. For the most part, both moves went unnoticed. More hype was surrounding around the nearby Dolphins, who passed on Brees for Daunte Culpepper and were supposed to host the Super Bowl this year, and blah-blah-blah…I’m sure you’ve all heard this a thousand times already. For those who didn’t, basically, every Saints move panned out very well, and two teams (Miami and Houston) came out looking like morons.

But what most people fail to realize (at least when I look at it) is how important Bush was to this Saints season, and you have to look at this from a Hurricane Katrina perspective, because it’s simply impossible not to. For a city that turned their football stadium into a makeshift homeless shelter/riot field/morgue last season; jeez, I dunno…I think they needed something BIG to happen to get them back into Saints football for ’06. And unfortunately, the Payton and Brees signings, albeit how incredibly successful they have both been, did not create that initial effect when either happened. A lot of it may have to do with the fact that New Orleans is a predominantly black city, which I’m sure welcomed the addition of their new coach and quarterback, but were probably not jumping out of their seats over them either. Brees was coming of an injury, and I’m pretty sure most people in New Orleans didn’t even know who Sean Peyton was (I’ll admit, neither did I).

But when the Texans executed the “Sam Bowie Move of Football” on draft day 2006, the disparaged fans of the Big Easy knew they would get the savior they were looking for at pick no. 2, and in the biggest case of “sports-politics” irony ever…his name was Bush. But unlike the President, this Bush gave them hope. I adamantly believe that the addition of Bush to the Saints, the mass production and sale of Bush jerseys all along the Bayou, and the excitement created around the home debut of the most exciting player to hit the NFL in years, all helped create the epic atmosphere in the Superdome on Sept. 25 against the Falcons. It was the first game in the dome since Katrina, and the highlight of the perfect season that overcame the perfect storm.

Obviously, I watched the game from beginning to end, even the grand pre-game musical number I usually avoid, because I knew it was going to be special. Green Day did a great job performing “Wake me up when September ends,” a song title that rang so true with what the fans went through just one year ago in the same month. In fact, I never even liked the song until I heard them perform it that night, it truly blew me away. But while watching, I began to sense that something (or someone) was lurking in the background, ready to take the stage. I should have figured it would have happened, what with a huge global cause like Katrina, and a perfect venue for a celebrity humanitarian to reach the masses, in Monday Night Football. It was like in Jurassic Park when the T-rex comes, but instead of the vibrations it was those whiny vibratos. And then…it happened. Bono hit the stage. He crept in and performed a stirring duet of the “House of the Rising Sun” with Billy Joe of Green Day, and I got to say I was still really moved. Nonetheless, I needed football to start immediately.

And what a game it was. With the crowd roaring (and not in a monstrous Raiders way, but more of a euphoric Bourbon street way) the Saints forced a three and out on their first defensive stand. Everyone knows what came next, the Saints blocked a punt, turned it into six points, and never looked back. It has truly been a remarkable year for the team, with Brees looking like Marino (once again the fact that the DOLPHINS turned him down only adds another ironic twist to this story) and Peyton doing everything right, including making a once laughable defense respectable. But I really believe that the drafting of Bush, a fluke chance that never even should have been given to the Saints, was the biggest factor in getting New Orleans back into football. And his season stats (9 touchdowns, 88 catches and over 1,300 yards from scrimmage) definitely didn’t hurt.

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears (Bears -2)

The Saints are really going to have to make this their type of football game if they want to come out on top; that being a high scoring game. The problem is they are facing a team that likes to control the game with defense, and at their home turf in the cold Chicago air (it will be a lot different than the dome for sure). Another problem is the Saints haven’t faired too well against tough defenses this season, with losses against the Redskins, Panthers, Steelers and Ravens. For them to have the upper hand in this game, the score will need to be in the 20’s, even though the same scenario didn’t prove true in some losses this year (case in point: final score in Baltimore game, Ravens 35- Saints 22).

But the fact of the matter is this, the Bears have not been playing like a dominant defense lately, not last week against Seattle or during the last third of the regular season. A big reason for that has been injuries, especially to run blocking tackle Tommy Harris. Without him, teams have been able to exploit the Bears rushing defense by gouging through the middle, something the Saints can easily do with Deuce McAllister (you know, the guy Bush still backs up, who ran for over 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns this year). This will allow Bush to be a decoy, and either have a decently productive day or a monster one. And all at the same time, Brees must be patient and not create turnovers for his team. I have a lot of faith in him for this game because he has been performing so well all season, and as long as he sticks to the game plan, there is no reason for him to choke now.

And in my view, the Saints game plan should focus on establishing the run early, to set up big passing plays. If the Saints execute well on offense, all they will need to do is rattle Rex Grossman (who I’m pretty sure my dad thinks is Jewish), something that many teams have had success with this year. In order for that to happen, the Saints defense will need to make some big plays, but most importantly take away the run and force Grossman to match drives with Brees (I’ll take Brees in that match-up). The bottom line is this, if the Saints can play like the team that won 10 games this season, the combination of Chicago’s glaring injury on defense should be more than enough for a win, and the first Super Bowl berth in N’awlins. The Saints are marching to Miami. Book it.