This is obviously our biggest game since the heart breaker 2 years ago

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When is the last time they made the playoffs or playing for a playoff spot?

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2008 Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cardinals) 33–13

Yup. I was kind of even going MORE "meta" with it, thinking today, that in addition to the biggest game since the SF heartbreaker, it's also kind of a referendum on the whole "Saints can't win outside the Dome" thing, and by extension, uh, the whole Sean Payton/Drew Brees era, finesse team, piles of stats, pass happy thing that we've been doing here. It's like two dozen lazy shorthand Saints memes all crammed into one game.

Because if Payton can't ever seem to win a tough outdoor game on the road against a quality opponent (this is the one that bugs me), and Brees is 6-11 on the road against teams with winning records, and they lose here, looking at a ridiculous uphill road wildcard route, welllll then you might say they've hit the plateau here. What else can these guys do -- people will say we'll never ever win the big one again with Payton and Brees, unless we get the #1 seed and a straight path with home field all the way and all kinds of cushy perks and advantages. That's what they'll say.

Not that I really believe all that, mind you, but it's definitely a HUGE game. Biggest game for Carolina since somewhere in the Jake Delhomme era. For them it's still a little bit early, but in a way for some of their fans it's even a little bit of a referendum on Cam and what his ceiling is gonna be.

Season will really feel like a choke job if we don't win the division and secure the 2 seed. I realize the recent success in the playoffs by wildcard teams means the division title means little for determining Super Bowl winners, but even a run in the playoffs by this Saints team will feel a little hollow without the division title as a part of it. Plus, if we're being honest, without the two seed, this team has no chance to make the super bowl. Little chance anyway if we have to go to Seattle for the NFCCG.

I'm still pissed we lost last week.

I can not believe we have to now win this fricking game. Never should have come to this

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The New Orleans Saints would be going into the playoffs as a WC team because of a massive choke job and mental ineptness on the road.

If we don't get the #2 seed, it's one and one for this team, which is a failure.

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No question. Without the 2 seed, this season fails.

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I'm still pissed we lost last week.

I can not believe we have to now win this fricking game. Never should have come to this

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Yep. As much as I am holding out hope we win on Sunday, this season could end up as a giant dud because we blew games that we should have (in theory) won against NYJ and STL. The Patriots loss in the final minute looms large as well now.

Absolutely frustrating that year in and year out we can't take care of our business against lesser teams.

Nevertheless - I am hoping they come out with a fire on Sunday. They can rectify the situation and bring a lot of much needed hope back by winning.

We need to put everything on the line to win this one..... We can rest out starters the next 2 weeks if we win.... And have a home playoff game.... Who knows maybe Seattle gets knocked off and NFC championship game is played in NO. If we lose this weekend it is essentially over for us... To think we can go on the road and win in the playoffs the way we play on the road is silly.

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Whether Brees and the Saints are in the wildcard or not......they're still a legit threat to make a Super Bowl run.

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Disagree. The road thing is mental now. If they can't shake that to beat Carolina on Sunday, no logical reason to think they have any chance on the road in the playoffs.

If the Saints can secure the 2 seed on the road this weekend, I will hold out hope they'd have a chance in Seattle. This game is as playoff-esque as it gets in December, so winning it will suggest some promise. Losing it will suggest a complete collapse resulting from mental weakness on the road.

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Those wildcard teams hit the ground running in the playoffs. They were the hot teams.

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Umm..... Not always, teams have struggled to end the season and turned it around. Not a wild card, but last year the Ravens were 1-4 to finish the season, earned the #4 seed and won 2 on the road including games against teams they lost to just weeks before.

They beat the Colts at home and then the Broncos and Patriots on the road. They were 4-4 on the road last year.

In 2011, the giants were 3-5 in their last 8 games, and went on to win the Superbowl.

In 2010, the Packers finished the season 3-3 and had a 3-5 road record before the playoffs and won the Super Bowl.

In 2008, Cardinals were 7-3 to start and finished 2-4 to end the season at 9-7 and win their division. They were also 3-5 on the road, yet made it within a hair of winning the Super Bowl.

In 2007, the Giants started the season 6-2 and finished the season at 4-4 including dropping 3 of their last 4. They then went on the road 3 times to win and make it to the Super Bowl.


The point is that, more times than not these lower rated (#4 or lower seeds) winning or making the Super Bowl weren't teams that were hot going into the playoffs. In most cases they were struggling to make it in the playoffs at all.

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aints are 24-15 on the road going into Sunday's game, Patriots are a game back at 23-16.

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Those can't be since 2006. That's a total of 39 games.

That's almost 5 seasons. Since 2006 would include 8 seasons, so something is amiss. I think your numbers may be from 2009 through this year.