re: Observations from last night - objective people only please

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But it doesn't fit Soph's description of a landmark win.

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He could have 10 supermodels fellating him and it wouldn't fit his description of happiness. But it takes all kinds.

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they lack what I would call a signature win, which is a win by a large margin over a good team.



Can we say the same about the Saints?

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The Falcons have a "signature win": it was week three. It set the tone for the rest of the season.

The Saints have two "signature wins": last night and vs. Pittsburgh.

I never claimed that this year's Saints team had a signature win. Last year they had a few. Thanks for playing, though.

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I never claimed that this year's Saints team had a signature win. Last year they had a few. Thanks for playing, though.

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I never said you claimed such a thing. Thank you for playing as well.

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Both could lose to the Eagles.

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And both could beat the Eagles.
The blueprint to beat Vick hasn't changed.
Keep him in the pocket.
We did it with Haslet led defenses and we can do it with a Greg Williams led defense as well.
The Giants were discipline for 3.5 quarters then they started getting upfield to hard and Vick broke contain.
They CAN be beat and I would love nothing more than to do it in Philly in front of those hostile fans.

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Their fans think they're elite,

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So who is "elite"?

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As they are playing right now? New England.

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agreed. Tom Brady has officially been possessed.

The Falcons could wind up winning the NFC, but I just don't see it. They had a huge game with a chance to lock down their division and keep their biggest division rival from clinching a playoff spot. They were playing at home on the big stage on MNF.

The end result:
-Saints hold the (enter sarcasm) greatest QB ever in Matty Ice (end sarcasm) to less than 150 yards
-Saints hold the "I never fumble" Michael Turner to under 50 yards and he fumbles (for comparison, Matty Ice had only 22 less rushing yards than Turner on 13 less carries)
-Saints hold Mr. Roddy "No chance in hell the Aints come into the dome and win once" White to less than 50 yards receiving.

More stats to ponder:

First Downs - Saints +9
FD by Pass - Saints +9
FD by Run - Saints +4
3rd Down Eff - Saints +22%
Total Yards - Saints +153
Yards Passing - Saints +156
Yards/Pass - Saints +1.2
Completion % - Saints +20%
Total Plays - Saints +22
Average Gain/Play - Saints +0.9
Time of Pos - Saints +13:10c
Total Punts - Saints -1
Punt Yards - Saints +1.7/punt
Fumbles - Saints -2
Yards lost on sacks - Saints +2

On the other hand:

First Downs by Penalty - Falcons +4 (Saints had zero)
Yards Rushing - Falcons +3
Avg Rushing - Falcons +.4/rush
Ints - Falcons -2
Penalties - Falcons -7 ()
Penalty yards - Falcons -82

Even stats:
Both teams sacked just once

Interesting...not that stats tell the whole story. But, championship teams win games like last night.

My thoughts on the game:

1. ATL has a defense. Sean Payton is an offensive genius so for ATL to stall the N.O. offense as much as it did, I have to admit that's pretty impressive.

2. The N.O. run defense seems to be thrown under the bus whenever they slip up. This unit has shown multiple times this year the ability to be as stingy as the units in Pitt and Baltimore.

3. Lance Moore is the Saints most reliable WR. Colston is more athletic, Meachem has more speed, but honestly I think when the Saints need a catch Moore is the guy I want Brees throwing to. Again, I think N.O. has a terrific WR corps just saying Moore, in my opinion, has the best hands.

4. Michael Turner is a fat arse. He's a great running back, but at the end of the day he has a fat butt. Don't know the significance of that statement. Just had to say it.

5. I know "the officiating" always seems to be a problem, but last night had some bad calls. Case in a point, Moore doesn't get a PI call, while Jenkins does. If you throw the flag on that play, throw it both ways. You can't throw it for just one.

6. The Saints O-Line got worked much of the night. ATL d-line played great. But the Saints o-line hung tough and adapted and gutted out a win.

7. Where's the N.O. pass rush? This year Will Smith only has 4.5 sacks. The N.O. line is really struggling getting at the QB. Seems like Ryan sat in the pocket all night.

8. Pierre Thomas is a tough son of a bitch. Wasn't his best game, but when it was needed he made some big plays.

9. Great win for the Saints. Drew Brees, when the chips where down, got himself together and drove the Saints 90 yards on 13 plays. Epic drive to say the least.