When Saints Coach Joe Vitt approached the microphone to begin his post-game press conference, he simply said, “That was an embarrassment out there today.” Vitt was talking about his teams’ play in a 52-27 blowout loss to the New York Giants.
The Saints had dominated the Giants in their previous three meetings, winning by an average of 23 points per game. But the Giants played one of their best games of the season, basically putting an end to the Saints season, and keeping a lead in the NFC East over Dallas and Washington.
Well, all of the different scenarios many of you have been playing out in your heads are all for and have been for naught. The Giants’ 52-27 blowout win over the New Orleans Saints officially ended the Saints 2012 season.
Yes, there are those out there who will put a pencil to things and say, “well if the Saints finish 8-8 and everyone else losses then…” People, please! It’s over! What baffled me is how many thought that the Saints could win four straight games after winning just five of their first 12.
Minnesota won, so did Seattle and St. Louis, but none of that matters now, does it? The Saints lost, and now they only question is how many more games will they lose this season. New Orleans is now 5-8 overall, and if they don’t play any better, they are destined to be well below .500 this season. And no, I’m not counting out 5-11 either!
With 1:51 left in the third quarter of the game, the Giants had more kick return yards than total offense. New York had a record-setting day, returning six kicks for 287 yards, with an average of 47.8 yards per kick.
The loss to the Giants was the worst defeat the Saints have suffered since opening the 2007 season with a 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The 25 point loss is the second-worst loss in the Sean Payton era, tying the 25 points loss of the Black and Gold 39-14 setback to the Bears in the 2007 NFC Title Game.
“This was a pounding today,” Vitt went on to say. New York set several franchise records in their win over the Saints, including the 287 yards in kick returns. New York Running Back David Wilson became the first NFL player to rush for 100 yards and gain 200 yards (227) on kickoff returns.
New Orleans is in a funk that none of us have seen in the Sean Payton era, and unfortunately Coach Payton is not here to help try and correct the way his team is playing. Yes folks, the play of the Black and Gold the last three weeks is something that we are not used to, at least in the last seven seasons!
Now there are just three games left in the season for the Black and Gold. The Saints play host to the Bucanneers this week, then hit the road to face Dallas before closing out the season at home against Carolina. Right now the Saints are 5-8 overall, and the Who Dat Nation is in a place where they have not been in a long time. Will the Saints respond and play hard in their remaining three games, or will the funk that the team is in continue until the first of the year?
