Wow! I’ve seen a lot of Saints games over the years and never experienced a defeat like the one I witnessed in the NFC Championship game against the Rams. The Saints season is over in a 26-23 loss to the Rams, but there is plenty to burn on. Here is the good, bad and ugly from a gut-wrenching overtime loss.
Good: The game itself was awesome to watch. Saints vs. Rams was an exciting competition that kept you engaged throughout. It was intense...a battle...and yes, there were several pivotal and often questionable moments. The entertainment value was off the chains; this game was exactly what all of us thought it would be: a nail biter. And the “dome field advantage” was in full force.
Bad: The Saints red zone offense wasn’t very good today. The Saints scored two touchdowns in five trips into the Rams red zone. We are going to debate what lost the game for the Saints, but these numbers are something that should be considered.
Ugly: The officiating in the last 2 minutes of the game cost the Saints a trip to Atlanta. On 3rd and 10 for the Saints with 1:41 left on the clock, Drew Brees tried to connect with WR Tommylee Lewis for a possible conversion that would have virtually iced the game. The Saints would have been able to kick the game winning field goal with 15 seconds left on the clock after taking a knee. Instead, the referee ignored two violations, blatant interference and helmet-to-helmet. This type of "no-call" CANNOT HAPPEN in a game of this magnitude. Saints head coach Sean Payton said after the game "The league office said they blew the call; not only should it have been pass interference it should have been helmet to helmet on the Rams as well.” No team should have to lose a game that way. Just blatantly unfair & heartbreaking.
Ugly II: Nothing will happen to that official. The league will say they messed up and then move on from there. But every Saints coach, player, and member of the organization will pay the price for his incompetence. Every member of the Who Dat Nation will suffer damages, as will the city of New Orleans and business owners and operators who thrive when we have a winning team. It’s good for the psyche of the region...the nation, even, as Saints fans are everywhere. We all pay a price when the Saints quest for the Super Bowl ends so tragically.
The league has to fix this; there is too much on the line for officials to impact a game of this magnitude. Sean Payton is on the NFL competition committee, and I would imagine he will campaign for some sort of review of calls...or no calls like this...in the critical playoff games.