It feels a little weird to follow the theme of this week’s column after last week’s column, but that’s the way my brain works.
And guess what? Things change.
This season, things have changed pretty drastically. Last week I talked about the view from 30,000 feet and that all of the Saints goals for the 2021 still being in front of them. New Orleans controlled the outcome of all they desired. After beating Tampa Bay, that’s all still true. I just don’t feel like this team, this year, has a broad view of the season.
The more I thought about it, from my new perspective in the radio booth, I didn’t either.
In years past we’d look at the schedule and go, win-win-win-maybe a loss-win-win-win-win-loss, perhaps. That’s just how we looked at it. We would have the team 11-5 at the worst. But more likely it’s 12-4, 13-3. And, you know what? That’s what happened.
This year is different for this team and for me.
CLICHÉ ALERT: This team takes things one game at a time.
Who represents the next hurdle standing right in front of them? Nothing else. And while that might not have been true for previous teams, it is clearly the singular focus of the 2021-22 version, and with good reason.
The team started by canceling a preseason game because of Hurricane Ida, then got forced to Texas for a month. The first home game was moved to Jacksonville. They played five of the first 6 games away from home, and the one home game in that stretch was a loss to the then-winless New York Giants.
At that point, did anyone look at the schedule and go: ‘9-8, 10-7, maybe 11-6.’
I don’t think so, because each week was so different and vital. That win over Washington in week 5 before the bye was huge, followed by the equally impressive road win in Seattle. Playing Seattle, the Saints were not thinking about Tampa Bay coming to town. They were thinking: Just find a way, pretty or not, to beat Seattle and fly home with a victory. And that’s what happened. I mean, this team has been through a lot. And when you think it’s not going to get any worse, down goes Jameis Winston for the season. At that time Taysom Hill was still in the concussion protocol.
I mean, what’s next? How much will this team endure? Or rather, how much will this team overcome? Trevor Siemian, who hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass since Dec. 10, 2017, came in and did his part. Behind a Saints defense getting better each week, he led this team to an upset victory and its third straight win. Given what has happened this season, this team has no choice but to only look at what is in front of them, because I don’t think even they have any idea what’s going to happen next.
As a reporter, I never cared much for the “one game at time” answer from coaches and players. I thought it was an easy out. In my new role in the WWL radio booth, I feel differently. Let’s be clear: I am not comparing what I do each week to what this organization does to prepare and what they have been through since Aug. 29. I’m saying I understand so much better the one-game-at-a-time philosophy.
I spent last week working on Tampa Bay’s roster and the key matchups with the Saints. That’s it, nothing else. I didn’t even know who Atlanta was playing. I never looked at Atlanta’s depth chart because I didn’t want No. 84 Cordarelle Patterson seeping into my feeble brain and competing with Tampa’s No. 84, Cameron Brate.
One game at a time I’ll work on Atlanta all week, and Sunday night, I’ll put that file down and start work on Tennessee.
I’m still a fan at heart and I still look at the schedule from time to time, considering the future, but it’s more about scheduling than anything else.
I live in the now, and the hurdle right in front of me. Go Saints.
