I Don't Have Any Logical Explanation For The 2015 New Orleans Saints, BUt For Now I'm Fine With That

We all need to stop. I'm talking beat writers, to analysts, to bloggers, like myself, that just write about this team from a fan perspective. We need to stop trying to judge the New Orleans Saints. We are halfway through the season and getting a week to week grasp on what this team "is" has proven futile. Just when you are ready to say the young defense, that willed this team to victory over the Colts last week, is the key to the Saints success, they turn around and give up 6 touchdown passes and 49 points. Just when you are ready to say that the Saints offense, which struggled mightily against the very same Colts, is holding this team back, they give you a historic performance that features 7 touchdown passes and 52 points. At this point, it's impossible to know what you are going to get from the Saints every Sunday. If there is anything that the offense has in common with the defense it's that they are both bi-polar. That makes for some confusing results, but they are confusing results that the Saints have started to come out on the right side of. Maybe it's good thing that I don't know what to expect from the Saints? Maybe it means their opposition doesn't either? Maybe that's just my pro-Saints bias working overtime? That's a lot of uncertainly, but what I do know is that the mark of a good team is finding different ways to win, and throughout this 3 game winning streak the Saints have done just that.

A tip of the cap to Drew Brees. He received more flak than he's deserved this year. He's playing behind a shaky offensive line, many times without a capable running game, and throwing to a lot of experienced players on the outside. For fuck's sake, Ben Watson has become a legitimate weapon in this offense, and while that's a testament to his work ethic, it's more of a testament to Drew Brees putting the 34 year old in a position to make plays. It's obviously impossible for Drew to keep up the efficiency that he showed this Sunday. However, if the Saints are going to continue this unlikely run towards a playoff berth he is going to need to play closer to this Drew Brees than the one who has looked fairly average earlier this year. Either way, it was so goddamn gratifying to see that he still has that in him, and even more gratifying to see him shut up those that questioned whether he did or not. Drew Brees ALWAYS deserves the benefit of the doubt, and that after performance it's damn near impossible not to get it to him.

I owe Sean Payton an apology. He appeared to be a neutered head coach earlier this season. Now he's waiting in line behind my foot as the next person to insert themselves in my mouth. From a flea flicker early to going for it on 4th down on his own 20 late, he is proving that his confidence is back, and it's no coincidence that the Saints offensive fortunes have turned because of it. The quarterback/ head coach combo the Saints had yesterday is the one that Saints fans have gotten so used to seeing for the majority of the last decade. It's a combo that combined with a growing defense has an opportunity to get more out of this season than experience. Will it happen? Fuck if I know. They are just as likely to beat Tennessee by 30 next week as they are to lose by 30. This team has got me believing, but it doesn't yet have me trusting. With that said, there is a chance, and much like a Kai Forbath 50 yard game winning field goal following an inexplicable punt return, fumble, and face mask penalty, that was once but a hope and a prayer. The chips have been falling right, and as of now, I'm all in. Watch out NFL, the Saints are hot, and I am pretty sure they don't even know how good they are yet...