Written By KNOX BARDEEN of Bleacher Report
The New Orleans Saints are 8-2 after Sunday’s 23-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. They’re one game ahead of the Carolina Panthers in the loss column and in sole possession of the NFC South lead. Only the Seattle Seahawks have a better record in the NFC.
But do we really look at the Saints as a team that can win the big game?
A quick glance at New Orleans’ schedule shows wins over lowly teams like the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and even the Miami Dolphins. Take out Sunday’s win against the 49ers, and the Saints' previous seven wins have come against opponents that currently sit at a combined 30-41.
Sure, the Saints' Week 5 win over the Chicago Bears was a quality win. While the Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys was an absolute offensive masterpiece by head coach Sean Payton, beating Dallas isn’t necessarily a notch-in-the-bed-post statement, even if it was a shining moment for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to hand the Cowboys their comeuppance for letting him go.
But that was about it in regard to wins you can brag about. And the Saints' two losses were rough because they came in moments that many would call “big.”
When New Orleans lost to the New England Patriots 30-27 in Week 6, the Saints' ability to win big games on the road came into question. Even though their record doesn’t show it at 5-5, when two weeks later the Saints traveled to play the New York Jets, there was a feeling of monumental circumstance involved. It was more than just the brother-versus-brother Ryan family dispute.
The Saints have dropped, arguably, the two biggest games on the schedule thus far.
That changed Sunday when Garrett Hartley kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to give the Saints a three-point victory. New Orleans finally had that signature win, and it came against the 49ers, a team that knocked them out of the 2011 playoffs and knocked them around last season when the Saints were suffering.
Ryan’s defense stacked the box and took away one of the biggest reasons San Francisco had won the last two meetings against the Saints: running back Frank Gore.
Gore had just 48 yards rushing Sunday on 13 carries. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick added 25 yards on the ground. The New Orleans defense played hard against the run and forced Kaepernick to win with his arm. That didn’t happen.
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The New Orleans Saints are 8-2 after Sunday’s 23-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. They’re one game ahead of the Carolina Panthers in the loss column and in sole possession of the NFC South lead. Only the Seattle Seahawks have a better record in the NFC.
But do we really look at the Saints as a team that can win the big game?
A quick glance at New Orleans’ schedule shows wins over lowly teams like the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and even the Miami Dolphins. Take out Sunday’s win against the 49ers, and the Saints' previous seven wins have come against opponents that currently sit at a combined 30-41.
Sure, the Saints' Week 5 win over the Chicago Bears was a quality win. While the Week 10 win over the Dallas Cowboys was an absolute offensive masterpiece by head coach Sean Payton, beating Dallas isn’t necessarily a notch-in-the-bed-post statement, even if it was a shining moment for defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to hand the Cowboys their comeuppance for letting him go.
But that was about it in regard to wins you can brag about. And the Saints' two losses were rough because they came in moments that many would call “big.”
When New Orleans lost to the New England Patriots 30-27 in Week 6, the Saints' ability to win big games on the road came into question. Even though their record doesn’t show it at 5-5, when two weeks later the Saints traveled to play the New York Jets, there was a feeling of monumental circumstance involved. It was more than just the brother-versus-brother Ryan family dispute.
The Saints have dropped, arguably, the two biggest games on the schedule thus far.
That changed Sunday when Garrett Hartley kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to give the Saints a three-point victory. New Orleans finally had that signature win, and it came against the 49ers, a team that knocked them out of the 2011 playoffs and knocked them around last season when the Saints were suffering.
Ryan’s defense stacked the box and took away one of the biggest reasons San Francisco had won the last two meetings against the Saints: running back Frank Gore.
Gore had just 48 yards rushing Sunday on 13 carries. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick added 25 yards on the ground. The New Orleans defense played hard against the run and forced Kaepernick to win with his arm. That didn’t happen.
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