Saints at a crossroads facing Seattle Sunday
By Tony Twillie
The game Sunday between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks will be something of a crossroads game for many reasons. The Black and Gold’s lack of success against Seattle is well documented – losses in 6 of the last 8 meetings, including the last 3 in a row and two playoff games in that stretch. The fact that this is a must win game for the Who Dats can’t be overstated.
A loss to Seattle likely leaves the Saints with too much ground to cover to reasonably see a playoff run. However, the improbable win would keep hope alive. The remainder of the Saints schedule originally looked more daunting than it currently does. After Seattle, the Saints only play three teams in the last nine games who currently have winning records; and two of those teams are only a game over .500 today.
The Saints figured to be about in this position record-wise per many preseason outlooks. But the way they’ve gotten here has been something of a surprise. The Black and Gold have only truly been out of one game – otherwise, they’ve won or lost by no more than a TD. The Black and Gold has an offensive line that showed little in the preseason and a defense that for years has struggled. Furthermore, this season has been decimated by injuries, for the Saints to have performed even this well has been somewhat a surprise.
Make no mistake- the Saints are who their record says they are. Breaks go their way, maybe they are 4-2, or even 5-1. But it’s much more likely they’d be 3-3, or where they are now. Injuries are breaks also, and they haven’t gone our way. Even if we were at full health, we aren’t as talented as the best in the league, but that 4-2 would be more attainable.
The Saints will face a weary Seahawks squad, who played to a physical overtime tie with the Arizona Cardinals. It wasn’t a pretty game. Two teams known to have both solid offenses and defenses were both offensively challenged. The game also took a toll on their health. The injury bug hasn’t been kind to Seattle either. Along with the injuries they previously had (Chancellor, Rawls, walking wounded Wilson), they added tackle Bradley Sowell and defensive end Michael Bennett to the list. Bennett is out, Sowell is likely a game time decision.
The Seahawks defense will surely miss Bennett and Chancellor but is certainly up to the task even without their presence. The Saints will have their work cut out for them to piece together consistent offensive production and sustained drives. On the flip side, it’s anyone’s guess as to how things will progress. If we find a way to pressure Wilson, we may have some success there.
Overall, it looks to be quite the challenge for our side. But should they find a way to victory, things get very interesting on the other side. Mediocre teams ahead, some players getting healthy, possibly creating depth at some spots… stay tuned.