The New Orleans Saints and Playoffs!? Are You Kidding Me?

“Playoffs, don’t talk about playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!” -Jim Mora

I know, it sounds crazy right? A 5-8 football team talking about going to the playoffs and actually making something of it? Well that’s exactly where we stand now with three games left to play in the regular season and with these words from Jim Mora on November 25, 2001 about his then 4-6 Indianapolis Colts, it rings true throughout the Who Dat Nation now as we reach for something to hold on to.

I, for one, definitely don’t want to talk about playoffs. I think it’s an absolute joke that I’m able to sit here and even discuss the probability that our beloved Saints still control their own destiny in this division of the NFL we call the NFC South. Let’s face it, it’s been a nightmare and nearly every other team in the league would even hate to be associated with such a dismal mess.

With a win this week in Chicago on Monday Night Football and another against our arch rival Atlanta Falcons in the Superdome on December 21st, we can all but solidify that berth and give us, The Nation, something to cheer about once again. I honestly believe this is all wishful thinking, but don’t thank me, thank the horrible teams we share our division with.

Now, for the truth of it all. Joseph Morgan has been sent packing. That’s right, dude. Grab your things from your locker and good luck finding another job. I can’t say this was a huge surprise given his previous record of run-ins with the law and suspensions we as the public were not privy to, but I must say that when Sean Payton spoke on Monday of personnel changes and such, I really had other areas in mind. Now this most certainly goes back to the things we as fans cannot witness first hand in the locker room as it truly is a brotherhood of unimaginable accord.

To me, watching games live and on my big screen TV, Joe Morgan coming back was a welcome breath of fresh air. Obviously for Payton and company after a couple missed assignments on Sunday versus the Panthers, the past finally caught up with the young man.

Now to Kenny Vacarro. I know, I know. I was surely one of the big voices in cursing Roman Harper last year and years past for not being able to cover my 11-year-old son. The truth of the matter is, he still can’t! You know what the man can do, though? He can cover your tight end, he can stop the run, and he can get after your quarterback. He comes up with a big play when you need it. He is an excellent teammate as we have heard Drew Brees and others testify to. He’s gone and so is Malcolm Jenkins. Now Roman Harper’s replacement, Kenny Vacarro, is being benched after not so much a terrible season, just a season smothered in mediocrity or less. This obviously goes back to the locker room situation and also his consistency with awarding us with 15-yard penalties at inopportune times. No one is safe!

Reports have also been surfacing the last couple of days of kickers, Derek Dimke and Garrett Hartley, working out for the Saints. The speculation in a nutshell is that the Saints are staying with Shayne Graham, as I believe they should unless he is in someway affecting the locker room “mojo”. Dimke was part of the final roster cuts before the 2014 season began after going 4 for 4 in the preseason in favor of Graham, and Garrett Hartley was cut by the Saints back on December 15, 2013 after missing two field goals against the St. Louis Rams. Maybe this is Sean Payton’s way of letting everyone know that any individual can be on the chopping block at any time or maybe it’s just knowing(for the staff) what players are ready to play. Ahh, probably both.

I’ve wrote about Rob Ryan and how I believe he should have been fired sometime around Week 3. It’s obvious that this defense has completely fell to pieces since last season and it was evident very early on. The blame cannot fall completely on this man’s shoulders, as he has surely been given less than good to work with.

The amount of money that is spent on  the starting offense as opposed to the starting defense is huge. Coupled with that is the fact that these players never really had time to gel before the injury bug started to show its ugly head. We will get into numbers, dollars and cents, positional coaches, all these good things (or bad as they are right now) as my time here with Who Dat Dish gets kicked off.

I look forward to working closely together with and learning from all the talented writers and analysts at Whodatdish.com and it is such a blessing for me to be part of such an outstanding team.