New Orleans Saints must contend with ‘dirtiest player in the NFL’

There are several battles that you must engage in if you want to win an NFL game. There is the physical battle, the battle against the clock, the turnover battle, the penalty battle and those are important battles to win.

The most important battle to win, however, is the mental battle. If you are putting your body through +3 hours worth of physical strain, you need to keep your mind focused on winning.

This battle is even more important in rivalry games as big plays or big penalties can truly change a team’s momentum.

Enter newly-signed recently-retired Cortland Finnegan to the nickel position of a Carolina defense facing a frustrated Saints offense that hasn’t had much success on third down.

Finnegan is famous for getting under the skin of opposing players and was regularly voted the ‘dirtiest player in the NFL’ during his career. Carolina Panthers head coach called his dirty reputation “overblown”.

Playing at home may help the New Orleans Saints keep an even keel against the undefeated Carolina Panthers.

The Saints say that an external motivation, like beating an undefeated team, won’t be their main focus coming into the game. Their motivation and focus will be tested with Finnegan on the field.