The New Orleans Saints weren’t expected to beat the Detroit Lions in the season opener, but they ended up one two point conversion short of pulling off the upset. Seeing that there weren't many expectations of victory, many took the closeness of the game and second half rally to represent the growth of the team in a moral victory. Chase Young isn’t a part of that crowd.
After Sunday’s game, Young told reporters, “this year, we want to win. This year, we’re not gonna take moral victories.” The Saints played well vs the Lions, but they’ve grown into a team that feels above punching up
Most players aren’t in the moral victory group, and they certainly aren’t going to say moral victory to the media. Young coming out to take a clear stance against moral victories is taking it another step further.
Chase Young is proving the Saints culture is different
Plays like his should have been strip sack of Jared Goff is why fans are excited, and these comments are why Young was voted a captain by his teammates this year. While it’s likely an opinion of many in the locker, Young set the tone by vocally opposing moral victories. With a team currently in flux, they need leaders like this who will make these statements
It’s also a representation of where the Saints culture is right now. They are a rebuilding team and are still working their way to the upper echelon, but the standard is already there.
The team added a lot of talent in the offense, and the defense is manned by a mix young rollovers with potential and veteran pieces. Because of the amount of unknown, it still feels like they’re at least a year away. The standard is here today, and that’s the first step towards becoming an upper echelon team.
We all have our expectations from the outside, but these players are competitors at the end of the day. Being ok with losing, even in a “valiant” effort, would reek of complacency. It isn’t about being delusional about where the team is or denying how they played but more so about trying to set a standard of what’s acceptable.
There’s of course players who will accept the first moral victory of the year. It’s in the leaders to demand better, and that’s what Young is doing.
The Saints being this close to defeating the Lions does have some value in terms of evaluating the team, but Young's comments are an equally big statement. The game showed the talent, and Young showed the mentality.
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