Saints What If Wednesday: What if interference was called in 2018 NFC Championship?
First let's look at the rest of the season for the Saints
If Nickell Robey-Coleman was in fact called for pass interference for his blatantly early collision with Tommylee Lewis, then in a strikingly similar fashion to the end of Super Bowl LVIl with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs (more on these two later), the Saints would have been the beneficiaries of the call, this one far more obvious, like the Chiefs did and kicked a field goal to take the lead, giving the Los Angeles Rams minimal time to get into field goal range.
Long story short, the Saints win 23-20, and take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIlI.
That's right, we finally get our Drew Brees vs. Tom Brady Super Bowl matchup, and unlike Jared Goff, who looked absolutely petrified from the National Anthem on, Brees is up to the task as he'd been there before. As such, this game won't be the defensive slugfest the real Super Bowl LIlI was.
The Saints defense shows up, like the Rams did, but so does their offense. The Saints, who were the best team in football in 2018, win a hard-fought game by a score of 24 - 20, and have their second Super Bowl in franchise history. That part is usually pretty agreed upon amongst Saints fans.
What about after Super Bowl LIlI for the Saints though?
Well, powered by the swagger that comes with being the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Saints don't have a home hiccup against the Minnesota Vikings, and get back to the Super Bowl, where they take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. What happens? Well, the Saints go back-to- back of course, as they had the better offense than what the Chiefs faced in the San Francisco 49ers, with Brees making all the necessary throws. The Saints win Super Bowl LIV in a classic 34 - 31. How could this be? Well, if this logic works for the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s, as everyone swears they would have won two in a row had "Wide Right" been made, we'll go with it here. Kabeesh?
Anyway, Brees and Sean Payton each have three rings together, and after going back-to-back, they both decide to ride off in the sunset together (Payton still eventually goes to Denver), as they wouldn't feel the need to force it in 2020 since there's no trio of heartbreaking playoff losses. This leaves the Saints in limbo at quarterback right? Not so fast.
With Teddy Bridgewater still stepping in for the injured Brees in 2019 with great aplomb, the Saints decide to bring him back on a one-year "prove-it" deal. For insurance purposes though, the Saints also decide to draft a backup plan with the final pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His name?