Can any team stop the Saints? It sure didn't look like it last night! If my hearing didn't deceive me, I thought I heard the announcers say that there have been 19 (!) different guys to score for the Saints this year. NINETEEN! That's an amazing number. Yet they have no runner who has come close to rushing for 1,000 yards (Pierre Thomas leads with 648) or receiver close to 1,000 yards (Marques Colston has 808 yards and may make that 1K mark in the final five games). They currently rank #1 in rush defense and #31 in pass defense (probably because their opponents can't run and are usually way behind) for a #22 ranking in over all defense. But offensively...ah, offensively they are #2 in rushing offense and #5 in passing offense for a combined ranking of #1, baby.
So we now have two teams that are 11-0. While the Indy Colts have had some cardiac finishes, the closest any one has come to beating the Saints was in game 9 when the St. Louis Rams came within five points 28-23 thanks to three New Orleans' turnovers.
Atlanta at 6-5 and Dallas at 8-3 are the only teams remaining on the Saints schedule with a winning record at this time. They beat Atlanta on November 2 by a score of 35-27 in the Dome. They play in Atlanta on the 13th. The play Dallas in New Orleans on the 19th. They also play Washington (3-8) and Carolina (4-7) on the road while hosting the 1-10 Tampa Bay Bucs.
The Colts host 5-6, but red hot, Tennessee next week and then 7-4 Denver a week later. They're on the road for 6-5 Jacksonville, at home for the 5-6 Jets and then on the road to finish against 4-7 Buffalo Bills on January 3rd. Anything could happen but don't wager too heavily against Payton Manning and his peeps in any of these games. They have shown an ability to be stretched without ever really snapping.
Could we have two teams at 16-0 going into the playoffs? Maybe, but this is the NFL and on any given Sunday....
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