December 8, 2009, at 10:17 pm
Way to go, Bellichick and Brady. You’ve ruined yet another exciting moment for the rest of the NFL.
If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t even realize that there are two teams in the NFL chasing perfection. You wouldn’t even think that 16-0 is possible for both the Colts and the Saints. That’s because we saw a team do it just two years ago, and we all saw it fade away on a Sunday afternoon in early January.
Since we are heading into Week 14, the questions have started popping up on how the two teams are going to handle their stretch run. Are they going for the gold and expose their team to injury, or will they focus on the prize they originally set out for nearly three months ago, the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The ballots are in, and the vote is split at 1-1. The Colts will rest their starters after confirming home-field advantage, while the Saints plan on going for 16-0.
“It’ll be somewhat similar to what we’ve done,” Caldwell told Sports Illustrated football czar Peter King. “Going undefeated was always a secondary goal. I don’t think we’ll put too much emphasis on that.”
Caldwell is following in the footsteps of his predecessor Tony Dungy, who would never play his starters when he didn’t have to. Hell, have you heard the name of any backup quarterback more than Jim Sorgi? It makes a lot of sense. Payton Manning is the key cog in the Colts machine. If he was to take a blindside hit, or twist an ankle while playing in a game that didn’t really matter, fans and pundits alike would be calling for Caldwell’s head.
And that’s where the Saints are making their mistake.
New Orleans is in a similar position. They rely on Drew Brees to make their offense go. Sure, they have more of a running game this season than in previous years, but no one will debate that Brees is key piece to this high-octane offense. What would happen if Brees got hurt? Would Mark Brunell be able direct this offense? Yes, that Mark Brunell. Yes, he’s still alive, and no, we haven’t carbon-dated him yet.
Let’s be honest about what this whole thing means. Nothing. Nada. Not a damn thing. If you go 16-0, you are the answer to a trivia question. You are part of bar bets and conversations between fans about the greatest team of all time.
What happens if you lose in the playoffs? Ask the Pats. They are constantly reminded of 18-1. The NFL Network re-runs that Super Bowl more often than most Giants fan think about it. They aren’t quite a laughing stock, but they became Goliath in sports version of the biblical verse. The overwhelming favorite slayed by by the little team that could.
I always believe that teams that are distracted by the stupidity of 16-0 are worse off for it. It’s like people who spend their entire lives wanting to be millionaires. It’s an illusion. Once they get the money, they can’t even enjoy it because of all the bridges they’ve burned along the way.
Right now, the Saints are playing directly into that trap.
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