Fans of the New Orleans Saints didn’t know for sure that their team had prevailed on Sunday until the very last play had ended.
Although the Saints were ahead on the scoreboard for the majority of the game, the Carolina Panthers refused to give up, and the Black and Gold gave the fans some anxious moments in the fourth quarter.
In the end, though, the defense made a big stop when that was what was needed, and the Saints live on to play the Minnesota Vikings next week. The game marked the third time this year the Saints beat the Panthers.
In a rematch of the Vikings’ win in the first game of the season, the Saints will go on the road Sunday to face the team with the second-best record in the NFC.
With a tough defense and a solid offense, Minnesota will be a difficult team to beat.
But if Saints quarterback Drew Brees continues to play as well as he did on Sunday, it could be another victory.
Saints fans are understandably excited to see their team once again in the playoffs. And they are eager to see them advance one game closer to a return appearance in the Super Bowl.
But there is plenty of football to be played between now and then.
Having to travel so far for Sunday’s game is a disadvantage for Brees and his teammates. And playing a team that has already beaten them might give the players and fans some trepidation.
If the Saints can play with the style and talent that have brought them this far, though, they will be a tough team to beat, even in Minnesota.
Fans who are hoping for another Super Bowl run might remember that the Vikings were the team the Saints beat in 2010 in the NFC Championship. That was a magical time for the Black and Gold faithful, the fans who have suffered so many years of mediocrity and worse. And this year’s team – with its much-improved defense and its successful running game – has some similarities to that one.
We will find out on Sunday if this playoff run will continue. If it does, the Saints would play the winner of Saturday’s Atlanta-Philadelphia game to decide who will go to the Super Bowl. Even if the Saints come up short of that lofty goal, Saints fans will remember this season for years to come.
Geaux Saints!
Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper, not of any individual.