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[ Watch The Birdie II, Revenge Of The Feathery Thing (Page 15) ] Week 15 – Arizona Cardinals (9-4) @ New Orleans Saints (8-5) Strengths Two great offences, two ho-hum defences - this could end up as any score, it really could. - There's a bit more at stake here than just a win - the Saints are currently atop the NFC South only by virtue of their tie-breaker over the Bucs, so it's entirely possible that we might both be fighting over the same wildcard spot come the end of the season. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that if we win this one, we're pretty much certain of post-season play this year. If we lose we're probably still in the playoffs, but we'd be in severe danger of slipping out of the 5th seed. That matters because in the Wildcard round the 5th seeds will be playing whichever team turns out to be just slightly less Godawful than the others in the NFC North, while the 6th seeds face a much tougher trip, most likely to either New York or Washington. Or, in slightly less long-winded fashion, we probably want to take care of business in this, our last road game of the season. We lose the toss and the Saints, proving once and for all that they really are our evil twins, decide to kick it to us to start the game. It's a decision they have cause to regret when, on a 2nd and 9, we respond to their cover-2 scheme by sending every available man deep. The free safety has to make a decision as to who to cover on the left side, and in the end elects to stay home and watch Freddie Jones which means that it's Anquan Boldin who gets obscenely wide open, makes the catch without fuss and goes 53 yards for the game's opening score. Unfortunately, New Orleans plainly saw some of last week's game, got to watch Travis Henry running all over us and decided they were having them some of that. It takes a couple of abortive drives, but midway through the second quarter they ease downfield with Deuce McAllister doing most of the damage before we Donte Stallworth on a hook-pattern and he makes the catch that levels the scores. And, bizarrely, that's it for the half as both greatly-hyped offences stumble and bumble and just can't quite get anything going - three punts later the teams head for the locker-room, the score ARI 7-7 NO - Ah, yes, this could be any score. Any score at all. Although 7-10 is looking favourite at the moment. The Saints start the second half the way they played most of the first, with half-a-drive that peters out around midfield then a bad punt. Unfortunately, both Jeff Blake and Marcel Shipp have taken it upon themselves to have their worst game of the season at the exact same time. Jeff is in the midst of one of those days where he couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo while Marcel is averaging approximately one yard a carry and is being knocked over easier than a one-legged man on a bouncy castle. Something's got to give and, wouldn't you know it, it's our secondary. Aaron Brooks launches a couple of deep passes toward Donte Stallworth, the second being a 33-yarder down the seam that he catches over rookie corner Jed Bowden to give the Saints their first lead of the day. Nuts. Oh, I see, that's woken you up. Johnno picks up 28 yards slaloming through the Saint defence. Marcel picks up 11 yards despite the fact that he couldn't slalom if his life depended on it. Which it just might if he doesn't sort himself out. New Orleans' defence collectively ignores Freddie Jones, which is normally a good idea but in this case allows him to lurk in the short zone and make the catch that gets us down to the 3, from where it takes Shipp but two attempts to level the game up once again. End of 3, ARI 14-14 NO The Saints get back to a state they're clearly comfortable with, by getting one first down then punting the ball away. But we've come to the collective decision that we're going to lose this game whether New Orleans want us to or not, and Terry Fair muffs the punt, recovered, obviously, by the Saints at our 15 from where it takes just 3 plays for Deuce McAllister to restore their 7-point advantage with 8 minutes left on the clock. An immediate reply is the only possible response if we still want to win this puppy, and an immediate reply we're determined to get. Jeff Blake leads us downfield to the Saint 30, but on 3rd and 7 he seems to decide that he's going to get the ball to Anquan Boldin come hell or high water, locks on to his target and eventually tries to squeeze a pass in despite tight, tight coverage. A pass that's picked off. Obviously. Anquan chases back hard and brings his man down at our 30, but the damage is pretty much done. Smackity-smackity-smackity-smackity-smack goes Deuce McAllister, becoming the second back in 2 weeks to put 200 yards on us (are we Cleveland in disguise?) and giving the Saints a damn-near insurmountable lead with a smidge over two minutes left. ARI 14-28 NO Damn-near insurmountable? Make that "completely insurmountable" as Josh McCown, in for a nicked-up (and useless) Jeff Blake watches a 4th-down pass swatted harmlessly away and the Saints kneel out the game. Final score ARI 14-28 NO, and that second loss on the bounce sees us fall back toward the pack at 9-5. Erk. [
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