The New Orleans Saints could not secure home-field throughout the postseason due to not winning games that they should have won. Games that were played earlier in the year, such as the Packers and Raiders, cost the Saints significantly. However, the biggest backbreaker came against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The loss put them at a disadvantage to secure home-field throughout the playoffs. But now it’s playoff time, and what’s done is done. The Saints are the second seed in the NFC playoff picture and will face the Chicago Bears this Sunday.
The notion of the team not being able to succeed in cold weather conditions is a false narrative for the most part. New Orleans has posted one of the best road records over the past three seasons in the National Football League. Many of those road games were won in cold weather climate venues such as Cincinnati, Chicago, Baltimore, and Buffalo. Dating back to 2017, the Saints have lost a total of only seven games on the road during the regular season.
Drew Brees’s discussion of not playing well on the road is a lazy take, to be honest. The team is no longer dependent on the throwing ability of Drew Brees to carry them to victories. New Orleans is now a more run efficient team capable of winning many battles within the trenches. Perhaps, the 2020 season was the most that the Saints have run the football under the Brees/Payton Era.
New Orleans rushed for 2,265 yards and scored a total of 30 touchdowns on the ground. Right now, the Saints have the best formula that is needed to win another Super Bowl before Drew Brees decides to hang up the cleats for good. Having a formidable rushing attack and a sound defense will take a ton of pressure off a Brees once the team’s postseason begins in two days.
The Saints’ current approach is a sound strategy to play in an environment such as Lambeau Field. A venue where many individuals are not giving the Saints a chance of winning at all. That is due to the hysteria of road teams dealing with the cold of elements of the “Frozen Tundra” known as Lambeau Field. While the Packers may have the cold weather elements to their advantage, teams have defeated them at home once the playoffs started.
In 2007, the New York Giants defeated Green Bay to advance to the Super Bowl to take on the New England Patriots. New York would do it again in 2011 as they were en route to another Super Bowl matchup with New England. Two seasons later, Colin Kaepernick would lead the 49ers to victory over Green Bay during the postseason’s wild card weekend. The evidence for knocking off Green Bay at home during the playoffs is there; the Saints have to go out and execute the gameplan.
Also, who’s to say that the Saints will leave the comforts of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome once the postseason starts? If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Washington Football Team tomorrow, they will be headed to Lambeau Field to face the Packers.
The Bucs defeated the Packers 38-10 during the regular season. Regardless of the environment, Tom Brady can catapult his team to victory. If the Saints take care of business on their end combined with Tampa their two playoff games, NFC Championship Game will be played in New Orleans. But overall, despite the weather condition or venue, the Saints are built to withstand challenges.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports.
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