Like the loudest musical performance appearing in New Orleans, the place was clamorous as the Saints inched closer to a trip to Miami. There’s no venue crazier or wilder than the Superdome, mainly because there’s no team in the league as exciting or electrifying as the Saints.
It’s a franchise, greatly, cherished for charming performances and amplifies mystique with the ability to put fear on teams still alive. Fear their ability to execute on all levels, a dimensional franchise that brought hope to a despairing town after a calamity struck New Orleans.
Sadly, Hurricane Katarina pierced the hearts of a helpless community and much was deprived, until the Saints marched in and lifted sanity. But there’s more to a feel-good story, and not only have a tenacious team cured souls. Realizing nothing the Saints have done is a fluke, the nagging fortitude and energy are elements to fear.
So each moment in the Superdome feels invincible, like the home team cannot lose. Respectively, a loyal crowd is attached to football embracing the franchise with craziness and intense screams, hungrier than the players themselves.
The emotions of euphoria carried the Saints to a level of belief, purging all debates and pontification of immortalities. In case you’re wondering, Mardi Gras has initiated prematurely on Bourbon Street, where a huge block party anticipates sparking a rejoicing celebrations. The fervid crowd will pour onto the streets, soaking in the greatest victory and memorable moment.
In the regular season, timeless flaws evoked dubious notions that the Saints weren’t the boundless contenders individuals had in mind. Late in the season, each moment revealed scary rationalization of New Orleans as a one-and-done team, based on a three-game losing skid to topple regard. During a sudden collapse, the Saints clumsily averaged 14.7 points when it was known for compiling the scoreboards. Every team has strengths and weaknesses.
The spectators entertained at the Superdome, a popular place to witness the aerial extravaganza, saw an efficacious Drew Brees hurl incredible passes to a bottomless receiver core. He exploited plays, designed to torment defenses. He executed plays opponents were unsuccessful stifling. Nothing in the Big Breezy stopped the creativity of jaw-dropping drives, which usually resulted in touchdowns.
Once again, the Saints had the swagger, finding its high-powered offense in time for the NFC Divisional round to literally manhandled the Arizona Cardinals, who again was noticed as the team from the desert with the word miracle written all over. Last year, we were caught by surprise when the Cardinals stunned the world and advanced to the Super Bowl, thanks to veteran quarterback Kurt Warner and wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
Your final score: 45-14
That decisive win punched a ticket to the NFC Championship game. The Saints await the winner of Minnesota and Dallas. But until then, an entire community relishes a moment of greatness. For some time, everyone waited for this moment, a time to erupt with the heroes of the town. The Saints are saviors, popular after alleviating the disastrous perceptions of reality. This is their city, this is their team, and this is their antidote to erase memories of a terrible tragedy.
As of now, New Orleans are marching, not to the nearest restaurant for gumbo, not to the local convenient store, not even to Bourbon Street to hear the soothing sounds of jazz, but marching with the Saints. With the exception of Brees, Reggie Bush, Devery Henderson, Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey, the boys of New Orleans reached the point where fans are convinced this is the year to shine.
If they win the championship rounds, the Saints won’t have to worry about hearing the discouraging word. Remember, it was a franchise belittled and referred as to the Aint’s. Those were the days, when the organization had suffocated dearly and fans protested and wore paper bags over their heads, deeply ashamed of the failures. But these days, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Instead they’re worshiping the Saints, proud of how far the team has come.
This wasn’t envisioned until he proved to us that he still has the swagger, finally translating to the pros. Reggie Bush was the hero. He was the player of the game. He earned the chants, “Reggie”, “Reggie”, Reggie!” Those choruses echoed inside the Superdome, where he played like he was at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The former mighty Trojan dusted Arizona’s porous defense, bringing back memories of his prevailing era at USC.
This may have been the greatest sprint he advertised of his flowering NFL career, with a 46-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to set the tone and increase momentum. For those unfamiliar with Bush’s incomparable style, he was supposed to make an impact when he earned spotlight in his rookie season. He was supposed to be the best running back, to awe pro football devotees.
So what if he’s late, but what matters he’s succeeding expectations suddenly, meeting the tangibles of a stud running back. All of us waited for this moment, the emergence of Bush. And it happened in no better place than New Orleans, where the people live and die to witness triumphant junctures. The ability to break tackles, outrun defenders, and sprint in open field is a special knack.
That has given a better description of Bush in recent memory. I’m going to admit this was a breakout game, amassing 70 yards on four carries midway in the second quarter. I’ll be generous to confide, this was the greatest game of his career, which happened to come in the postseason when winning is critical.
His two touchdowns, 84 yards performance was a beautiful display, snapping the Saints out of a funk and back into offensive overdrive against the Cardinals, who yielded 90 points in the postseason, the most ever surrendered in two straight postseason games in a single season.
“We had a plan the whole time”, said Brees, who had a flawless game and passed for 247 yards. “It was hard for anybody to understand that plan if you’re not a member of my team, but we trusted in that plan, that process. We executed throughout the week and it showed in the game.”
Indeed, it did.
The Saints mastermind offensively is coach Sean Payton. Ever since he was brought in to solidify an offensive powerhouse, he has designed an effective rush attack. Turns out, he’s responsible for the emergence of Bush.
So what if Bush is late, he arrived on time. He came to the Saints aid.
