After facing more than a few winless teams earlier in the season (and losing to one that was riding a 19-game string of futility) the Redskins got a crack on Sunday against a team that hadn’t lost a game all year.
And the ‘Skins nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the year.
At times, the contest reminded yours truly of a game the Redskins hosted way back in 1975 (yes, I’m freaking old) against the 10-0 Vikings. Washington blew a 21-point lead and then a 10-point lead before pulling off a 31-30 come-from-behind win.
This time around, the ‘Skins built three different ten-point leads, and blew each of them.
The key moment came when D.C. kicker Shaun Suisham missed a 26-yard field goal with 1:56 to play, which would have pushed the lead back to ten points. (Somewhere, Gary Anderson laughed his ass off.) Five plays later, the Saints forced overtime.
Washington won the toss tp start overtime, but a key fumble ruling via replay (we’ll make the play the subject one of the topics of our Morning Aftermath offering) gave the Saints the ball at the Washington 37. Seven plays later, Garrett Hartley didn’t miss an 18-yard field goal attempt.
Saints 33, Redskins 30.
Some will think that the game provides proof that the Saints can be beaten. We tend to think that it confirms their invincibility. If they ever were going to lose a game, it would have been today, six days after a huge win over the Patriots in a game played in temperatures below 40 degrees.
Now that the bullet has been dodged, the Saints will be more likely to roll the Matt Ryan-less Falcons, the Cowboys at home, and the Bucs at home.
In the end, it’ll likely come down to Saints and Panthers in Charlotte on January 3. Maybe the ’68 VW bus will stop in Charlotte for that game, while we’re making our way back from watching the Mountaineers give Bobby Bowden a gold watch — and a butt whupping — in the final game of his coaching career.
What a win draped in breaks and bad calls. I fear the Eagles more than the Aints.
Great drew brees sound bite: “I’m expecting mardi gras floats at the airport when we get back tonight.”
WHo DAt!
Leave it to a Vikings fan to complain about the officiating in a game MN wasn’t even playing in…there were BAD calls that cost the Saints all day long. If the Vikings are so great, they will win the Super Bowl. The better team won. Get over it.
Laron Landry committed like 9 different pass interference calls and at one point a Redskin defender kicked the ball from the line of scrimmage so the Saints couldn’t snap the ball. Cry me a river about the refs. If the Redskins defense hadn’t worn themselves out acting like they won the Superbowl every time they made a tackle, they might have been able to stop the Saints offense that last drive.
4 Total luck plays totally gave this game to the Saints:
1. Punt hitting Barnes giving the Saints the ball just before halftime…a play where Barnes was slowing down to avoid the ball hitting him, it was just such a crappy punt it hit him anyway…that led to…
2. The Meachem strip/TD just before halftime, how many times have you ever seen THAT happen?
3. Suisham missed 26 yard field goal — again, rare any kicker misses from that range
4. The OT fumble call. Sellers should have known that rule about how you should keep playing after the whistle (you know that whistle that means the play is over). I mean doesn’t every NFL player know that rule? Obviously Chris McAlister did, so his post whistle fumble recovery pretty much sealed the win…great job.
No way should they have overturned that fumble. His arm was down before the ball came loose. Either way, it was too close to call. You can’t overturn that in that situation.
Never seen a team get so lucky. 10 seperate things had to break NO’s way in order for them to win, and the ALL did..
btw, how hard is it to throw the ball when your WR’s are getting 10 yards seperation from the D-Backs every play??
Thought Cowboys might give them a run, but not after watching them play against the Giants today.
You can blame the bad calls all you want. They should have made that chip shot field goal and none of the questionable calls would have happened.
Damn. those boys have luck on their side this year!!! I dont see them loosing in the regular season. Their first lose will come in the playoff’s.
Who dat? A team that is not to be feared in the playoffs.
“We tend to think that it confirms their invincibility”
thank god. maybe youll stop making your weekly anti-Saint “trap game” prediction
Gosh, with all that luck and getting all the refs calls it is amazing the Saints could win all these games, isn’t it. Almost like destiny I guess…. MN fans, get ready for disappointment. Brett WILL screw it up in the playoffs. The only one who could keep him from throwing stupid interceptions was Holmgren, back in 1996.
If Suisham makes that chipshot fieldgoal late in the fouth the Saints would have their first loss. I am looking forward to a Vikes vs Saints NFCC game in the Superdome.
I said earlier the Saints have been shitting horseshoes and four-leaf clovers all season. Now add in some lucky charms.
And on the fumble in OT. You’ve got to be kidding? The ref blew the play dead. It was about a second later that the Saints DB picked up the ball. the other two guys (the other Saints player and tha Seller of the Redskins) didn’t even attempt to dive at the ball after the ref blew the whistle and pointed to the ground that that it wasn’t a fumble.
How does replay overturn that? Especially after not overturning the Meachem TD that the guy who intercepted the ball was down by contact before the return.
If I was a saints fan, I’d be nervous. These kind of lucky breaks will end at some point. It’s going to be disappointing when it happens in the playoffs.
The NFL Clearly wanted the Saints to have the ball on that call…later this week we will hear about how the call shouldnt have been overturned…but the Saints record will remain.
Too bad the Skins Kicker fails or it woldnt make a differance
“Destiny”? Is that what we’re calling the refs now.
Hey, the win can be draped in whatever you want…it still counts in the same column.
Pretty gutsy comeback considering the Saints D wasn’t playing as well by far today – very little pressure up front on Campbell. It was like last year all over again!
I can’t wait to see how the Saints perform in the playoffs. Sure, the Vikings are still strong…the Eagles will surely be better in late December/January than they have been during the regular season…
But this New Orleans team wants it bad, and who can blame them? It’ll be a great story for their city and the NFL as whole. I personally would love to see them raise the Lombardi in Miami.
If by destiny you mean god making punts hit the skins players and bouncing back to the saints. If by destiny you mean the devil making the refs overturn and not overturn plays then yah.
To me the interception/fumble/td was more definitive play that he was down after the int then sellers arm being down before the ball coming out. How do you not overturn the int/fumble/td and call him down after being touched when he hit the ground yet overturn a game deciding call in overtime with no definitive evidence. I’ll tell you. They both helped the saints win. The skins stopped the saints two times in the final two minutes of the first half but why officiate plays correctly to help a 3-8 now 3-9 team when you can help an 11-0 team become 12-0.
Can someone explain why Sellers play was even ruled a catch, let a lone a fumble? If that had occurred in the endzone, with two feet down but not going to the ground demonstrating possession, it would have been ruled incomplete right?
Fire Ted says: “Leave it to a Vikings fan to complain about the officiating in a game MN wasn’t even playing in.”
This from a fan of a team whose city (cow town actually) held a parade for an Arizona Cardinals WR who caught a TD pass in a game played by two other teams.
You do know that sometimes games between two teams has a ripple effect that impacts other teams. So bad calls that change the outcome of those games impact more than the two teams playing.
Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out as your teams sweats out the the final week to see if they get the 6th seed in the playoffs or stays home.
skins fans…stop your crying…..your punk a landry boy got faked out of his shoes 2 times…stop crying about the officials…all the calls were correct as they reviewed dopes…
if your team would stop wasting all their energy with those stupid punk moves after a tackle or catch maybe u would have enough energy to close a team out…never seen a team 3-9 talk as much crap in one game in my life…
i picked the Redskins to win this game, and I still feel kind of right. Missed a chip-shot? my god.
The Meachem strip before halftime was a bogus call, it didn’t even take a replay to see that the Skin’s dude was down by contact from Shockey. Say what you want, the Saints have played too many close games against poor talent and find lucky ways to win…they haven’t played a team yet that has a top defense AND a top offense……say hello to the Vikings.
Fire Ted says:
December 6, 2009 6:00 PM
Leave it to a Vikings fan to complain about the officiating in a game MN wasn’t even playing in…there were BAD calls that cost the Saints all day long. If the Vikings are so great, they will win the Super Bowl. The better team won. Get over it
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Here is an example of how stupid fudgie fans are!
Can’t figure out why Viking fans were upset about the cheap win for the Saints.
You cant be anti-Vikes and understand this.
You should start worring about your big lose on Monday.
By the way, I get a kick out of this from the fudgies that the only way Vikings can be a good team is if they win the Superbowl.
Being a good team during the season means nothing?
Easy for you to say they wont, if they lose one game in playoffs their done, than you think you were right all year.
They have to do everything right for us to be right!!
Easy to be on your side of the argument.
All I have to say after that Saints/Redskins game is BRING ON THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!
Watch them play a stellar defense like the Vikes!!!
THIS IS OUR YEAR!!
THIS IS OUR YEAR!!
It may take me a week to recover from the near heart attack I got from watching this game!!
The Redskins beat my Saints at their own game today. They took away, for the most part, the Saints running game. They covered the receivers well. More importantly they didn’t allow the Saints receivers to get additional yardage through most of the game.
On Offence they played a lot of short passing and 5 – 8 yrd runs like the Saints usually do.
The Saints played slightly better on special teams.
Were the Saints lucky to win? You betcha!!!
All teams get lucky wins from time to time and we got ours today, so I’m not apologetic for it.
The Skins showed they have some real talent on that team and the fact that they are not more successful definately looks bad for the coaching staff.
One of the bad things about being undefeated is that opponent teams bring everything the got at you. As fans we “die a thousand deaths” during a game if the Saints aren’t dominating. I “died” two thousand today.
Oh well!
12 N.O.
12 N.O.
12 N.O.
Clearly you guys don’t know the new rule this year. If a fumble is whistled dead but the replay shows it was a fumble than it can be over turned. The OT fumble was pretty clearly a fumble. No one knows if they will go undefeated in the season or playoffs but if I had to guess I would say Carolina or Dallas posses the biggest threat to an undefeated regular season, but that usually means that if someone does beat them it wont be them. In the postseason the Vikings will be a good match up but they don’t matchup well with the Saints. Their secondary is sub par, and the Saints secondary (assuming its healthy) will make it tough for Favre.
How awesome would it be if the Colts and the Saints met undefeated in Super Bowl? I mean besides your own team don’t you kind of want that to happen?
People are forgetting that Jabari Greer, Tracey Porter, Scott Fujita, Lance Moore, etc still haven’t returned. *IF* any of these players are back before playoffs you’ll see the team back in prime condition.
Bigsky- Being a good team during the season means nothing?
Didnt mean nothing to the Pats when they lost the superbowl
As someone not invested in either team nor any of their conference opponents, the Sellers fumble was 100% the right call, just bad luck for the Skins (and a great hit for the Saints). The earlier pick-strip while much closer looked right to me too (but only based on what’s available on NFL.com — certainly, up to the moment the ball was stripped, every member of the Skins (and probably their fans too) thought it was still a live ball).
Saints defense played a horrible game. They couldn’t stop a team that has only topped 20 points twice before this game. Regardless, the Saints still had to score twice against a very tough (and cocky) defense to win the game. They scored the TD needed to tie in only 33 seconds, almost too quick considering how awful thee defense had been playing,b ut they came up with a key INT to force OT. They did what they needed to do to win the game. Drew Brees had over 400 yards and two TD’s leading his team to 33 points and the win.
And this is why the overtime format is fine. Saints lost the toss, so they had an original idea — their defense went out and made a play. It was the first time all day, but they still made one instead of sitting around crying about not winning the overtime toss.
@this class sucks
“Clearly you guys don’t know the new rule this year.”
Clearly you’re unaware that the new rule is for an immediate recovery and that ball was clearly not “immediately recovered”.
I am just glad the Aints are using up all of their lucky horseshoes in the regular season. By the time the post-season comes, the other shoes in going to drop on their a$$.
Just leave it to Fudge packer fans to be looking around on other teams posts for a reason to dis the Vikings. At least this story has relevance to the Vikings. Perhaps no story relevant to your team, so you have to show up here. Class losers from a loser state.
Hey, here is a prediction: Green Bay Sackers will not make the playoffs. They get a beating from the Ravens tomorrow night! No way their line holds up tomorrow
What a win draped in breaks and bad calls. I fear the Eagles more than the Aints.
You should fear the eagles cause they will knock you out of the playoffs before you get the chance to play the saints.
Also if you want to talk about luck one can point to the vikings vs the 49ers.
Keep talking your trash all I have to say is-
Minnesota + uncapped year equals Los Angles
vikings….que the viking horns….
The NFL showed as all today that its no longer part of sports but another version of the WWE. Watching them blanket the Saints perfect record with bullshit calls puts an exclamation point on all the spoils provided to your Bradys etc… Its only a matter of time before someone from the NFL is doing a 60 min interview about how they were told to sway in favor of what is best for ratings.
Im done watching this bullshit.
Take the win Saints and fans it wasn’t your call but your present from the NFL, congrats. Just remember even the Hulkster was knocked of the throne by the same people that put him there.
The refs were really making some bad calls. The Saints were handed that game. It was not destiny. Can’t wait until the Saints and Colts fade in the playoffs
I love how overly bitter the Viking fans are and we haven’t even beaten them yet. If they even get to plays us, they’re gonna blow their brains out when they lose.
Pervy the dip at it again; the Vikings season is based on luck, sh it last year those jokers (queens) had what 4-5 gift wrapped games. LOL…
All you guys talking about luck and ref’s calls remember this. The ‘Skins were ahead 30-23 with about 1:20 to go and the Saints had to go 80 yards to score, and it HAD TO BE A TD, and guess what, they did it against the best pass secondary in the league. Take your luck and shove it!
Invincible??!! No….more like the Saints were fortunate to win a game they should’ve won anyway.
I like the Saints-great team but I think that if they are due for a loss, it may come in the playoffs.
Keep talking “undefeated” Saints. Sure keeps you focused…on looking like crap! How many yards passing did you give up today ?? Like 9000 yards?? Favre would carve you up.
stop crying about the officiating people……….the calls were correct and again that is a loser mentality….win a game for once.
landry sucks!!!!
To go 16-0 a team needs to have luck. The Saints surely had some luck on their side today.
As a Skins fan the loss sucks, but I expected it. Just the way things go in Skins country. But Saints fans don’t be so cocky after this win. A 3-9 team with 3rd and 4th stringers playing on the O-line and secondary gave the invincible Saints all they wanted.
And Greg Williams sure showed LiL Danny he was wrong to not give Williams the head coaching gig after Gibbs left. What a joke.
I can’t believe some of these comments. The NFL wants the Saints to win? Really? The smallest market in the league? Katrina was 4 years ago and judging by the comments anytime a post mentions the hurricane, a lot of people in other places seem to think everyone down there is a criminal or stupid. Get over it. If the league is telling the refs to throw the game then they told the Skins kicker to miss a chip shot and the Skins secondary to give up multiple TD passes. If the NFL really wanted to boost ratings then Dallas, the New York Teams, and Washington would all be the top teams. Sorry your team lost but it wasn’t due to some grand conspiracy.
I thought that maybe the Saints were better than the Vikings even though I hadn’t seen it yet. Then I watched that game today.
MGN, you die a thousand deaths if the Saints aren’t dominating? You must have died about a billion times by now since the Saints have likely dominated more games this season than they have in their existence. Or did you just become a fan this year?
haha sour ass Vikings fans!!
Saints are 12-0!! HAHAHAHAHA! Suck it!
So, the Colts have been eeking out wins (purely by luck) for the last how many weeks, and I don’t hear any of you complaining about them. All you Vikings fans who are constantly moaning about “the Saints aren’t that good” are just scared of playing them in the playoffs. It takes one hell of a team to win the way the Saints did today. It wasn’t pretty, but that’s what all the good teams to…they find a way to win. No matter how ugly, we have another W in the win column. Deal with it.
Saints = best team in the NFC. If you still think it’s Minnesota, you’re not paying attention.
@Florio, from reading the comments here I don’t think “everyone” loves the Saints ha.
The league obviously wants the Saints to go undefeated.
16-0*
@mlegue810
The Vikings will destroy the Saints. The key to stopping Brees is getting pressure up the middle and getting your hands up to bat his passes because he’s too short to throw over the linemen. Vikes defense should be able to do this. Also, the Skins’ offensive success today shows that the Saints’ D is a fraud. Manboobs should have been able to solve Campbell, a player he saw play every day for several years, instead his attacking defense was exposed yet again. We’ll see what Favre does with McKenzie.
when the refs are against us too, it’s over……
when you blow it against the cowboys and eagles, now this happens, the redskins will now believe they are going to lose, and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. every sunday the rest of the way. 3-13. see ya.
Saints play their best against top opposition. They should beat the Vikings.
@PercyHarvin
You must be a closet Saints fan since you keep showing up and posting on almost every Saints article. Either you’re a fan or deep down inside, underneath all that “Saints suck” tripe you keep spitting, you are afraid of having to face the Saints in the NFCC. Either way, in a few weeks, after you watch Brees hoists the trophy in Miami, you can forget the Saints for a while and focus all your time on the Farve retirement saga version 3.0!
I’ve dealt with a lot of stupid Saints fans over the years being a Panthers fan, but you Redskin fans and Viking fans make those idiots look like Einstein.
Thorpie – Afraid of the Saints? lol Right now we are playing a better team than you,Arizona.
Hey PercyHarvin, how’s that crow tasting?
Cards – 21
Vikes – 10
oh yeah…Saints 12-0
I just got home from the game. Several points to make:
First, great comeback win by the Saints. Saints fans have been on the losing end of MANY similar games over the years, blown leads and “bad” calls. Fact is we lost those games last time I checked the record book.
Second, on the Interception, fumble, strip and touchdown play. I was very close to the field and the interception happened close by and the strip and TD run were even closer. EVERY Redskins fan along with every Saints fan in the area though it was a clean interception (meaning he was not touched AFTER he got possession) a “live” run back by the interceptor and a clean strip and score. They showed the play on replay and what I saw was an interception in the making while in contact with a Saint, BUT the interceptor did not get complete control of the ball until he was on his back and no longer in contact with the Saint player. Therefore, good interception, no down by contact and clear field to run back. Meachem just TOOK that ball from from and ran into the end zone. Sometimes you make your own luck.
On the missed FG. Too bad, you missed. We have missed chip shots, and even an extra point against Carolina a few years ago that cost us a game. Those are the breaks.
On “The Drive” by Brees to tie the game at 30-30 with less than a minute and a half or so left in the game. Brees drove the team with no timeouts and put his team in position to be alive for the win. That was BIG TIME on his part. The Redskins did not stop them. Too bad again.
On the fumble in overtime. I can’t say much because they refused to show it on the big screen at the stadium. Usually when the home team does not show the replay on a “close” call, it means that the call should go against the home team.
Fact is the Saints won the game.
When it was 30-20 Redskins I told the Redskins fan next to me, that in years past the Saints would have been done, but that I thought the Saints had a better than 50/50 chance to win the game and we would most likely win in in overtime. He looked at me like I was some sort of space alien when the Saints were lining up to kick the game winner in overtime.
C’est la vie…..Baby!
Thirty to ten now, and they just hauled off the Vikings best defensive player. Guess what, Minnesota, your quarterback is forty years old!
Sure looks it tonight. See you in the Superdome, hornheads, at least Farve will only be a short drive from his rocking chair following his last game. It’s gonna be sweet going 13-0 against the dirty birds. Geaux Saints! No prisoners!
I think something needs to be said about Jim Zorn. He’s been pretty much stripped of all of his duties as a HC and is pretty much garaunteed to be fired at the end of the season. Yet somehow he manages to rally his troops to play hard and with confidence week in and week out. Granted they haven’t been able to finish these games but they are playing really hard for him even tho they have no shot at advancing into the postseason. Kudos to Jim Zorn on hanging in thru such adverse conditions.
Where’s the love, Percy?
I’ll agree with you about the Cards being a better team than SOMEBODY tonight. Minnesota better get that secondary in order before they think about playing in NOLA.
The thing that has me nervous as a Saints fan isn’t their performance today. I’m impressed they won with three of their top four DBs out of the game. I just hope they get healthy soon.
You’re right, High and Mighty. As a longtime fan, I can vouch for the history of suffering. I’m guessing the people talking so much smack about 19-0 are new fans. I’ve seen the wheels fall off this wagon too many times to get cocky. They now stand tied for most wins in any season in Saints history. They’ve never won 13 in a single year, including playoffs. And I’d happily settle for 12-4 if I could get those magical three playoff wins.
Hey Pervy Harvin, what did your team do tonight?
Who dat gonna beat dem Bi-queens?
The Cardinals dat who, ha ha ha
Geaux Nawlins!
Much credit to the Redskins for giving the Saints all they wanted and then some.
mike says:
December 6, 2009 6:44 PM
Bigsky- Being a good team during the season means nothing?
Didnt mean nothing to the Pats when they lost the superbowl
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So answer this, was the Pats a good team that year or not?
They lost one game!
If not, what does that make the rest of the NFL?