With all the excitement of watching the Saints make their first NFC title game, I hate to bring this up, but should the Saints make it all the way to the Super Bowl, if the AFC representive is either Indy or New England, Fred Thomas will either have a career game, or he'll be out of football by the start of next season because Manning and Brady would SURELY look at Thomas at the start of EVERY play. Look, the NFC is so wide open that I could say that no matter which team goes (Seattle, Chicago or NO) they would all be a considerable underdog to any of the AFC teams (Indy, NE or SD). I know anything can happen in one game, but in a situation where Fred Thomas has to go up against Manning and/or Brady, then the Colts and the Pats would probably win 9 of 10. Thomas is horrible! and if the Saints make it to, and actually win the Super Bowl with a CB like Fred Thomas and a starting safety who's nearing retirement age (and I'm not talking about pro sports "retirement age"--I'm talking any other job retirement age) in Jay Bellamy, then that would be the biggest upset in sports. I know it's tabboo to talk about draft needs when you still have a team playing deep in the playoffs, but it's clear that the Saints need to address their secondary in the draft. Brees has the QB possition looking the strongest as it's ever been... Deuce and Bush are the best RB combo in Saints' history and need to both be locked up for future seasons... WR's are ok; Horn is aging, but Colston, Henderson and Copper are a young, quality trio that is proving they can have success for years to come... O-line is fine... TE's are ok... D-line is solid with Will Smith, Grant and a big-body like Hollis Thomas--perhaps drafting a young big-bodied run-stuffing DT to be groomed as a future replacement for Thomas isn't such a bad idea... LB's aren't great--in fact, they are a far cry from what the Saints have had in the past--but Simineau, Fujita and Shanle are quality LB's that won't hurt your defense...they just can't carry it.... All of that leaves the defensive secondary. Bullocks isn't that great--but if he is our weakest link back there, it wouldn't be bad. Problem is, he's not. And THAT's bad! Craft is a decent 3rd corner but nothing special. McKenzie needs to learn that when the WR is in better position, it's ok, you don't have to throw yourself completely out of the play by diving for the Sportscenter-highly-INT. For every good play McKenzie makes, there's an equally bonehead play where he gets smoked for big yardage--mostly because as the WR is running downfield, Mike is usually on the ground looking back. Fred Thomas is a player that if he makes the tackle after the WR catches the ball, you can consider that a good play. I can't believe he's been in NO for as long as he has. Sheesh! Sometimes I feel like Thomas has been here for so long that he played with Bobby Hebert! Years after we first signed him as a FA from Seattle, I STILL can't get over reading a little article on him in the Times-Picayune in which it broke down his Pros and Cons--and one of his Cons was: "diagnosed with depth perception problem back in...". I was like, DEPTH PERCEPTION?!?!?! Our CORNER BACK HAS A DEPTH PERCEPTION PROBLEM?!?!??! ...and that's actually a feature that has proven to be true. He's terrible. Bellamy? Solid veteran.....5 years ago. You don't get faster when you reach 40. It's time to find a replacement. But I will say that at least he brings experience to the table.
The Saints would match up best with New England. Not a great offense. Definitely not much in terms of wideouts. And no deep threats to speak of. Thomas could keep up with whomever he goes up against. I hope they make it to the SB.
No offense, islstl, but in the Patriots 3 Super Bowl wins, WHICH Patriot WR has been considered great? They've won Super Bowls with no-name's and retreads at WR. Tom Brady is so good because he doesn't have one go-to guy. Look at Branch, he was a SB MVP when he didn't even rank in the top 10 in receptions. I think NE would be the Saints best matchup, yes, but for totally different reasons: I think the Patriots would have a difficult time on defense vs New Orleans. Other than Asante Samuel (who has 11 INT's this seasons but is NOT in the Pro Bowl!!! --How does THAT happen?!?!?!), their secondary is beat up. Ellis Hobbs isn't a shut-down corner (and with all the blitzes NE runs, you need shut-down corners) and with Rodney Harrison potentially out with his knee injury (no one will ever know if he's out or not because Belichick will NEVER disclose any injury unless it's completely obvious--as in broken bones or torn ligaments--to anyone). A Saints/Patriots Super Bowl would almost be just like tonight's game against philly: where it could come down to a high-scoring battle down to the wire....and Tom Brady, game on the line....you can't like that if you're a Saints fan. I'm a HUGE pats fan having lived there a little over 5 years and having been to multiple games in each of their Super Bowl seasons, but I grew up a Saints fan and they'll always be near-and-dear to my heart--especially in a season like this one, so I'd have to pull for the Saints in that matchup, but I can't deny I'd be a happy fan with either team winning
