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No one is going undefeated in the NFL, so just drop it
After Monday night’s victory of the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons, which put the Saints at 7-0 along with Indianapolis as the last two undefeateds in the NFL, we then had the obligatory news conference where the press asked head coach Sean Payton if it seemed more likely now that the Saints could go undefeated.
More likely than when they were 6-0? Well, sure, I suppose — in the same way that 4th and 30 is more likely to be converted by the Cleveland Browns offense than 4th and 32.
Then, during his ESPN analysis, Steve Young went on to go down the Saints schedule to point to the only two teams remaining to play them that have a chance of beating them (Dallas and New England). The Saints are better, he said.
So are the Saints going to run the table?
Please.
This is just silly. Every year, when there’s a team that goes 6-0, 7-0, or — God forbid — 10-0, we get the usual chatter about the team possibly going undefeated. Listen: It ain’t gonna happen. Most of the other analysts at ESPN were sane enough to admit that.
Me — I have to believe that Young was simply putting it out there as an academic argument so the other analysts could counter it. As a former player he has to know better.
Sure, the 2007 Patriots ran the table — before losing in the Super Bowl — but that was an aberration, one that I don’t think is going to be repeated anytime soon.
And I certainly think that talking about going undefeated at this point in the season (it’s 7-0, for chrissakes!) is beyond hilariously premature. This is the NFL, folks, where Any Given Sunday [TM] anything could happen. Players get hurt. Quarterbacks have off-games. Underrated opponents step up and play better than expected. Good teams make mistakes. Let’s please not forget that the Patriots came within millimeters of being beaten by Baltimore during that 16-0 season they had. Only impossible miracles saved them.
To say, on the second day of November, when not even half the games have been played, that the Saints “absolutely could” go undefeated just because they have an easy upcoming schedule is, well, categorically insane.
Come on, Steve Young, you’re smarter than that. At least you should be.
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15 comments on this post
Poltargyst
Totally agree. I’ve had a long-time rule of thumb that nobody goes undefeated and nobody goes winless in the NFL no matter how good or bad they are. Ok, so the Lions proved me wrong last year, and the Patriots almost did, but I still say that the odds against anyone going undefeated are very great.
Andy
I agree, but it’s fun to see the old Dolphins crawl out of their coffins to root for teams to lose. Classy bunch
Alex
Indy will go undefeated.
Poltargyst
“Indy will go undefeated.”
Nah.
Alex
Indy and Saints are now 10-0! Could we have two regular season undefeated teams?
Jacob
You said nobody goes undefeated, then said the Patriots did, but oh it won’t be repeated. Classic. The Pats did it PERIOD. Stand up and say you’re wrong, it can be done.
Jim
^ Remember though, this is the same weekend that saw the Bengals lose to Oakland and Pittsburgh lose to Kansas City, not to mention a Browns-Lions game that no one wanted to watch that turned into a 75-point offensive slugfest…
Also, while the Pats certainly did get that 18-0, they lost the only game that really matters in the end
Gatton
/me wonders if Colts and Saints fans will come to the comments every week their team wins.
Oh and yay Colts 😉
alex
I was wrong about the Colts. Vince Young is for real. Titans will win next week.
Saints will go undefeated!
Jammer
After watching the Saints dismantle the Patriots in tonight’s Monday Night game, I can now say: The Saints are for real.
At 11-0, you can now start talking about the possibility of the Saints going undefeated. At 7-0, no. Will they do it? I don’t know, and I would still bet against it. But I am no longer completely closed to the possibility as I was four weeks ago.
Alex
Colts 12-0
Saints 12-0
No, I’m not going to drop this lol.
Part of the fun in the NFL is seeing what team can last the longest. Although I don’t see undefeated seasons as ever being usual, I don’t think they are as unfathomable as they were a decade or more ago.
Steve Young looks pretty smart right about now, eh?
Jammer
There is no way the Saints should’ve won Sunday. Washington had that game all but won, but then collapsed and let it go. It took miracles for the Saints to win that game, and miracles they got.
That, and Drew Brees, of course.
Jammer
The Saints have gone down. Will the Colts even try hard to go 16-0? Will Jammer be proven wrong? Or will he get the last laugh?
Jammer
The Colts have just lost to the Jets. Now I can say I told you so.
Jammer 1, Undefeated in the NFL 0.
Boo-yah.
Alex
hahaha, you were right. Silly undefeated talk, what was I thinking???