Is it possible to play any dirtier than the saints defense just played?

[blackcatgrowl]

I never said it was, and I don't condone that kind of play. I'm seeing a lot of people claiming that all our hits on farve were cheap. I call this the farve card; you can't hit him because he's old, a legend, etc... It's as bad as the katrina card (which I hate). The man puts his pads on like all the other players and steps on the gridiron. He had better be ready and able to play.

I'm all for fair play, I hate cheating. Don't let your haterd for the Saints cloud your judgement of fair play.

I'm no Saints fan, but I definitely didn't "hate" them. I'd probably say they were my #2 NFC South team. And I certainly don't have any "Favre" love. I've been critical of him since he started his waffling in Green Bay for years now.

All that being said, the Saints did seem like they were trying to go for low blows last night. They reminded me of the "dynasty" Pats. Aggressive to the point of breaking rules (which they got flagged for, but not enough).

Yeah, all the late hits on Favre were the most obvious... but I also saw other things too. Blatant cheapshots when Vikings were obviously down by contact (you know, that shoulder smashing onto a prone player right as the whistle blows, who was leg-tackled by someone else). I saw lots of illegal contact by their corners not getting called. I saw their O-line holding D-Linemen who were going to get to Brees.

And I think it started last week with Arizona. That block on Warner was a cheapshot. The guy COULD have been called for a block to the back (yeah, he angled it to his side, but he was coming from warner's 4 o'clock).

I don't mind watching hard-nosed football, with good hits, and good blocking. But I don't want to watch dirty street-ball... not at this level. And that's what looked like was going on. It was dirty play in my eyes.

The good thing... that crap is not going to work with Manning. He'll put the ball in the air before the Saints can even cross the line if he has to. And the Colt's D is underrated. I think they'll play to the same level if the Saints start rolling like this again.

[CRA]

Seems I remember us beating the crap out of favre so bad their coach wanted to take him out of the game.

Pot heres the kettle

there is a difference between getting to a QB for a sack and when he is trying to get rid of the ball.............and trying to rough a QB up after a pass.

Carolian had 4 sacks and a numerous plays where the pressure caused an incompletion....the Saints just unloaded on him after passes.

[rayzor]

they will be reviewed. lots of stuff that isn't legit gets picked up after the game and fines come out. there will be quite a few, imo.

I thought a lot of the hits were borderline. They decided than rather get their hands up into his passing lane to attempt to bat the pass, that they would just follow through into him. It's borderline, because you know that they are intentionally hitting him to rattle him, but as the refs did not call them, then they are legit.

The only two hits which should have been called were the McCray ones. The hit on the run play and the dive at the legs. You simply are not allowed to do either of those things. One got flagged, the other which was at a more critical time, did not.

I really do wish the Saints fans would not congregate here, it actually stops people from having objective discussions about the playoffs. We have been able to chat and discuss every other team who made the playoffs without being bombarded, yet the Saints fans are here on gameday. That is a head scratcher.

[Snake]

Eh I kinda like that on Defense. Thats how we played when John Fox first came to the Panthers. It was like we might not get too you but your gonna take a hit. Just like with our CBs beating the crap out of the pansy pass first teams like the Rams. You will never see that again with the rule changes that make it impossible for CBs to be physical but that year was great.

[rayzor]

Eh I kinda like that on Defense. Thats how we played when John Fox first came to the Panthers. It was like we might not get too you but your gonna take a hit. Just like with our CBs beating the crap out of the pansy pass first teams like the Rams. You will never see that again with the rule changes that make it impossible for CBs to be physical but that year was great.

were it not for the double standard, it would be fine but there are favored teams in the NFL and you can tell from the play calling. certain players (brady) have refs throwing too big of a cushion around him and some teams have refs turning a blind eye to what they do (cowboys and now the saints).

[N'wahlinsCayenne]

Guys...is the NFL rigged?

Yes, I think it is. CBS and the NFL didn't want the Saints in the S.B. That's why they hit the Saints, at home, for 9 penalties for 88 yards and the Vikings for 5 for 32 yards. but seriously I thought the game was called evenly bad on both sides.

[cookinwithgas]

All I know is that Farve looked like they pulled him out of a wreck with the Jaws Of Life right before his press conference.

[err456]

they will be reviewed. lots of stuff that isn't legit gets picked up after the game and fines come out. there will be quite a few, imo.

Yes in the regular season but I doubt they do it here since it was a game of this magnitude it would make the league look bad. I hope they do though.

[Peppers90 NC]

Guys...is the NFL rigged?

no but payton, brees and williams are one hell of a head-giving trio.

[Peppers90 NC]

i do not blame the saints for playing dirty, they did their job, it's the refs who sucked it up. plus the vikings had no intentions on winning that game, they had to hand it over to the stains numerous times before they actually took it.

[rico6]

DBIG, Saint J.

If Kevin Williams and Pat Williams went high and low on Drew Brees, and there was a no call what would you honestly be on this board saying?

Double standards, and bias is clear in both of your post.

[CRA]

Yes, I think it is. CBS and the NFL didn't want the Saints in the S.B. That's why they hit the Saints, at home, for 9 penalties for 88 yards and the Vikings for 5 for 32 yards. but seriously I thought the game was called evenly bad on both sides.

evenly on both sides? there were no huge headscratchers called in the Vikings favor....

there were several huge plays that went in favor of the Saints - that weren't questionable but simply clearly wrong calls.

[GRWatcher]

I do blame the refs for some very questionable calls, though. The high low on Favre, where he was hit in the knees was an obvious roughing, the phantom DPI and BS catch in OT to keep the drive alive were the most obvious.

:cheers2:

What I was most amazed with was that the refs weren't calling alot of the pass interference and db holding that was happening in regulation time. I expected the same thing for OT. Should've been.

I won't say, "Die Saints!" but I will say Go Colts!

[LaChance87]

I hate the saints... I hope Manning tears that defense up... Favre took it like a man... He hung in there, and they took alot of cheap shots on him, thats how they wanted to play fine, the refs should have thrown the flag more. Shots after the play was over, below the kness... Had that been Brady... every ref on the field would have been throwing flags... The whole overtime deal the "pass interference" uncatchable ball and did he even touch the guy? The last pass thrown... it looked like to me that the ground helped him secure the ball and you could see him tuck is body in after he was completely on the ground. Having said all that the vikings gave the saints that game... saints are lucky the vikings helped them out.