That’s playoff football. That’s exactly what the Saints are going to have coming down the road when the postseason starts in the NFC. You’re going to have a tough, tough opponent, and it comes down to the wire and you have to make plays on offense and defense.
There were so many wild thiings that happened in the fourth quarter.
Start with the blocked field goal when the Saints were trailing 28-24. That blocked field goal snapped Will Lutz’s string of 26 consecutive field goals made. At that point you thought the Steelers would eat up a bunch of the fourth quarter and not give Drew Brees time for one last drive to put the Saints ahead.
Then, the Steelers go for that fake punt in their own territory and the Saints stopped it. It was a gamble. A gamble that Mike Tomlin needed. He said, ‘I’m going to win this game right here.’ He wanted to keep the offense on the field and win the game. If it works, it’s brilliant.
However, when it doesn’t work, you give Drew Brees a short field, they drive down the field and he hits Michael Thomas for the touchdown, which was reviewed at the goal line. He did cross the goal line and the Saints moved ahead.
Then the Steelers needed to drive to get into field goal range, and when you try to do that, in the Superdome, late in the fourth quarter, with that noise, that’s very difficult for opposing offenses to do.
The Steelers still made plays, like that 4th and 15 conversion. I think everyone in the Superdome was nervous after that, but they were able to get that fumble.
Sheldon Rankins, who felt he should have been in the Pro Bowl, he made the strip, made the play and they got the win.
There is so much relief going on, but that’s what you’re going to have in the postseason. These games are going to be close. It’s not going to be like the games earlier this year where you’re putting up 40 or so points.
It’s going to be these types of games where you have to make one or two plays down the stretch to get the win in the postseason. This was a big win for the Saints to show they’re a playoff ready team.