NEW ORLEANS — Saints fans have now experienced two of the most stunning playoff losses in NFL history, and they’ve done it in back-to-back season.
Last year, it was the "Minnasota Miracle," with the Stefan Diggs touchdown at the end of the game to finish the Saints’ season. This year, what will be remembered is the no-call for pass interference on the Tommylee Lewis play in the fourth quarter.
Saints head coach Sean Payton said immediately after the game in his post-game press conference that the NFL told him, admitted to him, that they blew the call and that it should have been a pass interference or even a helmet-to-helmet penalty.
There’s nothing anyone can do about it now. It was a horribly wrong call.
When the math is done, the reason the no-call was so bad is because the Saints would have had a first down inside the 10-yard line and the Rams would have one timeout left in the game.
The Saints could have knelt, run the clock down and then Will Lutz essentially had an extra point to end the game and send New Orleans to the Super Bowl.
At that point, if that call is made correctly, the Saints have at least 98 percent chance to win, according to Eyewitness Sports Director Doug Mouton.
Instead, that doesn’t happen, the Saints get the field goal but then the Rams have plenty of time in the game. They get the tying field goal, send the game into overtime, then make a great defensive stand to hit Drew Brees' arm and John Johnson gets the interception.
Then, there was a ridiculous 57-yard field goal to end it that would have been good from 65 yards, anyway.
The no-call literally changed the Saints from a win to a loss, and that is just stunning.
One legitimate bright spot coming out of this loss: Drew Brees said he will come back next year.
Brees is already under contract but can retire at any point. He was asked if he'll be back, and he said he 'feels pretty positive' that he will.
If the Saints get Drew Brees back, they can keep working. The core of the Saints' team is incredibly young. People don’t realize, but the offensive line, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas and many pieces of the defense (Cam Jordan, Marshon Lattimore, Sheldon Rankins, Marcus Williams) all make up a great young core.
Brees comes back, and there’s no reason the Saints can’t make another run.
The Saints finish with a loss. They’ve played three championship games now, and they are 1-2 in those title match ups. Still, three times in franchise history, they’ve finished as one of the best four teams in the NFL. They did that this year, and an amazing season comes to an end.