Khyber53

Look, whichever way Sunday comes out, and I'm hoping for a win, there's still a lot of football ahead of us that can be very meaningful, either way. It's been a long time since these games meant anything.

Let's just win out until only March is left ahead of us.

Winning fixes everything. We're in the lead, for at least this moment, and like being on a sled dog team, the view from the front is much, much more pleasant. I think the team is ahead of schedule right now. And I like that. Would really love to see us win out the rest of these games. And in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Let's just win out and leave nothing to chance. I think Canales has been dialing in on the right recipe. If he can keep pounding the run game and Bryce can take advantage when there's an opening for a mid- to long- ball, we can be a strong ball control offense. Couple that with a defense that is getting stronger on all fronts and well... I'm hoping for it. This is a scrappy, resilient football team... and it's been years since we've seen that here. It's time or us to be the mouse that roared.

Alright! Now let's win out and make a statement.

Historically, it's not just Bryce that has been the problem in those New Orleans away games. Our defense shat the bed each time, too. Early career QBs always need a stout defense and he's not had much of one until the halfway mark in this season. If they can turn it on and give Bryce more opportunities while keeping Saints points off the board, then we can come away with the win we should be capable of achieving. That's a rookie QB that the Saints are putting out there (one with more tape than the last time we saw him), they've got some injuries and a very limited slate of things to play for. I hope we can play defense, lean on Rico and Chuba, get an efficient game from Bryce and build a more solid case for a playoff spot. In other words, play like the football team you're supposed to be.

Sounds like a young man with more millions in the bank than he can spend who has had to go through some very long recoveries from injuries and just wondering if its worth going through it all again. Hard not to tell him to go and enjoy his life. His "kid have a cigar moment" just turned into "welcome to the machine."

People keep throwing money at the AI growth situation in hopes it will speed things up, get them to the finish line first. And it just doesn't completely work that way. Money helps, but there's a whole supply line issue and programming issue. The problem really is that we create too many business degrees and not enough degrees in the fields that actually make things work. It's ruining a lot of stuff. And yeah, it's going to be a while before anyone can upgrade their stuff. And if you're a gamer... maybe it's time to develop a love for retro systems.

This 100 percent. Really, it comes down to defense more than anything else. We have a bit of tape on NO's rookie QB now and that gives us something to work with. He was an unknown quotient the first time around and our defense still had not gelled the way it has now. And our offensive line has to be in push mode for most of this game. Road graders over turnstiles. The Saints know their season is over, if their defense is hit with body blows early and often in the game, then at halftime, many of their starters will be thinking of winter vacation plans and checking with their agents to see about free agent possibilities.

Really depends on how things go this weekend... There sure is a lot riding on us with the Saints this weekend. And on if the Falcons will fight to save their coach's job.

Blessings to him, whichever way it works out.

Okay, haven't read what came before. Doesn't matter. NO WE fuging DON"T HAVE TO GO AFTER SHEDUER fuging SANDERS!!!!!!! Leave him and his whole family where they are. Thank you.

Truth be told, I just like a 4-3 defense better and I'll just jump in with any chance to make that statement. Seemed like an opportune moment.

I think this whole team is better situated at a 4-3. He'd benefit, too.

He's definitely in my top 5. Maybe top 3.

Like I said, yup. Corbett is a good player but it's that consistency thing... oft injured at that spot doesn't help. He'd make a heck of a back-up and swing guard, but not at the current salary. Mayes either has the chops now or he is developing into it. We need to get him to the regular starting spot before he gets to that free agent period and suddenly becomes to expensive to throw bucks at without knowing his true potential. But yeah, Centers are way, way undervalued. And I understand it. Good teams keep their centers under contract for a decade, they rarely end up on the free agency market and get little fanfare when they do. It's just not sexy I guess. But like a MLB or a punter, if you don't have a good one, you're fugged either now or soon.

I pounded on that drum for a long time and saw some really good centers move off to teams that ended up competing for championships. But what do I know? Between Corbett and Mays we've probably got a good center. But really, we need to pick a lane there and stick with it. Consistency at the Center position is THE most valuable trait.

Select free agents as mid-price players with high leadership and locker room skills with great practice commitments. Grab your stars and role players in the draft and have them molded by the vets who make up the kind of team you are trying to be. With the right core of solid players, you can make a lot of progress farming up first and second round picks, getting five affordable years out of them and then moving on, either trading them away or grabbing compensatory picks when they leave. It's not flashy and doesn't make sense to the fantasy football crowd, but really, a team only needs one or two star quality players on it to make it big. Those two must be ones that are directly involved in every play, though, like a QB, DE, MLB or OT. That being said, if your team's star player is a WR, you've got a problem, because it's a crap ton of money on a guy who might figure heavily into one third of your offensive plays.

I think we'll move to the draft for pass rush guys, maybe even use our first on it. Edge rushers, especially free agents, are just too expensive. Better to grow your own.

I'm enjoying the new defense, especially in contrast to what Evero trotted out there last season. If he keeps this up, he's going to be getting some HC interviews, which I think was the reason that we retained him. And this year, he's earned those opportunities. Best of luck to him.

The thing is, he was a full grown man in college, but in the NFL they grow 'em bigger. Takes time to adjust and D-line is a lot harder than people think.

Honestly, in his second year, I spent a lot of time wondering if he was going to be the guy. That should always remind me that none of us are a finished product. I went from questioning his value then to where I am now in realizing that he is a franchise cornerstone that can completely set the tone for our entire defense. And folks, I believe he's feared by other teams. Especially after last Sunday. He's a monster out there. Thankfully, he's our monster. (I hate saying that because by all accounts, he's a wonderful fellow).

Anyone who says Bryce is this or isn't this is just basically pulling it out of their ass at this point. No one knows whether Bryce is the man or if Bryce is a total washout. I don't know it, you don't know it. Canales doesn't know it. Heck, even Bryce doesn't know it. He's either learning his game or he's just getting lucky. He's either putting the team on his back for wins or he's causing the losses and deficits all on his own. The only thing that Bryce is, at this point in his career, is a quandary. We'll have to just keep watching to see how it turns out. At least it's interesting in December for the Panthers for once in a long, long while.

Someone who is quiet in the defensive backfield is a good sign. Chris Gamble, back in the day was the silent assassin. They never said his name on TV after the first couple of seasons because other teams just gave up trying to throw to his side of the field. Scott might not be that level, but he's sure holding down his end of the job.

This! It changed everything, didn't it? As did the Green Bay and Dallas games in their own rights at that part of the season. This is a remarkably scrappy team. It just keeps getting up off the floor and goes back into the fight. That's not something you want to see ahead of you on the schedule, twice, as you try to get into the play offs. It's all playoffs for us from here on out. Won or done should be the team mantra.