Not-So-Sleepless In Seattle: Saints Strike Little Fear In Seahawk Fans' Hearts

Will the Seattle Seahawks beat the New Orleans Saints?

Forty-seven percent of respondents to a Seattle Times poll think the Seahawks, despite their 7-9 record, will do just that.

Guess the Saints' less-than-inspiring performance against Tampa Bay did not result in too many being sleepless in Seattle on Sunday night.

The last time these two teams met was November 21st in the Superdome and New Orleans disposed of those 'hawks with ease, 34-19.

Drew Brees and the fragile Chris Ivory did most of the damage that day.

Ivory reminds you of the Wizard of Oz these days.

You never see him. Does he really exist?

Ivory gashed the Seattle defense for 99 yards and the first touchdown of the career, but he spends as much time in the hot tub as on the field lately. It seems doubtful the rookie will play on Saturday after Internet reports Monday morning said he was hobbling around Saints' headquarters on crutches and in a walking boot.

Maybe it's just an artful disguise.

The equally delicate Pierre Thomas is expected to carry the load in Seattle with Reggie Bush, never known for his physicality, in reserve.

Nevertheless, Bush decided to show up in the 23-13 loss against the Bucs and actually did not do badly at all.

Bush rushed for 77 yards—7.8 yards per carry—and he added 55 receiving yards.

Reggie had 132 total yards and, get this, he didn't fumble a punt.

Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction.

As far as the Saints' special teams, let's just say they remained vertically challenged in 2010.

While the Saints may not rush the ball worth a lick against the Seahawks and their pedestrian rushing defense—ranked 16th in the league—will surely find a way to make Marshawn Lynch look like the second coming of Barry Sanders, the Saints still have Drew Brees, one of the best to ever play the position, and with Mr. Brees, all things are possible.

The good news is that Seattle is so bereft of talent on both sides of the ball that the Saints could probably beat them sans Marques Colston, Ivory, Thomas and Jimmy Graham.

Yet if the Saints can't establish the run in these playoffs, they will be nothing more than a passing fancy.

And passing fancies rarely win Super Bowls.