New Orlean Saints' Loss to the Rams Is a Setback, Not Armageddon

The New Orleans Saints, coming off a 62-7 pasting of the Peyton Manning-less (and thus winless) Indianapolis Colts, had to be happy that the NFL served up consecutive weeks against teams without a mark in the W column. And when that team was doomed to play without one of their last remaining stars—quarterback Sam Bradford—that contentment likely turned to tempered enthusiasm.

But that's not the way the ball bounced Sunday. No, the NFL had a different lesson in store. The ole "games aren't played on paper and anything's possible on any given Sunday" speech resounded with gong-like authority in the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday.

And so little Timmy Rams Fan left the stadium with a proud sense of joy over the fact that his team overcame amazing odds and an ugly record en route to a shocking win.

But what about the Saints fans? What about the Saints team? What exactly are they supposed to take from this win?

There are some who'll look at today's loss and smirk. They'll see a team that has dropped two of three, pausing only to spank the Manning-less Colts in between brutal losses to Tampa Bay and St. Louis.

They'll see that Drew Brees has thrown five interceptions during that stretch and that New Orleans has only two victories over teams with winning records, and that the team ranks just 23rd in the league against the run. And they'll call this skid the beginning of the end of the 2011 Saints.

But they'll be wrong.

Week 8's loss to the St. Louis Rams may be embarrassing, and it may be a hot lamp over New Orleans' most pressing issues, but it is certainly not Armageddon. 

The Saints may own only two wins over teams with records greater than .500 this season, but they've already played three playoff squads from a year ago.

They were one foot from possibly taking the Green Bay Packers to overtime. They own the NFL's most prolific offense and it's most successful passing game. And they've already matched last season's start with a 5-3 record. In case you've forgotten, the Saints made the playoffs last year—an accomplishment not usually reserved for teams facing any sort of Armageddon.

Besides, with the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on bye weeks, the Saints still held onto their NFC South lead, even with Sunday's loss.

There are home games remaining against both teams, with a chance to go 2-0 against Atlanta still on the table. That's not exactly end-of-the-world news, especially when you consider that New Orleans gets to face Tennessee, Minnesota and Carolina, as well.

The Saints certainly won't remember Week 8's visit from the Rams as any sort of immaculate reception, but as far as fire and brimstone go, this is a small shower, something even a Mardi Gras umbrella could shrug off.