According to the song:
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
Surely the songwriters’ vision of the “Age of Aquarius” must have been the time period between September and February each year when the NFL is back on the field.
There are plenty of stars during that time but they are hardly determined by “love’ as much as by blocking, tackling, and speeding down the sideline.
This being the week before the season starts, it is the best moment for making predictions. In recent years a new addition to the discussion has been something called “power rankings” for which football geeks rank the 32 NFL teams. There are several published lists based on statistics and on the predictors’ luck. (Perhaps that’s where Jupiter aligning with Mars factors in.) From among the lists I have chosen the one provided by ESPN, which relies on a dozen experts to help sharpen its picks by analyzing the stats of all 32 teams in competition with each other.
Spoiler alert: The Saints are nowhere near the top ranked teams; however the numbers show a possibility that they could win their division, which would qualify them for the playoffs. That could make January more interesting.
So here we go.
SITTING ON TOP
Picked to finish on top by most Power rankings are the Los Angeles Rams. Here I pause to remind you that if you are a Saints fan you are supposed to hate the Rams even more than the Atlanta Falcons if that is possible. By “hate” I do not mean in a spiritual, philosophical, illogical or avenging sense – well, maybe just a little – but rather just unadulterated anger. Part of the reason is that in the early years of the franchise the Saints were in the same division with the Rams who they had to play twice each season and routinely got bashed by what was a more experienced opponent.
But the overriding reason for contempt that will last forever took place in 2019 when the Saints and Rams played each other for the Division Championship and the right to go to the Superbowl. The Saints were robbed. NFL annals will forever remember the “NOLA No-Call” game in which late in the contest a blatant pass interference by a Ram, which was obvious to everyone watching the game around the world, but not to the referees, wasn’t called. Had it been called the Saints would have been put in a position to easily kick a field goal which would have won the game and put the team in the Superbowl. Even the NFL admitted that the NOLA No-Call was a mistake.
A few weeks later was Mardi Gras. Throughout the parade season and on Carnival Day itself, a common costume was a referee outfit worn by maskers carrying walking canes and wearing dark glasses appearing to be blind referees.
As for this year, what happened in 2019 is a distant memory. We have forgotten about it. The smart money is on the Rams going to the Superbowl. Just watch out for the guys on the field with the striped shirts.
HOW ABOUT THE DIVISION?
There is a formula for which teams get into the playoffs, including being the winner of a team’s division.The Saints play in the NFC South Division in which there are four teams: the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Saints.
Generally, prognosticators have considered the NFC South to be one of the weaker divisions, nevertheless throughout the years all four teams have gone to the Superbowl of which two, the Saints and Tampa Bay, have won.
This year Tampa Bay has the highest power ranking of the division’s teams–18; interestingly the other three teams are closely bunched: Carolina– 23; the Saints–25; Atlanta–26.
Because they are so tightly ranked each team has a possibility to win the Division. There is no long shot loser or cinch winner. Since teams within a division play each other twice, each team has a possibility to help eliminate the other.
Ranked at 25 among 32 teams, the Saints are almost in the middle among all the predictions. There have been many seasons with worse pre-season predictions. At least the team can be assured 100 percent that for none of its Dome home games will rain be a factor, except perhaps for the one where it is the host team in Paris.
WAITING AT THE BOTTOM
This will be a long season for the Miami Dolphins who enter the season ranked dead last. Unfortunately, while the other two Florida teams; Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, are on the New Orleans schedule, Miami is not. The Saints don’t need the missed sunshine, but they could have used the win.
-30-
To contact Errol, email elabordenola@gmail.com!
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENTS: Errol’s Laborde’s new book, “When Rex Met Zulu: And Other Chronicles of the New Orleans Experience,” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2024) is now available at local bookstores and websites.
Laborde’s other recent publications: “New Orleans: The First 300 Years” and “Mardi Gras: Chronicles of the New Orleans Carnival” (Pelican Publishing Company, 2017 and 2013), are available at the same locations.
