Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.
The past few years the NFL has scheduled a Saturday night game on its own network, the NFL Network, during week 15. This year, we are fortunate enough to have a great Saturday night week 15 matchup when the reeling Dallas Cowboys travel to the Bayou to take on the undefeated New Orleans Saints. The undefeated Indianapolis Colts survived a road trip to Jacksonville with a thrilling come from behind victory last night. Can the Saints survive unscathed as it awaits America’s team in a huge game for the Cowboys?
We all know the Saints’ story. It has been well-documented. Quarterback Drew Brees has had a monster season, and, with each passing week it seems he has a stronger grip on that NFL MVP trophy… though I’m guessing he would tell you that at the end of the season he would much rather have that Lombardi Trophy. While the Saints have not lost yet, they have definitely had some close calls, including a come from behind overtime victory two weeks ago in Washington, and a 26-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last week. Looking at the Saints’ schedule it is clear the team has thoroughly dominated some teams, much more than the Colts. The bad news for the rest of the league is that Reggie Bush, who has underachieved as a pro, may be on the right track, finally. He scored two touchdowns last week. It is already tough enough stopping Sean Payton’s high-flying offense… imagine the nightmare for opposing defenses if Reggie Bush shows the elusiveness he showed in college.
Meanwhile, over in Dallas, things are not as rosy. The good feelings presented by the 8-3 start have subsided due to losses the past two weeks to the Giants and the Chargers. Now, instead of being in excellent shape to win the NFC East, the Cowboys are struggling to stay in contention for the wild card. At this point, with a tiebreaker over the Cowboys, I am giving Green Bay that first wild card spot. That leaves the Cowboys competing with the Giants and other teams for the second wild card spot. Keep in mind that the Giants, while currently 7-6, also hold the tiebreak over the ‘Boys. I would not necessarily call Saturday night’s game a must-win for the Cowboys, but it’s darn close. Lose Saturday, and Dallas loses the ability to control its own playoff destiny. Lose Saturday, and Wade Phillips’ seat, which is already warm (which I addressed back in July), becomes smoking hot!!! What a disaster it would be for Jerry Jones to sit and watch the playoffs from the comfort of his million-dollar mansion (which really isn’t so bad) when he spent over a billion dollars on the new stadium. However, a win Saturday eases the tension in Dallas and would be a huge momentum boost.
Many of you do not have NFL Network. Fortunately, Loyal Homer does and has made plans to invite people over to watch the game. You should make plans to watch the game, too!
Posted by Loyal Homer 
