You Play..To Win..The Game

Here's the scenario.  It's fourth and goal from the one yard line.  It's and untimed play due to a defensive penalty at the end of the game.  You are down 42-34 against the defending Super Bowl champions who are playing at home.  A touchdown and two point conversion ties the game.  What do you call?


If you are New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton apparently you call a running play and hand the ball to your rookie RB.  You must have forgotten that your team last year was the worst short yardage team in the league.  You must have forgotten that during your time in New Orleans your teams have never been a team that was able to pound the ball in.  You must have forgotten your QB was extremely hot and had thrown for more the 400 yards and 3 TD's at that point in the game.  You must have forgotten that earlier in the game in a similar situation you could have kicked a field goal but you went for it and called a pass play, a play that didn't work but still plays to your teams strength.

Sean Payton simply out coached himself.  Everybody on the planet knew that the Saints should call a pass play, including the Packers.  Which is exactly why they stacked the line to blow up a running play.  Then knew that Payton's "creativity" as an offensive play caller would get in his own way.  He knew that everybody on the planet just knew he would call a passing play.  So he called a run.  The ball was snapped, Drew Brees handed the ball to Mark Ingram, Ingram took off and before he left the ground it seems 5 Packers had left their feet and were jumping over the line to stuff the rookie.  He never had a chance.  You sure fooled us Sean Payton!  HELLO!!  You play, to win, the game!  That's Latin for "put the ball in your best players hands and run a play that your team can actually pull off".