but we didn't walk down it.  When you compare the standings now with where they were a month or six weeks ago, it seems that a lot of teams did their best to give the Saints a chance to keep the door open and  sneak into the playoffs.  After a 6-2 start, the Redskins fell apart.  Dallas certainly opened the door and may or may not make the playoffs.  They could have clinched weeks ago.  Tampa may hold on, but the last time they played well was against us and lost 3 straight after that.  Let me take that back, the last time they won was against us.  They didn't play well.  Chicago  is hanging on for hope but are clearly mediocre and undeserving of a playoff spot, but might pull it off.  Green Bay fell apart.  Minnesota has QB issues which prevents them from being a serious contender.  The Eagles show a glimmer of greatness and then can't beat a freefalling Redskin team and can't even score a TD.   Plaxico Burress sabotaged the Giants big time by shooting himself in the leg (whoever goes to the Superbowl from the NFC should buy him a Mercedes)  and they are in serious disarray even though they have already qualified for the playoffs.  The two NFC teams that have shown consistency and deserve to be in the playoffs as of today, in my opinion, are Carolina and Atlanta. 

I know it's water under the bridge, but if you ask me the single incident that kept us out of the playoffs, everything considered, was throwing 47 passes in a monsoon against a team that is better vs. the pass than vs. the run and we were on their home turf.  That was the straw that broke the camel's back.  And, for those who were wondering around that time of the season what was the matter with Drew Brees, it's called WEATHER!!  Ask Kurt Warner .........

 And I also know that although our defense probably doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs (our offense obviously does) I honestly feel that if we had switched defensive coordinators at mid season with any one of maybe 8 or 10 or maybe 12 DC's in the league, we would be in the playoffs- probably with an 11 and 5 record.