NFC South teams keep blowing their playoff dreams in spectacular fashion

There’s one upside to not being in the playoffs: you don’t get your heart broken in crucial games by your defense allowing 61-yard touchdown catches with seconds left.

That, of course, is what happened to the New Orleans Saints yesterday. They’d almost completed an epic comeback in the second half, after embarrassing themselves in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings. And then somehow their much-improved defense did what no defense should ever do: allow a long touchdown when the game is on the line.

It was heartbreaking for Saints fans, and highly amusing to me. A similar thing happened to the Atlanta Falcons the day before. Despite getting down to the two-yard line, Matt Ryan could not convert that opportunity into a game-winning touchdown. I was a little less amused by that, though, what with their opponents being the Philadelphia Eagles and all. I preferred the Falcons Super Bowl choke job last year.

So yeah, that’s something we have on the rest of the NFC South right now: schadenfreude. At least we just suck throughout the whole season, instead of having high hopes built up and seeing them blown to smithereens at the last second. Though, y’know, I wouldn’t mind some more wins. Or a playoff spot. Even if that leads to a loss.