Thursday night the Saints smacked the Chiefs around so hard it nearly knocked all the racism out of their team identity. There’s a press conference scheduled for tomorrow to announce that they’re now the “Kansas City Native American Tribal Leaders.” Or something.

A lot of people seem to have been trying to minimize the trouncing since Thursday night. Oh sure, we’re all excited about the way the Saints have performed the last two times out. But apparently it’s hip to hold your exuberance in check and keep in mind that the Chiefs suck. Brodie Croyle sucks. Larry Johnson and Priest Holmes didn’t play. Their o-line lost Will Shields, Willie Roaf is retired, and on and on.

I’ll grant you all those things. But the thing is, if you’re gonna dock the Saints due to the level of their competition, you also need to give them extra points for thoroughly dominating. This wasn’t exactly a squeaker. If the Chiefs suck, then the Saints did exactly what they should have done: shoved it down their throats and left them for dead.

And now it’s time for the easiest part of any coach’s job: the cuts.

Seems everyone’s focus is on Pierre Thomas vs. Antonio Pittman vs. Aaron Stecker. And it seems like I’m about the only person on the planet who is of the opinion that it doesn’t matter.

I’d like to see them keep Stecker, if for no other reason than I enjoy calling him “Stecker Ace.” Come on, Burt Reynolds references are gold, Jerry! Ned Beatty, Jim Nabors, Parker Stevenson? What’s not to love?

Pittman vs. Thomas is a little more complicated. Still doesn’t matter, but it’s complicated. There’s no doubt that Thomas has outplayed Pittman so far in the preseason. But I don’t think the decision will be made on that basis, and I don’t think it should be. I also don’t think the decision will be made based on who is more likely to get through waivers and to the practice squad. Nor will it be based on the fact that Pittman was drafted in the fourth round and Thomas went undrafted.

On one hand, you don’t want to fall into Harry Browne’s “investment trap.” The picks used to draft Pittman are a sunk cost. Keeping him on the roster based solely out of desperation to squeeze some kind of return out of that investment, against all odds, is an investment trap that we Saints fans saw quite enough of when Haslett was in town.

But on the other hand, there’s a reason that Pittman was considered a steal in the fourth round, while Thomas wasn’t drafted. That Pittman hasn’t shown much yet is not necessarily an indication that he won’t eventually turn out to be 10 times the player Thomas is capable of being.

So on some level, it’s a “now vs. later” kind of decision. Right now, Thomas seems to be the guy who can better help the team. And the Saints are smack dab in the middle of a Super Bowl window. But would Thomas be called upon to make any kind of significant impact this year? If not, does it really matter that he’s the guy most ready to play right now? If the Saints feel that Pittman will be the better player down the road, when he’s really needed, and that neither Pittman nor Thomas would really be needed this year, then they have to keep Pittman.

On the other hand, Thomas certainly does better fit the “Earn It” mantra right now. Coach Payton could make a bit of a statement to that end by choosing Thomas over Pittman, a statement that wouldn’t cost him much. Cutting a fourth round pick isn’t exactly an unbelievably risky or ballsy or bold move. It would further underscore Coach’s “We don’t care where you came from, we only care if you can play.” motto.

Then there’s the idea of solving the problem by shopping Stecker and Pittman in a trade, and taking what you can get. I’m sure a lot of people would say that Pittman doesn’t have any trade value, but I disagree.

There’s a reason the Saints traded up to get Pittman. Somebody else was going to grab him before their fourth came around. Again, he was widely considered a steal when the Saints drafted him. If you float him for a 5th or 6th, you might just get a nibble or two. I find it hard to believe that one camp has completely ruined his value. And hey, a pick is a pick. Oh sure, assholes will say that you screwed up and got taken to the cleaners and all kinds of other things. But they’re assholes, so who cares?

Conversely, I think that Thomas is the only one of the three with no trade value. Nobody thought enough of him to draft him, a couple of preseason performances isn’t going to change that. And as convinced as most seem to be that “OMG HE’LL NEVER MAKE IT THROUGH WAIVERS!!!!” the chances of anyone claiming a UDFA are slim and none. Regardless of what a beast he looks like in the second halves of a couple of preseason games. And if by some chance someone does claim him, it’s certainly not the end of the world.

Whatever happens, ultimately it’s going to come down to information that we aren’t privy to as fans, and analysis of each player’s performance and potential that we as fans aren’t qualified to make.

And ultimately, while Coach will call it a “tough cut” because that’s what coaches are supposed to say, it’s actually going to be one of the easier cuts. Why? Because in the end, it doesn’t really matter. We’re talking about a fourth rounder and a UDFA here. If you make a mistake and cut the wrong one, there are going to be 30 running backs to choose from in next year’s draft.

Making a mistake on Pittman vs. Thomas doesn’t cripple your franchise. You shake it off and try again next year. Hell, you might as well flip a coin if it comes to that. But it won’t come to that. Coach Payton and staff will make an informed, rational decision that carries with it a significant luck factor. Whether they hit or miss remains to be seen. If they hit, great. If they miss, over the long haul it’s not likely to make much of a difference.

What matters right now is that there’s very little sticking to the toothpick when inserted into The Cake of Tremendous Power these days. They may laugh at us now when we speak of the possibility of this offense legitimately being One For The Ages, but they won’t be laughing when they’re bent over receiving their Colstonoscopy.

Somewhere deep down, we all know that there’s a pretty decent chance that this offense is about ready to start setting records. Not franchise records, that was last year. I’m talking league records.

But as Saints fans, we’re conditioned to “BELIEVE!” while always waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something to come along and fuck it all up. Usually, the Saints themselves end up fulfilling that prophecy.

Those days are over. “FAITH!” is for chumps. These days, we have something far more useful: Evidence. It’s happening right in front of our eyes.

It’s time to throw off the shackles of constantly worrying about when Drew Brees is gonna go down and the team is gonna be in the hands of Jamie Martin. Hell, Jamie Martin is better than Rex Grossman for crying out loud.

Free yourself from the fretting over whether or not the Saints are about to cut the next Walter Payton.

Stop driving yourself crazy wondering if the Saints’ red zone issues are going to make the difference between a 23-point win and a 34-point win.

It’s party time, bitches! Embrace it. The Saints are the best team in the NFC. And there’s a decent chance that it’s not even close.