Well that certainly was a large pile of crap.

So that’s why they call it “midseason form.” Because if teams typically hit on all cylinders a week after reporting to camp, they’d probably call it “preseason form.” It seems so simple, it’s a wonder more people simply don’t seem to understand it.

Actually though, I have to give the gen pop their due. Considering what an ass-kicking the Saints took last night, I was actually quite surprised by the relative lack of wailing and gnashing of teeth in the immediate aftermath. Of course, all bets are off every time the Saints take the field, or so it seems, so there’s no guarantee that the sky won’t start falling sometime Friday evening.

But in the meantime, the reaction to last night sure does seem to demonstrate how effective Coach Payton and crew have been in changing the culture of the Saints. Rather than incessant cries of “Same Old Saints” the prevailing sentiment seemed to be dismissive of all things negative. Maybe even overly so.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Measured reactions are so very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very rare on these here internets.

As is usually the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Take a sampling from the positive and a sampling from the negative, and give the edge to whichever side’s advocates are better able to keep themselves calm and somewhat reasonable, and you’re probably pretty close to the truth of the matter.

Nobody will argue that the end result was aesthetically pleasing (or, in other words, “fly.” It was a complete trainwreck. Just plain ugly. As a spectator, that pissed me off. It’s never fun to watch the Saints get their genitals pounded into the turf. It probably pissed you off too, and we can hardly be blamed for that.

On the other hand, we’ve all been hearing the excuses… uh… reasons for the performance nonstop since… well, actually probably even before kickoff. “Reasons” vs. “excuses” is generally a matter of perspective, the preferred noun depends on your estimation of their validity. Personally, I’m going with “reasons.” Why? Because they seem, oddly enough, reasonable.

I won’t bore you by rehashing all the “they’ve only been in camp a week” and “Coach Payton has been working them like dogs” and “Coach plays it close to the vest in preseason” stuff. We’ve all heard it ad nauseum by now. Suffice to say that it’s hard to argue against any of that.

That being said, surely being thoroughly dominated wasn’t “the plan.” The notion that Coach Payton instructed his players to go out there and lay down, for whatever reason, is ridiculous. Mike McKenzie didn’t get beat over the top for a 55-yard reception intentionally. That’s excuse-making.

The truth of the matter is somewhere in between. This is a good team that still has a lot of work to do and issues to be addressed. A team which isn’t exactly gonna be a defensive juggernaut this year, at least not right off the bat, in case you were hoping for that. A team that was not prepared (nor particularly inclined) to go out there and kick ass last night. And that’s just fine, that’s what preseason is for.

I think each team got exactly what it needed last night. The Steelers needed a dose of confidence. At this point, the Saints aren’t short on confidence. Which isn’t to say that they’re arrogant. But the battle against complacency is perpetual, for all of us. The Saints don’t need to prove to themselves that they can compete, that mission was accomplished last year. What they may have needed, what we all need from time to time, is a swift kick to the “you ain’t unbeatable” bone.

They got it.

Now let’s see what they do with it. Based on what I saw last year, I have no doubt that Coach Payton, Drew, Dulymus, the Asian Assassin, et al, will know exactly what to do with it.

I still reserve the right to go absolutely apeshit Friday night though, should events warrant.