The NFL playoff picture may still be up in the air, but the Adultfyi pool continues to see Karl the Birdman solidly entrenched in the top position.
Even with 14-2 records this weekend, myself, Tim Case, Mastrick and Dan Davis were able to gain but one game in the standings. And here’s how they look after Week 14:
Karl the Birdman: 147-61
Sean, www.pornlegends.com: 139-79
Willie D: 138-70
Gene Ross: 137-71
Dan Davis: 136-72
Mastrick: 133-75
Tim Case: 132-76
Tony Batman: 131-77
Steve Seidman, Jack Spade: 127-81
Ryan from Jerry’s Deli: 126-82
Billy the Crystal, John Gray, Mike Dickinson: 124-84
Sandy Bunz, www.sandybunz.com: 117-91
Steve Lane, www.serenity.net 111-97
Serenity, www.serenity.net: 109-99
Wankus: 106-102
Brian Wallace: 104-104
ATLANTA [AP]– ATLANTA — With their playoff hopes hanging by a string of Mardi Gras beads, the New Orleans Saints are alive to boogie down Bourbon Street another day.
Playing with a patchwork backfield, the Saints parlayed strong efforts from quarterback Drew Brees and their defense to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-14 Monday night. A Saints loss would have clinched the NFC South for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, New Orleans still has an outside shot at winning the division title.
Because the Bucs (8-5) already have beaten the Saints (6-7) twice, they can clinch the division by winning one of three games left vs. the Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers (11-28 combined).
New Orleans, which trails the Minnesota Vikings by one game for the NFC’s second wild-card berth, faces the Arizona Cardinals (6-7) next Sunday in a must-win situation for both teams.
“When you’re sitting there at 5-7, you look ahead and say, ‘We have to win all four to make it in.’ At least we control our own destiny,” Brees said. “But you can’t win four in a row until you win one, and that was this night: Monday Night Football, on the road, in the division. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
The Saints probably will make their stretch run without running back Reggie Bush, out with a partially torn knee ligament. They had lost Deuce McAllister (knee) for the season in Week 3.
Instead, Brees went to the air Monday night, throwing two TD passes to Marques Colston and one to David Patten, who had a career-high 122 yards on nine catches. Running back Aaron Stecker ran for 100 yards on 20 carries.
The defense also did its part. Safety Roman Harper returned an interception 31 yards for a score to put the Saints up 31-7 with 8:30 left in the third quarter. By the time the fourth quarter began, most Falcons fans headed for the exits.
For Atlanta (3-10), a year marked by Michael Vick’s dogfighting scandal and a quarterback carousel is getting no better. Chris Redman made his first start in more than five years Monday, and though he threw for a career-high 298 yards and two TDs, it made the loss no easier. “This is a hard one to take,” Falcons coach Bobby Petrino said. “We’ve got to find something to rally around.”
Brees shredded the Falcons’ defense with four scoring drives that covered at least 75 yards, including a 99-yarder. He should’ve had a fourth TD pass, but Eric Johnson dropped a throw in the back of the end zone with no one around.
The Saints vowed not to play timid after botching a trick play late in their game against the Bucs, who recovered and drove for the winning touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to take firm control of the NFC South.
Coach Sean Payton lived up to his word on his team’s very first possession, going for it on fourth-and-1 at the New Orleans 33. Brees was stuffed for no gain, but that was about the only thing that didn’t go right for the Saints. The defense held and forced the Falcons to punt.
“We are an aggressive team offensively,” Brees told The Associated Press. “That is our mind-set. That is what we are. That is why we’re successful.”
Redman threw for two touchdowns and a career-best 298 yards for the Falcons, the second-highest total this season for a team that also has used Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich. But the Saints built a 17-7 lead by halftime and blew it open with two more touchdowns early in the third quarter.
In a final indignity for Redman, Jason Craft delivered a block on the quarterback right at the goal line that sent him sprawling.
“Not a good day,” Petrino said curtly.
Notes: The Saints rushed for 145 yards overall, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Pierre Thomas chipped in with 31 yards on six carries. … Jenkins tied his career high with nine receptions, accounting for 83 yards. … Falcons rookie Laurent Robinson had a 41-yard catch, the longest of his young career.