Mickles: Closing games problem for New Orleans

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Oct 10, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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If you take a real close look at the New Orleans Saints’ three losses so far this season, you’ll find one glaring common element.

If you think it’s penalties, which would be a natural assumption considering the Saints have had 24 in the last two weeks, you would be wrong.

While the Saints committed 11 penalties for 102 yards in a 30-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, that wasn’t a problem in setbacks at Washington and Denver in Weeks 2 and 3.

While coach Sean Payton has been frustrated by the penalties, the Saints have been haunted by their inability to dig down and close out games in the fourth quarter — helping produce a disappointing 2-3 record.

It’s something that Payton definitely is missing as his team heads into Sunday’s game with the Oakland Raiders in the Superdome.

In Washington, the Saints saw a 24-15 fourth-quarter lead evaporate in the final six minutes of an eventual 29-24 loss. One week later, in Denver, the Saints had a potential game-winning field goal sail wide right at the two-minute mark.

On Monday night, the Saints let a seven-point lead slip away, then saw another potential game-winning field goal go awry with two minutes left.

“Really, in three cases, the ability to finish is something that we’ve talked about,” Payton said Thursday. “It’s about us finishing games and knowing we’re going to play in a lot of close games. We’re going to have to be able to execute and finish in the fourth quarter, and play in the same fashion we’ve played in earlier quarters.

“That’s something again that involves discipline and accountability and securing the win. You hear people use that cliché that you have to play all four quarters, but I think in our league it’s clearly evident that you can’t just play well for half the game or a portion of the game — or play in spurts.”

Practicing and playing with consistency are keys to that, Payton said.

Part of it, too, has to be a sense of urgency on the part of the players.

“It’s something where there has to be a sense of urgency, where there are two minutes left in the game and we have the ball. We all have to dig down a little deeper and recognize that moment of a win or a loss is right at hand and really execute better in that sequence.”

While they have 11 games left, it’ll never be as important as this week. The Saints will be trying to climb back to the .500 mark in a game that will be their final home appearance until Nov. 24 — a span of 43 days.