New Orleans No-Call: Saints drop 26-23 overtime heartbreaker in NFC Championship

One of the most controversial no-calls in NFL history is in many ways the difference between the New Orleans Saints going to Super Bowl 53 and watching the Los Angeles Rams celebrate at their expense.

From Minneapolis Miracle to New Orleans No-Call, it’s playoff heartbreak for the New Orleans Saints for the second year in a row. Just like nine years ago, the Saints had the chance to win it in overtime.

‘How in the world do you miss that call, in this game, in that moment?’ That’s the question Head Coach Sean Payton and company are left to process as they attempt to compartmentalize an abrupt end to an otherwise special post-season run. “Frustrating, you know? Just getting off the phone with the league office. They blew the call and man, there are a lot of opportunities though. That call puts it 1st & 10. We only need three plays and it’s a game-changing call.”

“Just a bad call, terrible call.”

Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said, “I saw it, yeah. Pass interference. And he hit him in his face.”

Wide receiver Tommylee Lewis said, “I think it just basically makes it feel like all our hard work just went down the drain.”

Defensive end Cameron Jordan said, “Without bashing a so-said referee who’s supposed to be elite at his job, I don’t know. Blame it on the government shutdown, I don’t know. At some point this s*** is ridiculous.”

“My problem with it is, I just don’t know if we were playing pickup football in the backyard the team that committed the foul. I mean it was as obvious a call and how two guys can look at that and come up and arrive with their decision. And it happened though, so you can’t dwell on it. We’ll probably never get over it,” said Payton.

Quarterback Drew Brees said, “Obviously, it stings right now and it will probably for a while. But as we look back on the 2018 New Orleans Saints this was a special team, this was a special year. Ton of great memories.”

Now, if there’s any silver lining to Sunday’s loss, it’s that Brees says he expects to be back for at least one more run at Super Bowl 54, but still not quite the same as it would have been winning Super 53 in Atlanta.

The Rams will take on the Patriots in Super Bowl 53.