Bipolar: (Adj.) Having or relating to two poles or extremities. Characterised by manic and depressive episodes, or just manic ones only.

…Maybe we should have known all along.

But following the manic high of a victory at Soldier Field against the dreadful Bears, we collectively teased ourselves with the notion that the bipolar 2014 Saints might have finally found their identity and overcome their demons.

If we were ever going to find out who these 2014 Saints really were, yesterday was the day. You don’t get any bigger than a “win or go home” Dome game against the Falcons.

Before the game yesterday, I felt the most confident I have pre-game since… Well, since Carolina came into town a fortnight ago. And I suppose that is half of the problem this year. The 2014 Saints build you up. And then, crushingly, knock you down. There is no rhyme or reason to it. They lose when they should win. They win when they should lose. They dominate the Steelers and Bears in the trenches. But get dominated by the Falcons and Bengals. They demolish the Panthers on the road. But get demolished by them at home.

The problem with a team like this is that every week, you have hope. Every Sunday, you tease yourself – “could this be the week that we (finally) piece it all together?”

All the ingredients were there with this team – and there certainly were flashes when it all came together. But that was all they were, fleeting moments, false dawns, mirages. The heartbreaking losses early in the season to the Falcons, the Browns and the Lions seemed to leave permanent scars on this team’s psyche. Any hint that the Saints had finally “turned the corner” was inevitably followed by a debilitating low.

When Jalen Saunders ran back that kick yesterday, though, for a passing euphoric moment I genuinely thought we had finally turned that corner. On the very next play, Mark Ingram sliced into the endzone untouched. Finally, the Saints’ sideline was oozing confidence and intensity, and had a “fast start” to build on. This was different to Carolina. Different to Baltimore. Different to Cincy.

Of course, as we should have known, it was nothing more than another passing mirage. The temporary manic high was followed very quickly by an even crueler (and this time fatal) low. Now is not the time for a post-mortem – the wounds are too raw. But suffice to say, all hope is now gone. There will be no more manic highs. There will be no more crushing lows. The 2014 Saints are now dead.

And the thing is – I don’t think we, or they, will ever truly know who they were.

In some ways, it is a relief that it is over. The infuriating inconsistency, the blind hope, the bitterly painful disappointment. The pain will, of course, pass. To be replaced by hope, come draft day. By excitement, come the preseason. For that is the cycle of the football fan, unless you are a fan of that 1 team out of 32 that wins it all.

In my eyes, these 2014 Saints could have been great. They just needed some stability. It was feast or famine. They were either the best, or the worst. They didn’t “do” average. When we look back in the books at the 2014 Saints, the bipolar symptoms were there for all to see:

– The Saints rank #1 in the league in 3rd down offensive efficiency (48%) – The Saints rank #30 in the league in 3rd down defensive efficiency (46%)

– The Saints rank #1 in the league in yards gained per game (416) – The Saints rank #31 in the league in yards conceded per game (391)

– The Saints rank #3 in the league in passing yards for per game (299) – The Saints rank #30 in the league in passing yards against per game (261)

– The Saints rank #2 in the league in rushing YPC for (4.6) – The Saints rank #31 in the league in rushing YPC against (4.8)

And perhaps most crushingly of all… – The Saints rank #31 in the league in turnover differential (-11)

Sure, a lot of these numbers will make ugly reading for Rob Ryan. They are Spags-esque, in several categories. But the numbers don’t tell the full story. The offense was not consistently that good. The defense was not consistently that bad. It is the turnover stat is the one that truly represents the 2014 Saints for me. It is on the offense. The defense. The coaches. Only the 2-12 Raiders have a worse turnover ratio than the Saints. It is a fitting tribute to this team. The turnover is the ultimate crushing low – the ultimate momentum shift. And it was our specialism all year long. Considering that brutal -11 ratio, finishing 7-9 or 6-10 is not a bad feat. The problem is, “not bad” is not good enough in New Orleans these days. The Saints can at least be consoled by the fact that, according to webmd, “episodes of bipolar mania tend to last for 3-6 months“. Which, given the fact this started in September, should mean we are on the home stretch. The catch? “The episodes will get more frequent and severe if the illness is left untreated“. …”Doctor Loomis will see you now”.