To all the people sending me e-mails dreading a possible Saints loss to the Lions I say this, “The Saints losing to the winless Lions wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.”

You are thinking, “Ralph, that’s insane. Detroit is winless and it would be one of the most embarrassing moments in Saints history.”

Please. Losing to the Lions wouldn’t rank in the Top Five worst things the Saints have done. Maybe not even the Top Ten.

Or have you forgotten the Saints snapping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-game losing streak, the Hail Mary loses to Atlanta, hiring an astronaut to be general manager, the Ditka Error or my favorite; Buddy D’s invention of the paper bag as shame for football fans. Wait, that last one was a good thing.

I can go on but I’d rather not.

In football just like life change is hard.

As people we rarely make changes unless we absolutely have to.

Football teams are the same way, especially this Saints team.

Sean Payton just signed a five-year contract extension, doing nothing would be really easy if the Saints win their last two games.

He can blame injuries and a bad kicker.

What if Josh Bullocks intercepts two passes Sunday against whatever Lion fan wins their ‘Play QB for a day’ raffle?

That’d be three interceptions in two weeks. He could be the second coming of Ronnie Lott!

Throw in a good game against Carolina and then instead of the Saints signing or drafting a free safety this off-season we’ll be subjected to hearing and reading how Bullocks ‘turned the corner’ and he finally ‘gets it’.

Then next September we’ll watch in horror as he leaves Jason David all alone against Randy Moss and the Saints get torched for five touchdown passes by Tom Brady.

Oh, did I forget to mention Jason David looked awesome against Detroit and Carolina too?

The Saints decided they didn’t need any more cornerbacks either.

Of course they didn’t because they finished 9-7!

Now I know some of you will say rooting against the Saints means I’m not a ‘true fan’ because ‘true fans’ never root against their teams.

I can be a Saints fan any way I want.

Besides, sometimes losing is for the greater good and quite enjoyable.

I rooted against the Saints in Mike Ditka’s final month as coach. I gleefully cheered as the Panthers piled on during his last game as coach because they needed to score as many points as possible to try and make the playoffs.

For the record, that game so disgusted Tom Benson it was a big factor in Ditka getting shown the door.

Losing worked out well there.

In 2005 I was practically beside myself when it looked like the Lions were going to give the Saints their fourth win of the season.

I wanted the Saints to have the first or second draft pick and a win would have pushed them down to sixth or seventh and I wanted Haslett fired.

The Lions managed what I called at the time, “A Christmas Miracle” and beat the Saints on a last second field goal. My mom was completely confused why I was laughing while saying, “Best Christmas gift this year. Thank you Detroit !”

Since the Saints have traditionally been so good at losing games late (last week in Chicago latest example), watching them do what they are known for yet enjoying it is fantastic.

That loss in 2005 meant hello to Reggie Bush.

Losing can be very good.

This year it’s not so cut and dried.

Losing won’t guarantee the Saints make any moves this off-season but it sure would push them in that direction.

So if the Saints do play Santa to the Detroit Lions.

In the long run, it could make for a better 2009.

Onto the games

Last week: 1-2-2

Season: 38-34-3

New Orleans (-7) at Detroit : I’m not opposed to the Saints winning, as long as the secondary continues their season long tradition of giving up huge plays. No point playing good football the last two weeks guys. The only way Roman Harper could look more lost in pass coverage is if he dressed like an old woman and kept screaming, “Does anybody see a yellow Lincoln Continental? I know I parked it here somewhere.” 

I misspoke before when I said a Lions fan will be playing QB Sunday, apparently it’s some guy named Dan Orlovsky. I hope he throws four touchdowns to Calvin Johnson.

I just don’t want the Saints going into 2009 thinking their secondary and pass rush is ok.

Of course much like Santa, the Saints rarely give me what I want.

Saints 38-7

Miami (-4) at Kansas City : My girlfriend is a huge Dolphins fan so I’ve seen every one of their games. They basically just wait for all the crappy teams they play to lose the game.

It’s not the most enjoyable thing to watch. Sometimes like last Sunday against the 49ers it is downright painful. It is however an almost full proof strategy when your schedule includes both the NFC and AFC West.

They do have Ricky Williams and the ‘Wild Cat’ formation for comic purposes.

They are going 11-5 and will have a home playoff game. See Detroit fans there is hope!

Dolphins 31-17

San Diego (+3.5) at Tampa : Surprise, the Bucs are in full scale choke mode. Granted the Chargers still stink and if not for Herm Edwards taking bad coaching to a level I couldn’t possibly have dreamed if I hadn’t watched it the Chargers would have rolled over and played dead for this game.

I get the feeling Tampa is the odd team out and Dallas and Atlanta will get in the playoffs.

Chargers 27-21

Carolina (+3) at New York Giants: I’m always amused when the so called experts deny the obvious like, “Maybe the Giants will miss the receiver that dominated the NFC Championship and caught the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.”

No Plaxico Burress is a huge deal. It just is.

Panthers 23-20

Atlanta (+3.5) at Minnesota : I’d nominate the Vikings as the ‘hot’ team in the playoffs most likely to lose a home game except Matt Ryan will beat them and then they won’t be so popular.

Falcons 28-27

Ralph Malbrough is a Saints fan living in Houston . He can be reached at ralphmalbrough@hotmail.com. He also hosts an internet radio show Sundays after Saints games at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/forecastradio  You can download archived editions at itunes.