The football had barely sailed across the goal post giving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a shocking win over the New Orleans Saints when the phone sounded the text message alert.

“They’re baaaack” the message read.

Ah, the psychology that is the Saints.

Sean P. Murphy is Post Web editor. He can be reached at smurphy@vicksburgpost.com.

About a month ago, the Saints were flying high. They had just beaten the Washington Redskins in an overtime thriller. A video of a group of rabid Saints fans — with questionable judgment as well as intelligence — shooting a big screen television as part of a lost bet made the rounds on the Internet. Grown men bellowed Who Dats with rifles in one hand and 12-packs in the other.

Talk of the perfect season, something seen only one other time in National Football League history, and an impending trip to the Super Bowl dominated the local landscape. The long-suffering losers had finally turned things around after years and years of disappointment.

Days before a matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, T-shirts began circulating with WWBD? — What Would Breesus Do?

Wonderful. The team playing in the city known for sin had found the path to the NFL’s promised land only to hack off The Man Upstairs. What else could happen?

A loss to Dallas ended a perfect season. The Saints were set to play hapless Tampa Bay at home. Homefield advantage throughout the playoffs would be a reality with a victory.

Then Micheal Spurlock, who dazzled Vicksburg area sports fans with his athletic prowess in high school while at Indianola-Gentry, tore off down the field for a punt return touchdown. Tie game.

No problem. These are the new Saints. Brees drives down the field only to see a winning field goal sail wide.

Bucs win in overtime and the Saints’ fans sweat even more.

A Minnesota Vikings loss on Monday night gave the Saints homefield advantage.

“I hope we don’t get it,” a devout Saints fan said Monday morning. “The dome is cursed.”

Ah, the psychology of a Saints fan. Win a few and it’s great, win 13 in a row they’re on cloud nine-(hundred). The confidence is at an all time high.

Two weeks — and two losses — later and, yes, “they’re back.” Confidence shattered. Homefield advantage nothing but a disadvantage.

Time to burn those shirts. The Saints need all the help you can get.