Now the nation knows. The New Orleans Saints are no longer simply the feel-good story of the year. No. Now the Saints are a force to be reckoned with and a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl.
That's the feeling today, after the Saints absolutely obliterated the Dallas Cowboys last night on national TV. The final score of 42-17 was bad enough, but it doesn't even begin to describe how much of a blowout this game was. After giving up a 77-yard touchdown run on Dallas's second play from scrimmage, the Saints' defense rebounded and put on a masterful performance.
All year long, the story has been about this team's offense. Drew Brees is in a dogfight with his former teammate (San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson) for league MVP honors. Reggie Bush's explosiveness has changed the way teams must gameplan against the Saints. Marques Colston, a seventh-round draft choice, has played like the Rookie of the Year for the better part of the season. And it goes beyond those three players. Deuce McAllister finding his role. Joe Horn's leadership, even through injuries. The depth at both wide receiver and tight end, with no-names making plays and names for themselves. And a patchwork offensive line playing like one of the league's best.
But last night was just as much about defense. A defense that wasn't supposed to be good at all. No depth and not much talent at linebacker. During the offseason, the Saints traded for a backup linebacker from Philadelphia, and Mark Simoneau has become one of the team's stars on defense. It's seemed as if every move has simply worked.
I'm not afraid to say that this team appears to be a "team of destiny". From Hurricane Katrina last year destoying the Saints' season, causing coach Jim Haslett to be let go and quarterback Aaron Brooks to (finally, thankfully) be terminated, to the hiring of Sean Payton, an unheralded QB coach who nobody else seemed to want, to Houston's idiocy of passing over Bush and allowing him to fall to the Saints at No. 2 in the draft, everything has fallen into place. This team had some talent and some character. It also had some losers. A lot of losers. But Payton has changed all that. He revamped the roster and brought in players who have bought into his system. Everything he has touched basically has turned to gold.
He hinged his future on Drew Brees, a quarterback cast away from San Diego in favor of third-year player Philip Rivers, after Brees hurt his shoulder and required offseason surgery. Brees worked out for Miami, who felt it had a better shot with Dante Culpepper's rebuilt knee. Didn't turn out too well for the Dolphins, but that left Brees as the new QB of the future in New Orleans. All Brees has done so far is throw for more than 4,000 yards for the first time in his career and separate himself as one of two legitimate MVP candidates (Tomlinson has 29 TDs, an NFL record, for the 11-2 Chargers). After last night's 383-yard game, Brees has thrown for 4,033 yards -- 1,051 yards shy of Dan Marino's all-time single-season record with three games to play. Brees would need to average about 350 yards per game, which isn't out of the question. He's currently averaging a little more than 310 and has thrown for more than 300 yards in six of the team's past seven games.
Then there's Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner last year who inexplicably fell to New Orleans at No. 2 in the draft. That's the day when New Orleans fans began to believe again -- began to truly believe the team's luck was turning around. We had a franchise QB and a legitimate budding superstar in Reggie Bush. Bush hasn't quite lived up to his hype (which was impossible), but he's played a major role in getting this team to 9-4. Bush is second in the league with 79 receptions and although his averages for both rushing and receiving aren't phenomenal, he's a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. There was his first touchdown -- a 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay that gave the Saints the lead and the win. Then, last week, he scored four touchdowns against the 49ers. And against the Cowboys, he took a dump pass 61 yards for a touchdown -- showing his maturation by patiently waiting for his blockers and then exploding for the end zone. Bush has surpassed 125 yards receiving each of the past two weeks and scored a receiving touchdown in each. The scary part is he's just getting started.
And Bush and McAllister, who entered this season as a major question mark coming off knee surgery, have formed a tremendous team. Bush's explosiveness has helped create space for McAllister's power. McAllister, who is nearing in on 1,000 yards for the season, has helped salt away games last and contributed heavily to the Saints' ability to keep the clock running and controll the football. His stats have taken a hit due to sharing carries with Bush, but he's broken the 100-yard mark each of the past two weeks, and seems to be getting stronger. There's no doubt this team is at its best when there's a great balance between the number of touches for both Bush and McAllister. McAllister needs 20-25 carries a game, while Bush needs 20 touches -- which can come in a variety of ways. But perhaps the most vital asset McAllister has brought is his leadership. He's bought into Payton's system and hasn't pouted a bit about a rookie taking some of his spotlight. He just continues to work and produce. In many ways, he embodies exactly what this team is about this year.
I could go on and on and on. Each and every player has a story that could be told, and I could literally type for hours talking about every one of them. But I won't bore you with all that. All I won't to do is say that I believe. I, along with many others, believe this team has what it takes to go to the Super Bowl -- and win! Right now, the Saints are 1.5 games behind the Bears in the race for the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Should Chicago lose tonight to the St. Louis Rams, New Orleas will be one game back with three to play. New Orleans has a very favorable schedule starting next week with Washington (4-9) in the Superdome, following by a trip to New York to face the Giants (7-6) and a home date against division rival Carolina (6-7) to end the year. The final two games will be tough, as both the Giants and Panthers are fighting for their playoff lives. But it isn't out of the question for the Saints to win out and finish 12-4. With Chicago closing with the Rams (5-7) on the road, Tampa Bay (3-10) at home, Detroit (2-11) on the road and Green Bay (5-8) at home, it's clear to see the Bears have the favorable schedule to lock up the No. 1 seed. But with Rex Grossman at QB, stranger things have happened.
Should the Saints somehow get homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, there's no way they lose at home. Not with what New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region has gone through since Hurricane Katrina. This team -- this coach, these players -- will not allow that to happen. Last night, the Saints went into the house of "America's Team" and showed them just who the new "America's Team" really is. And I have a feeling this new America's Team will be playing in America's Game for the first time ever. Miami -- here we come!!!
