Rewind a year ago to the position the New Orleans Saints were in, bouncing around from stadium to stadium while the Pittsburgh Steelers were winning their first Superbowl since 1980. A year later, who would have thought the Saints would be 6-3 – the exact opposite record of the defending champion Steelers who stand at 3-6 – and would be able to stick with Pittsburgh as they did this past week in a 38-31 loss? Although it was a rhetorical question, allow me to answer it – absolutely no one. But the fact remains that the Saints are No. 1 in the NFC South, and although they stumbled this past week against the Steelers, the team’s level of play makes New Orleans a difficult opponent to beat during the second half of the season. At the end of a dismal 3-13 season in 2005, New Orleans residents had mixed reactions about former coach Jim Haslett’s firing. Not so much could be said about the release of former quarterback Aaron Brooks. Many die-hard Saints fans probably wanted to pay for his plane ticket out of the city. Out went Haslett, Brooks and a 3-13 record and in came coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees, a 6-3 record thus far this season and the possibility of making the playoffs. But a postseason appearance this season will coincide with how well the offensive unit will play during the second half. The one thing the Saints have not had since the days of Archie Manning during the ’70s and Bobby Hebert during the early ’90s is a quarterback who has been able to successfully lead a team the way Brees has this season. Brees currently leads the NFL with 2,604 yards passing. He also sits tied for third in the league with a 65.6 percent completion and fourth with 15 touchdowns. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher said he is not surprised Brees has been able to put the team on his shoulders. “He’s got a good feel in the pocket,” Cowher said during a Nov. 6 conference call. “He plays smart. I think he’s a very good field leader. Those are things you talk about, the measurables and intangibles in terms of a quarterback and what they do on the field.” Cowher said Brees’ ability to keep the offensive unit playing at such a high level is a reflection of what type of player he has become. “So much of that position is also the respect that they command in the huddle, the ability to keep things together at times,” Cowher said. “I think that he has so many of the intangibles that go for him, and I think that’s what makes him the special player he is.” Although Brees has helped resurrect an offense that looked lackluster this past season, he could not have done it without the people around him. Through the first nine games of the 2005 season the Saints’ offensive line gave up 26 sacks. In comparison, this season’s offensive line has given up only nine – fewest in the NFL. Payton’s offensive scheme, which contains numerous plays with three- and five-step drops, and Brees’ quick decision making ability have been key to the successful protection this season. Brees said the offensive line has done a fabulous job with their protection and much of the offensive production stems from how well that group plays. “Penalties and sacks are big-time drive killers,” Brees said. “Now all of a sudden you are at second [down] and 15 or second [down] and 17. Now you have to get two plays of nine yards each in a row in order to get a first down, which is tough to do in this league.” Along with strong offensive line play, wide receivers such as Marques Colston have given Brees plenty of open targets. As a front runner for the Rookie of the Year award, Colston has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this season. Colston’s 869 receiving yards this season leads the league, and his seven touchdowns ties him with Torry Holt, Terrell Owens and Darell Jackson for tops in the NFL. Stellar quarterback play, sturdy offensive line protection and a few sure-handed receivers have given the Saints the No. 3 ranked offense in the NFL. Backed by a defense that has been ranked as high as No. 8 this season, the Saints are shaping up to be a team opponents must respect. The Saints should make it to the playoffs this season, but are they ready to be penciled in for Superbowl XLI? Probably not. There is a team from New York and another from Chicago that might have something to say about that. But what this team has done in half of a season is the start of something great not only for the franchise, but the city of New Orleans as well.
—–Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]