Irving, Texas – Attempting to find the best team in the NFC has been like tracking a capricious breeze that glides across the country. In and out of North Carolina, with the Panthers’ unmet preseason expectations. Up through New York and across to Chicago, where, were it not for Devin Hester’s magical returns, good fortune would depend on the unreliable science of Rex Grossman’s decision-making.
So it was that last Sunday’s game at Texas Stadium was expected to provide a final resting place for the fickle gust. It was thought it would alight upon the shoulders of the Dallas Cowboys, winners of four straight and five of six and riding a wave of passion and “Ro-mo-mentum.” Such thoughts were generated by novice starting quarterback Tony Romo, something Mike Shanahan could envision only in his wildest dreams.
But by evening’s end, the zephyr had renewed its journey, this time heading toward New Orleans, where the Saints, courtesy of a 42-17 pounding of the Cowboys, had at least entered the conversation of possible conference representatives for Super Bowl XLI.
“I felt like this was going to happen for us at some point,” quarterback Drew Brees, the NFL’s best free-agent pickup, said afterward. “Did I think it was going to happen this fast? Probably not.”
After a 3-13 2005 season that was doomed before it began, given the tragedy wrought by Hurricane Katrina, the Saints have made their own remarkable recovery, lifting the emotions of the city along with them. Now 9-4, the Saints hold the second-best mark in the NFC to the Bears’ 11-2. If that holds, a little more than a year after serving as one of the symbols of a community’s devastation, the Superdome would host an NFL playoff game.
“Each time we play, it’s like a little celebration for our fans,” running back Deuce McAllister said.
Finding the answers
When he arrived in New Orleans, rookie wide receiver Marques Colston freely admits he “had no idea of what to expect.”
That was borne, in part, of his status as a seventh-round draft pick out of Hofstra. But it was also an uncertainty based on the team, and the city, that had selected him. For much of 2005, there was plenty of talk that the Saints would never return to New Orleans, that their emergency-necessitated base in San Antonio would become their permanent home.
Even when that was settled, there were still plenty of questions. While Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush had fallen into their laps when Houston selected Mario Williams with the first pick of the 2006 draft, there was still a mystery about whether there would be enough room for him and McAllister – who had missed the past 11 games with a knee injury.
There was also Brees, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Broncos and was coming off surgery. When the Saints lost three of four preseason contests, including a 30-7 decision to Dallas, most NFL observers thought it would be yet another lost season. However, the New Orleans players insisted they knew that wasn’t the case.
“We were still going through that phase of finding each other, getting to know each other,” Brees said. “There was a new system, new coaches and a lot of new faces. But we’ve got a group of guys who love the game and who care for each other, and I think that shows by the way we play.”
After Sunday’s game, to a man, the Saints’ offensive players were exuberant for fullback Mike Karney, a three-year veteran who scored not only his first NFL touchdown, but his second and third as well.
“He was in the game plan, but I didn’t think he’d get a hat trick,” gushed Brees.
Karney’s effort was typical of a season in which, more often than not, things have clicked for the Saints’ offense, which is tops in the NFL at more than 400 yards a game. Brees not only was fine from Day One, he has been spectacular, already throwing for more than 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns. With McAllister healthy, Bush has been featured more as a receiver than a runner. On Sunday, he set a team rookie record for receptions and leads the Saints with 79. For most of the year, he has actually been overshadowed by Colston, who has 59 receptions for 917 yards and seven touchdowns.
Deal with it
But the most important newcomer is head coach Sean Payton. Payton led a sizeable contingent of coaches and players from Dallas, where he had served as an assistant for three seasons.
Before his time in Texas, Payton also worked under Bill Parcells in New York. From the start of his head coaching tenure, players say, it was clear that if nothing else, Payton had picked up the Tuna’s impatience with excuses. While acknowledging the difficulties of coming into New Orleans at such a fragile time for the city and franchise, Payton also made it clear that wouldn’t be justification for failure.
“He demands a lot out of us; he tells us what he expects,” wide receiver Michael Lewis said. “He started making changes from the start. He wasn’t taking anything off of anybody. If he has something to say, he’s going to say it. It’s going to come out and then it’s up to you to deal with it.
“With him, you either were going to play ball or he was going to let you know about it and then get somebody else who would. Look at Marques Colston. Most people would think he would only be out on the practice squad, but (Payton) said it’s not about what you’ve got (reputation-wise). There are 53 guys on the team, and he’s going to put the ones who will help us win out there.”
Like Parcells, Payton doesn’t have time for vagaries like wondering about home-field advantage or being the NFC’s best team with three weeks remaining.
“There are enough of you guys out there to do that,” he said after Sunday’s game.
But, perhaps a tad emboldened by being so much more than expected, the Saints’ players say they’re going to do their best to make sure that funny little wind has found a permanent home.
“It’s OK if expectations rise now, because we’re raising the bar on ourselves,” Brees said. “We’ve been raising our own standards the last few weeks. I feel like we’re rising to the occasion, rising to challenges.”
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
Marching into Nawlins
One reason for the New Orleans Saints’ turnaround from their 3-13 mark in 2005 is an increase in talent, both on the field and on the sideline. Here are some of the notable pickups for the team this year:
Head coach Sean Payton
The assistant head coach/passing coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys last season, Payton has brought discipline to the Saints. He also knows something about throwing the football. This will mark the seventh consecutive season in which a quarterback under Payton’s guidance will throw for at least 3,000 yards.
QB Drew Brees
The league’s best offseason free-agent pickup, the former San Diego Chargers quarterback has overcome questions after shoulder surgery to become a candidate for the NFL’s MVP. Has thrown for 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns.
RB Reggie Bush
The No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft, Bush has rushed for only 405 yards, but already has set a team rookie record with 79 receptions. He has scored seven touchdowns – four rushing, two receiving and one on a punt return.
WR Marques Colston
This rookie was a seventh-round pick from Hofstra. Until a midseason hamstring injury, he was well on his way to winning the league’s rookie of the year award. Averaging 15.5 yards on 59 receptions, Colston also has scored seven touchdowns.
LB Scott Fujita
One of at least six former Cowboys on the New Orleans roster. The fifth-year veteran is second on the team with 82 tackles and has 2 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.
ANTHONY COTTON
