The Saints' previous best two regular seasons were in 1987 and 1992, both of which they won 12 games, only to get drubbed in the playoffs 44-10 by the Vikings and 36-20 by the Eagles, respectively.
In fact, the Saints and Colts have already joined a very elite club even if neither go 16-0. Only five other teams have gone 13-0.
Here's how that panned out: 2007 Patriots, 16-0, lost Super Bowl XLII; 2005 Colts, 14-2, lost divisional playoff; 1998 Broncos, 14-2, won Super Bowl XXXIII; 1972 Dolphins, 14-0, won Super Bowl VII; 1934 Bears, 13-0, lost NFL Championship.
With that record in mind, it's safe to assume both the Saints and Colts have an 80 percent chance of playing in the Super Bowl. Of course, history will be made if both teams go 16-0 to get there, wherein the Saints crush the Colts 36-24.
Needless to say, that fearless prediction will prove true as long as cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter return healthy. Linebacker Scott Fujita will be a welcome return over third-string action too. Because we're gonna need the best talent our roster has to offer if we're gonna stop Peyton Manning's aerial attack.
Especially after witnessing the defense allow two Sundays in a row quarterbacks Jason Campbell and Chris Redman pass all over it as if they're Peyton Manning. Filling in for injured Matt Ryan in his first full game, Redman chunked the pigskin around for 303 yards.
However I'm confident the return of Greer and Porter -- which is highly likely since neither have been moved to the injured reserve list -- will get defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' schemes back to their disruptive orders, allowing the front four to wreak more havoc.
When it looked like the Saints put the game away in the third quarter by going up 23-9 with a Reggie Bush screen, the Falcons got right back in it with Redman's 50-yard-pass to Michael Jenkins. Williams had dialed up a "Chucky" -- a double cornerback blitz he had designed years ago when facing Jon Gruden's Buccaneers -- and the Falcons immediately recognized it and got free safety Darren Sharper to bite with a stutter to a seam route over the top.
When the same thing had happened in the first quarter Jenkins had dropped the ball.
Stay healthy Reggie.
For the second week in a row middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma practically saved the game himself. It's like as if he's Mr. T with a Night-F Mohawk, intercepting passes on final drives or shutting down the Falcons in the middle on fourth-and-two.
With 1:12 remaining, Vilma sniffed out a short pass to Jason Snelling -- the same play went for 38 yards in the first quarter -- and stuffed the running back on fourth down.
It was a pretty big deal because the Falcons were at mid-field and had plenty of time to tie it up.
Of course, if kicker Garrett Hartley hadn't missed that extra point in the first half the game wouldn't have been another fibrillative story.
Then again, if we had just kicked a field goal on our final drive the Falcons would have been forced to score a touchdown to win it.
Instead, coach Sean Payton ordered a fake. And who else but Mark Brunell rolled out to his left and attempted to line up guard Carl Nicks, of all people, though I won't question his athleticism, for a touchdown pass, before checking down to tight end Darnell Dinkins in the flat. But Brunell waited too long to pass, so when Dinkins caught it he was already stepping out of bounds.
But did Nicks' fat man route running fire me up? You bet!
Drew Brees rarely rolls out of the pocket and almost always steps up to get defenders behind him, but showed some nimbleness by evading Thomas DeCoud.
Falcons coach Mike Smith provided
On Sunday Terry Bradshaw expressed concern for the Saints moving away from a balanced attack. The Saints have thrown the ball more than 40 times in the past two weeks while running it about 25 times a game.
Then again, in just 49 plays while destroying the Patriots, the Saints ran the ball 26 times and Brees had 23 pass attempts for the best day ever.
Pierre Thomas has thus far rushed for 713 yards for 5.3 a carry. It'd be pretty cool for him to break 1,000.
Mike "The Hammer" Bell has ran for 598 yards at 4.2 a carry.
The Saints haven't had a thousand-yard rusher since Deuce McAllister.
Bush has added 310 yards at 5 a carry.
I'd say we're running the ball pretty well.
Having said all that, I keep failing to mention the Saints locked up a bye, only their second in franchise history. And we've got a two-game lead on the Vikings for home field advantage. I say bring 'em to the Dome, where we can get it on!
As usual, Brees got all his receivers involved in the game. Here Devery Henderson runs past cornerback Brent Grimes.
By the way, Lance "Mighty Mouse" Moore is due back for Saturday's game against Dallas. It'll be interesting to see how Payton and Brees mix it up to get 2008's best receiver involved.
In another update, The Unknown Who Dat, TUWD, Mr. Meaux Jeaux, 'Ol Blue Dat, Crazy Uncle Saints Fan, or whatever you might call him, is still out there. But I'm hoping there's some sort of fan tribute to him in the Dome this Saturday so maybe he'll actually find out there's a nationwide search for him. A fan with a sign needs to proclaim a TUWD Alert!
Didya see that guy in the saloon window?
(Hey Meach, you think you can keep your pants on a little longer?)
By the way, my brother smartly equated the search for TUWD to Conan O'Brien's long-ago search for "Grady" of Sanford and Son.
It took 47 days, but they finally found him.
Brees can always count on his main man Marques Colston.
Deezzy, take it away.
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