October 25, 2011
Posted by Saints News in Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints, NFC South, NFL News, Packers
Saints serve notice that they’re still a threat – Audibles
Saints serve notice that they’re still a threat – AudiblesThe debate over the NFL’s best team begins and ends, at least right now, with Green Bay. The Packers are the defending Super Bowl champions and, at 7-0, the only remaining undefeated team in football — heck, there are only three one-loss teams at this point.But before we go and deliver the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Lambeau Field again, it might be worth remembering what happened on this NFL season’s opening night.
The Saints visited Green Bay, played a so-so game, spotted the Packers an early 21-7 lead, trailed by 15 with three minutes left … and came within two inches and a two-point conversion of going to overtime. New Orleans’ furious late rally, of course, will mean nothing when the playoffs come, just like New Orleans’ 62-7 dismantling of a sleepwalking Colts team Sunday night was relatively meaningless.
Except for this: With the win, the Saints put a Week 6 loss to the Bucs behind them and reclaimed sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
There are no guarantees New Orleans will stay there — though back-to-back games against 4-3 Tampa Bay and Atlanta in Weeks 9 and 10 will give us a clearer indication. If the Saints do, though, it will solidify their status in the NFC as the Packers’ biggest competition.
Why New Orleans instead of, say, the Giants, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, San Francisco or Detroit?
We saw most of the reasons Sunday night, and they start with Drew Brees. Tom Brady can put forth an argument in the AFC, maybe Ben Roethlisberger or Philip Rivers on his best day, too, but there is just one NFC quarterback capable of keeping pace with a locked-in Aaron Rodgers.
That guy is Brees, who delivered the easiest 31-for-35, five-touchdown passing day you’ll ever see. The zombies in “The Walking Dead” put up more of a battle Sunday night than the Colts’ defense did.
That’s what Brees, like Rodgers, can do. When he hits his groove — not to mention when the offensive line holds up and his talented receiving corps finds some space — there is almost no stopping Brees.
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According to ESPN's Stats & Information, Brees is first in the league when opposing defenses send four or fewer rushers, completing 74.6 percent of his passes. He has completed 73.7 percent of his passes of 10 or fewer yards, and 61.7 percent of his passes of 10 to 20 yards.
You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with 
The Saints presented game balls to Gleason and McAllister. And Payton and Brees choked back tears when talking about the emotional victory.
In a post-game tweet, punter Thomas Morstead called it "the most special game I have ever been a part of in my life."
"We've had a lot of emotions in the last 24 hours," Brees said. "... If you do things the right way, good things happen."
And conversely if you do things the wrong way, bad things happen.
Jackson and the Texans (2-1) learned that lesson the hard way Sunday.
It's always best to let sleeping future Hall of Fame quarterbacks lie.
Jeff Duncan can be reached at 
