NEW ORLEANS (AP)—If Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints are inclined to
reflect back on anything from 2011, it’s not so much their recently concluded
record-breaking regular season as their disappointing first-round playoff loss
to Seattle last January.

“You understand in our game that when you line up in the postseason,
there’s a finality to it,” Payton said Monday as the Saints began preparations
for their playoff opener against Detroit.

“There’s a lot of things that were positive and a lot of things that were
accomplished with the season we just had, and yet the reason you try to win as
many games as you can is to prepare yourself for what we’re getting ready to
accomplish now,” Payton continued. “I don’t think you reflect now. You are
still driven by the challenge ahead.”

The 2011 Saints might be better than the 2009 team that won the Super Bowl.
Both were 13-3 in the regular season, and this season’s squad set several NFL
and franchise records, mostly on offense.

The Saints 7,474 offensive yards set a new league mark by 399 yards. Drew
Brees’ 5,476 yards passing was the most for any quarterback by more than 200
yards, while his 468 completions and 71.2 completion rate also set new league
highs. Darren Sproles’ 2,696 combined yards rushing, receiving and on returns
also established a new NFL single-season best.

Those records were only a sampling of the history New Orleans made this
season, though all that will mean a lot less if they suffer an early exit from
the playoffs.

Last season, the Saints won 11 games and were expected to roll past a
Seahawks squad that was the first division winner in NFL history with a losing
record. The Seahawks wound up celebrating an upset, and the Saints like to think
now that they learned from it.

“It helps that you’ve been through it and experienced a tough loss in a
game you were expected to win in a crucial time,” safety Roman Harper said.
“If you don’t show up and play with a sense of urgency and discipline, a team
can beat you. … If you don’t come prepared with a sense of urgency, you will
get your tail kicked in this league.”

The Saints have been building momentum for two months now, winning eight
straight games, including six by double digits. They’ve outscored their last
three opponents 132-53 combined. Two of those victories came against division
foes who had been playing well lately in Atlanta and Carolina.

On Sunday against the Panthers, the Saints could have begun resting starters
early in the second half, when their chances of improving their No. 3 seeding
diminished as second-seed San Francisco pulled away from St. Louis. Instead, the
Saints chose an aggressive approach that turned a one-score halftime lead into a
45-17 blowout.

In the process, they solidified their credentials as a playoff favorite,
even if they didn’t get a top-two seeding in the NFC and will have to win three
postseason games to get back to the Super Bowl.

“Sean’s been saying for a couple of weeks now that if we just continue to
play like we’re playing and continue in the path we’re on, that a lot of teams
are not going to want to face us,” Harper said. “You can say that now, but
then if we go out and lose a game, it doesn’t really mean anything.”

Saints right tackle Zach Strief also was guarded about the significance of
the Saints’ recent sting of lopsided wins.

“This is a game that can turn quickly on you,” Strief said. “Us playing
well the last few weeks doesn’t give us anything but confidence going in. It
doesn’t give us a win.”

Payton said he was happy to see his players being recognized both for
individual and team records. For now, though, his message to his players is that
they need to maintain the team chemistry that helped them win big lately and
forget about the accolades already accrued—at least until the postseason ends.

“It’s such a team sport,” Payton said. “It seems like the last two weeks
there’s been a lot of talk about individual accomplishments, as there should be
with the passing record, Darren Sproles. … (But) this is the time of year when
the focus really shifts to us playing our best football as a team.”

Gotta run!.

After obliterating the NFL record books this year, the New Orleans Saints’ offense is now taking over the Pro Bowl too. For the first time in franchise history, five offensive players were invited to the annual all-star game, including first-time selections tight end Jimmy Graham and offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod.

They joined quarterback Drew Brees and guards Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans, thanks to a combination of votes by fans, players and coaches. Graham, Evans and Nicks are starters. No defensive players or special teamers made the team.

This is the third straight year the Saints have had at least five Pro Bowlers, though they’re all hoping to skip the game to play in the Super Bowl instead, like they did two years ago. This year’s game will be played in Honolulu on Sunday, Jan. 29, one week before Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.

It’s no surprise that the Saints landed five offensive players in the game – including Brees, who was selected for the fifth time in the last six years. Brees broke Dan Marino’s NFL record for the most passing yards in a single season on Monday night, reaching 5,087 yards with one game to spare. And the entire offense is on pace to break the 2000 St. Louis Rams’ NFL record of 7,075 yards in a season, among other marks.

Graham also has a shot at NFL history. He needs 68 yards in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers to break Kellen Winslow’s 31-year-old NFL record of 1,290 receiving yards by a tight end. However, Graham also needs to pass up New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who is six yards ahead of him right now during a league-wide tight end revolution.

In just his second NFL season, Graham has put together one of the most prolific seasons by a tight end in NFL history, with 91 catches for 1,213 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Being selected to represent the NFC team in the Pro Bowl is a tremendous honor,” Graham said in a statement released by the team. “If you look around the NFC, you see a ton of amazing and talented players at tight end and to be thought of in that company by my peers, the head coaches and the fans who follow the NFL is something I take seriously. I think it goes without saying that there are many people to thank–starting with my position coach, Terry Malone, our offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and Coach (Sean) Payton. None of this would be possible without working with guys like Drew Brees, our running backs and receivers and the guys in the tight ends room. David Thomas has been a great mentor, as was Jeremy Shockey, and I have learned a lot from each guy who has worked with me over the past two seasons. My focus right now isn’t on going to Hawaii, it’s on the Carolina Panthers and getting ready for the playoffs, but I think any guy who gets named to the Pro Bowl realizes that it’s a heck of compliment and I am grateful and humbled by it.”

Bushrod’s selection was a breakthrough moment for the fifth-year pro and third-year starter. The recognition is certainly due after he’s flown mostly under the radar in his young career. He has only allowed three sacks this season while protecting Brees’ blind side.

Evans and Nicks are widely considered the NFL’s best guard tandem, thanks to the way they create a secure pocket for Brees to step into, as well as the way the block for run plays and screen passes. This is the third straight Pro Bowl selection for Evans and the second straight for Nicks.

The list of Pro Bowl alternates was not immediately released, though it’s likely the Saints could earn more invites down the road when replacement players are needed.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

The New Orleans Saints are on pace to set a bushel of NFL records for offensive yardage this season, but guard Carl Nicks said he’d rather count all of ‘em up after the Saints win a second Super Bowl. Even though the Saints won it two years ago, he said they aren’t satisfied.

“The thing about winning the Super Bowl is you kind of want another one and then another one,” Nicks said. “It’s kind of like the most addictive drug you’ve ever had and you need that feeling again. I’ve been going through withdrawals the last year.”

There is the quick update of the day.

Minneapolis — Jimmy Graham has been the high-flying newcomer and Marques Colston has been the big-play mainstay, but Lance Moore is quietly putting up big numbers at receiver for the Saints.

Moore had five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He is now second on the team in touchdown receptions with eight, one behind Graham. Moore has 50 catches for 571 yards this season.

“Lance Moore is having a great year,” quarterback Drew Brees said Sunday. “All of our skill-position players, receivers, backs, tight ends, they all complement each other so well. They all understand that each game you never know whose opportunity it’s going to be. You never know who is going to have the big day. Lance and Marques may had had the big yardage, but everybody came up big today.”

Moore is in his sixth season with the Saints and in that time has become a guy Brees trusts to get a first down, or the tough yardage, or to be in a favorable matchup.

“The more confidence he has in me, I think the more balls I’m going to get on the field,” Moore said. “We’ve worked together now for a long time. We work together each and every day after practice, as all the receivers do. Hopefully we can just continue to get better.”

INJURIES AND INACTIVES: Zach Strief left the game for a few plays with an injured finger, but came back and seemed to be fine after the game. … Tracy Porter was limited at defensive back, and according to Coach Sean Payton, Porter was used sparingly because of the wrist injury he suffered last week and was not injured in this game. … Right guard Jahri Evans missed a few plays when he injured his left knee. Trainers put a sleeve on it and he came back into the game. He also seemed to be moving OK after the game. … Inactive for the game were: cornerback Leigh Torrence, running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Jonathan Casillas, tackle William Robinson, tight end Michael Higgins, receiver Adrian Arrington, defensive end Turk McBride.

QUICK HITS: The Saints had two first-half turnovers, breaking a long streak. Graham’s fumble in the first quarter was the first by the Saints in 17 quarters, dating to the Tampa Bay game Nov. 6. … Remember ambush? The famous onside kick to start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV was tried again, but this time the Saints didn’t recover. It bounced around, squirted through the front line of the return team and the Saints had a couple chances to get it, but didn’t. … John Kasay missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter and it was his first missed kick since the Atlanta Falcons game Nov. 13. He is 27 of 32 for the season. … Tight end John Gilmore caught a touchdown pass, making him the ninth Saints player with a touchdown reception this season. In the Super Bowl season of 2009, 10 players caught TD passes. Overall, 13 Saints have scored a touchdown. … The Saints had four sacks, Harper, Tom Johnson, Junior Galette and Jeff Charleston. … The Saints dominated in first downs, getting 36 to Minnesota’s 12 and total yardage at 573 to 207. They also added to their league-leading third-down efficiency percentage by converting on eight of 11. Red-zone efficiency numbers are going up as well, as they were 5 of 5 against Minnesota. … The Saints’ offense is closing in on the all-time record for offensive yardage. The 2000 St. Louis Rams had 7,075 yards. After getting 573 yards against Minnesota, the Saints have 6,394, needing 682 to break the record. The team record is 6,571 set in 2008.

•••••••

Kevin Spain can be reached at kspain@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3480.

Thanks for reading! .

What should be appreciated most about these Saints, if it isn’t already atop the list, is they’ve made winning so routine that significant milestones are expected, rather than marked by second-lines and songs.

On Sunday, the Saints posted their third consecutive 10-win season, a first in franchise history, and they also clinched their third consecutive playoff berth, something that had happened only once before (1990-92).

Yet, it would be hard to know that that level of achievement had been obtained at all with this team and its core of players who simply believe that this is the way it’s supposed to be.

“Unfortunately, because of the history of the franchise, I don’t think that doing things that have never happened here is a cause for immediate celebration,” New Orleans right tackle Zach Strief said. “Now, if it’s two straight Super Bowls, yes.

“But other than that, we’ll wait for the big celebration.”

It’s hard to counter that logic.

And, too, another cause for the muted response is that New Orleans (10-3) is in a heated playoff race, tied with the San Francisco 49ers for second place in the NFC, trying to secure a first-round bye and home field advantage for a divisional playoff game.

As untouchable as the Saints have been this season in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, hosting a playoff game after a bye would be huge. And if, somehow, the Green Bay Packers finally hiccupped and lost in a playoff game, that result (coupled with a Saints win) would allow New Orleans again to host the NFC championship game.

So it’s understandable that the focus for Saints players is on the “now,” and it doesn’t allow much time for reflection.

But when the time comes to reflect, they’ll like what they see in the mirror.

New Orleans has become one of the league’s model franchises, among its most consistent winners, a legitimate pick to reach the Super Bowl each season since it made its stunning run to the NFC title game in 2006, Coach Sean Payton’s first in New Orleans.

No, Payton’s Saints haven’t been so fruitful that they have been able to erase the memories of their predecessors. References to the Mike Ditka era are rare nowadays, but few have forgotten how helpless and directionless the Saints were.

But those remembrances give Saints fans all the more reason to celebrate the new franchise order, which places New Orleans among the most attractive free agent destinations and successful teams in the league.

“That’s a big accomplishment, especially with the history of this team,” Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “This being the first time we have done that, jump-start the organization and become a winning culture, I think that’s big for us.”

Absolutely, it’s big.

But not so big that it has been overcelebrated, or even celebrated as much as you’d think it would be in New Orleans, where accomplishments spontaneously combust into festive occasions more than anywhere else on Earth.

That’s what happens when success becomes the rule, rather than the exception. Jenkins, in fact, has no idea what it’s like to be on a ragtag Saints team, no concept what it’s like to play meaningless games for a month to finish out the season.

As a rookie, he won the Super Bowl. Last season, he was in the playoffs — though the result, at Seattle, was one to bury. And this year he’s back in the playoffs, likely as a member of the NFC South Division champions for the second time in three years, eagerly anticipating another postseason appearance so the team can atone for the shocker last season in Seattle.

Because he joined the program during its ascension, the New Orleans he knows is one that understands winning, and little else.

“Really, this city has become spoiled really quickly,” Jenkins said. “We feel the pressure. It has changed really fast as far as the culture.

“They expect us to win 10-or-plus every year. It all happened with the Super Bowl. It’s good when expectations are that high.”

They’re so high that milestones can pass virtually unnoticed. There’s no bigger sign of excellence than that.

••••••••

John Deshazier can be reached at jdeshazier@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3410.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

If you are looking for something cute to end your weekend on, we have singer/songwriter Katie Knight’s ode to the professional football team in Louisiana.

Katie is a New Orleans Saints fan and decided to produce this music video over the Thanksgiving holiday where she sings about only wanting the Saints to win the Super Bowl for Christmas.

So get ready for some Saints puns and an interesting reference about Jeremy Shockey getting stuffed in her stocking:

***

Saints Super Bowl Christmas [Sweater Punch]

That’s all the news for today.

It’s time to acknowledge what has become abundantly clear in this sixth season of the Sean Payton/Drew Brees era: This Saints offense is one of the greatest in NFL history. Maybe — gulp — the best ever.

I know that’s a bold declaration. And it probably seems incredible for longtime Saints fans, who were weaned on the anemic offenses of Carl Smith and Danny Abramowicz.

But by any measure, the Saints deserve to be mentioned with the greatest offensive juggernauts in league lore.

They’ve led the NFL in total offense three times in the Payton/Brees era and are on top again this season. In fact, they’re amassing yards at an unprecedented rate and passing with unparalleled efficiency.

The Saints are averaging a league-best 449.6 yards per game, 45 yards more than they averaged in their Super Bowl-winning season of 2009. They’re on pace for 7,194 yards, which would set an NFL record. They’re also within reach of league season marks for first downs (398), passing yards (5,232), pass attempts (709), pass completions (450) and completion percentage (70.65).

Through 11 games, they have gained 4,946 yards, the third-highest total in NFL history. Only the 2000 St. Louis Rams (5,148) and 1951 Los Angeles Rams (5,047) gained more yards at a similar stage.

Don Coryell’s Chargers of the early 1980s and the 1999-2001 Rams are widely considered to be greatest offenses in NFL history.

Although the 1999 Rams actually won the Super Bowl, the 2000 attack was more prolific offensively, setting the NFL season record for yards gained with 7,075.

There remains a lot of football to be played. Whether the Saints etch their names in the record books remains to be seen. But it’s safe to say this offense is undoubtedly the best in club history, better even than the attack that steamrolled all comers en route to the Super Bowl XLIV championship.

“I feel like we have the opportunity to be better (than 2009), but we’re not there yet,” Brees said. “As I look at our guys, we have a lot of guys from that ’09 team. The guys we’ve added — Jimmy Graham, Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram — not too shabby.”

Other factors have contributed to this potentially historic season.

The schedule is as user-friendly as possible. Eleven of the Saints’ 16 games have been or will be played in domed stadiums. Their trip to Green Bay came in September, not December. Road trips to Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Charlotte came during the temperate and relatively dry month of October.

And the Saints have stayed relatively injury-free, especially in their perimeter group.

But more than anything, the Saints are on a record pace primarily because they boast the deepest roster of skill-position talent in the league.

As Detroit Lions Coach Jim Schwartz noted last week when asked about tonight’s game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, “It’s not the time of the year, the atmosphere, the game or the playoff implications,” he said. “It’s Drew Brees, (Marques) Colston, Jimmy Graham … good gracious, you could keep naming those guys for a half hour.”

Although the Saints might lack a sure-fire Hall of Fame talent other than Brees, they compensate with quantity.

They’re the only NFL team with three runners who’ve rushed for more than 400 yards. The Saints are so deep at running back, their leading rusher from last season, Chris Ivory, wasn’t even active last week, even though he was healthy.

Ivory, Sproles and Ingram are significant upgrades over Reggie Bush and Mike Bell, who formed two-thirds of the Super Bowl-winning backfield.

What’s more, the Saints are the only team with seven receivers with 20 or more catches. Only four teams have as many as six.

And Graham just might be the best tight end in the game, and he’s only in his second season.

The multiplicity makes this Saints offense almost indefensible. If defenses concentrate their coverage on Graham and Sproles, as Atlanta did last month, Colston burns them for eight catches and 113 yards. If they employ five defensive backs to counter the passing attack, the Saints pound Ingram and Thomas on the ground behind Pro Bowl guards Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks.

“The thing about this team is we have so many playmakers,” Ingram told Sports Illustrated after the Saints’ 49-24 rout of the Giants on Monday night. “When guys are on the field, we still have elite players standing on the sideline. So at any time we know we can make a play. We know we can score at any moment in the game.”

Of course, the man who makes it special is Brees. In addition to his obvious talent as a passer, teammates marvel at his ability to manage the club’s complex system and multiple personnel packages. His pre-snap aptitude, the ability to decipher the defense, and then successfully orchestrate the offense’s array of formations, personnel groupings and protections is perhaps the element that separates the Saints from everyone else.

Saints right tackle Zach Strief said he once asked Brees how often he snaps the ball and doesn’t know what the defense is doing. His answer: Maybe once a game.

“He sees everything,” offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said. “He’s superb at that.”

I asked Brees last week to name the best offenses in NFL history.

As you’d expect from such a student of the game, Brees rattled off a list with the authority of a pre-snap audible: the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf; the Air Coryell Chargers; the 2007 Patriots; the Walsh/Montana 49ers; Favre’s Packers; and the Dallas Triplets.

“This list goes on and on,” Brees said. “It would definitely be a goal of ours — when it’s all said and done after this whatever-year span that we can do this — man, we’d love to be in that category,”

I’d venture to say they already are.

•••••••

Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3404.

Thanks for reading! .

That’s all the news for today.

The New Orleans Saints just might be the best hope for most Miami Dolphins fans—like me—of seeing the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers denied their shot at immortality. The team from Wisconsin is now 11-0 and seem capable of doing what no team other than the 1972 Dolphins have done; run the table in the regular-season and finish with a Super Bowl victory.

However, if the Saints 49-24 rout of the New York Giants on Monday, Nov. 28 is any indication, Green Bay is going to have their hands full trying to get out of the NFC and into the Super Bowl this year even if they are able to finish the season 16-0.

While 8-3 New Orleans doesn’t even have the second-best record in the National Football Conference—that belongs to the 9-2 San Francisco 49ers—I have the distinct feeling they’re actually a better club than the Bay Area squad led by first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. So far this season they’ve posted three victories where they’ve scored 40 or more points in a game—including their 62-7 demolition of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Oct. 23—which is only bested by the Packers themselves; who’ve had four such games.

The last time a team seriously threatened Miami’s nearly 40-year-old unblemished record was the 2007 New England Patriots squad, who ironically were foiled in the championship game by the same team New Orleans just beat down. Nevertheless, it will probably take more than a one-in-a-million pass from Eli Manning(notes) to bring down the behemoth that is the Packers this year; and the Saints are looking like they could just provide that final hurdle for Green Bay.

Watching Drew Brees(notes) surgically take the Giants’ defense apart on Monday Night Football, I got the sense he could be what takes down one of the most vaunted and storied franchises in NFL history. There’s no guarantee Brees and New Orleans will be able to stop Green Bay, but they probably have the best shot at it. It also had me wishing to God Miami hadn’t passed on his amazing talent twice (something I railed about since he was drafted), for I can only imagine how many Super Bowls the Dolphins would have been in if the 32-year-old 5-time Pro Bowler had been under center for them rather than the San Diego Chargers and Saints.

I know New Orleans’ success isn’t solely because of their signal-caller, but the former Purdue Boilermaker has been an integral part of what the Saints have been able to accomplish under head coach Sean Payton. Without Brees, not much of the offense run by New Orleans would probably work at the same level it does with him. After all, who else are they going to find to do what Brees did Monday in becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 350 yards while also connecting on four touchdown passes while rushing for another TD?

The Saints schedule over the last five weeks isn’t going to be easy, though—as they’ll be facing the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers—but if they’re able to get through it with a winning record, or if they manage to win four of those contests, I think they’ll be the last team the Packers want to face in the postseason.

I, for one, hope they do, though. I make no bones about the fact I want someone to beat Green Bay before the 2011 season is finished, and in truth I wouldn’t mind the Saints being the ones. Of course, if the Packers do find a way to win out, that won’t make me too upset either. They are, after all one of the greatest teams in the league’s history.

Still, if it comes to a matchup of Green Bay and New Orleans with that record on the line, I’ll be shouting “Who ‘Dat?” at the top of my lungs.

Hut, hut, hike!

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Critics of Tebow Might Be Wise to Just Shut Up and Watch for Now

Hoping Vick Topping “All-Turkey Team” is a Sign of Things to Come

Exploring the Miami Dolphins Bubble That’s About to Burst

There’s Simply No Explaining How Tebow and Broncos Are Winning

Playoffs? Don’t Talk About Playoffs! You Kidding Me?

All stats and information taken from personal notes and verified at Pro-Football-Reference.com, NFL.com, and Yahoo! Sports.

Read more by Daniel Barber aka Hotnuke at TFS Sports.

*Daniel Barber has been a fan of all Miami teams since he was a child or since their inception having been born right above Miami.

Sources:

Pro-Football-Reference.com

NFL.com

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Not surprisingly, New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton said he understood and appreciated the decision that Atlanta Falcons Coach Mike Smith made to go for it on fourth-and-inches from his own 29-yard line in overtime of Sunday’s 26-23 loss to the Saints. After all, Payton has made many bold choices of his own in the past.

Everyone will forever remember Payton’s surprise onside kick to start the second half in Super Bowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts. But two weeks earlier, Payton also decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game – though it was less controversial since it was at the Vikings’ 43-yard line.

Tailback Pierre Thomas converted that first down, setting up kicker Garrett Hartley’s game-winning 40-yard field goal.

“I think there’s a gut you have that, throw the statistics out. We saw a similar decision made by Bill Belichick against Indianapolis (in 2009),” Payton said. “Mike felt on fourth down that a half a yard was something they could get. If it works and you go on and get a few more first downs and kick a game-winning field goal, it’s a decision that is praised.

“I used the comparison to some degree, but if we hadn’t recovered the onside kick (in the Super Bowl) Indianapolis would’ve gone on to score. There are certain times as a coach that you instill some confidence in your group. And at the time, there were two things you were thinking about: staying onsides and it’s a half a yard, so a lot of times you’ll see a quarterback sneak. He ran the power play. I think it’s in a big spot. It’s overtime and you’re on your 30 yard line, but I don’t look at it as that far out in left field. I look at that as something that was measured and calculated as the game had gone on, and they had done a good job in short yardage. They felt comfortable and confident enough in handing the ball to Michael Turner and I can understand why. And I’m not so certain that if the tables were turned that I wouldn’t have made that same decision and that going forward won’t make the same decision.

“Those are tough calls. I think in the NFC Championship game on fourth-and-inches, granted we were at midfield, but I think we all agree that had we not gotten that fourth-and-inches it would have been a few first downs before Minnesota was in field goal range. There are certain things that I think as a coach you try to pay attention to. Obviously when they go well you look good for those decisions, and when they don’t it’s questioned and for the better part of a week people will ask questions. I think that’s part of the deal.”

There is the quick update of the day.

New Orleans Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod has continued to impress in his third year on the job. Thanks in large part to his efforts, Indianapolis Colts elite pass rusher Dwight Freeney was a non-factor in last Sunday night’s 62-7 victory.

Bushrod has allowed two sacks this year, according to Stats LLC. He has not committed a single penalty all year, though.

When asked if Bushrod is quietly having a standout season, Payton said, “I would even go a little bit further. I think he’s quietly established himself as a good left tackle dating back to the Super Bowl season when he really played his first full year.”

“Each year he’s gotten better,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said. “You see some things he’s worked on and each year he’s gained that confidence. He’s a very smart player. I think to some degree by his nature he’s quiet. But generally with a left tackle, no news is good news. When you’re playing that position and the cameras are on you, often times it’s because the defender’s getting pressure or hurry or a sack.

“I thought he did an outstanding job last week against one of our league’s best rushers. That’s been good for us with protection and also with our running game.”

What do you guys think about this.

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The Saints presented former player Steve Gleason with a ring from their Super Bowl XLIV championship on Monday night in an emotional ceremony at a private party in New Orleans.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu also presented Gleason with a proclamation and a key to the city.

Gleason played eight seasons for the Saints and retired in 2008. In January, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare terminal disease which damages the nerves that control voluntary muscle movement.

Saints coach Sean Payton made the presentation to Gleason before a packed crowd of about 100 friends, family, colleagues and former teammates, including quarterback Drew Brees and Saints owner Tom Benson.

“At the beginning of the game. I never knew if we were going to win or lose, but I was always for certain that I was going to walk out of there with my head held high because I got ready, I had the right people around me, and I was going to give it everything I had,” said an Gleason during an emotional six-minute speech. “It’s the same now. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got. I have a calming sense of certainty that we’re going to win this thing.”

The surprise event organized by the Saints, former Saints linebacker Scott Fujita and Gleason’s wife, Michel, attracted 17 former or current Saints players. Among them: Fujita; Brees; Deuce McAllister; Will Smith; Jon Stinchcomb; Mike McKenzie; Thomas Morstead; Scott Shanle; Michael Lewis; John Carney; Mark Simoneau; Fred Thomas; Chris Reis; Fred McAfee; Mel Mitchell; Nate Lawrie; and Shad Meier.

“This isn’t about Steve having ALS,” Fujita said. “This is about Steve and his contribution to the 2009 team and the championship. He deserved it.”

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Watching the Indianapolis Colts be dragged around and punished while looking totally inept in a 34-7 loss at Houston on Sunday should have made us appreciate New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees even more. That’s not saying that New Orleans would disintegrate if it was without their Pro Bowl quarterback, like Indianapolis did, and likely will continue to do, without Peyton Manning against the Houston Texans.

The accepted consensus is that no player means more to his team than does Manning, and if Indianapolis season-opening in a 34-7 loss wasn’t all the proof necessary to sway the debate, it was a pretty significant chunk of evidence.

But it sure can’t be understated how much more comfortable Saints fans are allowed to feel — and Colts fans were allowed to feel — when their most indispensable player takes snaps and ensures that his team will have a chance to win.

It can’t be overlooked how important a decent NFL quarterback is to his team and how critical an elite one is if a team is going to have any chance to consistently win games and challenge for titles.

Think about it. Of the myriad injuries the Saints have endured since Brees joined the franchise as a free agent, there never has been a feeling that New Orleans was hopeless because Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Tracy Porter or Darren Sharper missed one game, or several games. There never was the feeling that the Saints couldn’t even compete because a regular wasn’t wearing his helmet and pads.

The reason for that is because Brees always has been healthy enough to dress and play.

It’s because with Brees, the feeling always has been that the Saints have a chance and most of the time, it’s been that they have a really good chance, to win.

The Colts don’t have that chance to win big without Manning. They’re going to struggle to win small.

Admirers and critics long have made lighthearted comments about his commands and changes and gesticulations at the line of scrimmage, but it’s no joke that entering this season, Indianapolis had had nine consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins. From 2003-09, the Colts won at least 12 games each season. By far, it’s the franchise’s best run since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.

All of that success has occurred during the Manning years — including the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI victory in 2006 — and much of it has occurred when the Colts haven’t had a powerhouse defense and sometimes, when they haven’t had an adequate running game.

Does any of that sound familiar?

It should.

It’s a pretty parallel circumstance to what has happened with a certain local NFL franchise since 2006, when it landed Brees, its franchise quarterback.

Clearly, the NFL has become a league in which a team no longer can win unless it has a quarterback who can carry it to the Super Bowl and, often, one who can shoulder the load and win that game once he leads his team there.

In the last 13 Super Bowls, standout quarterbacks were chosen game MVP eight times — John Elway, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady (twice), Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Brees and Aaron Rodgers. Three times, the guy who won was a wide receiver who played with a top-level quarterback — Deion Branch (by Brady), Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes (by Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger).

Not one of those teams would’ve been what it was without its quarterback.

The Colts, clearly, are lost without Peyton Manning. True, they might be an extreme case, considering their reliance on Manning and the obvious belief that he might never miss a game led them to forgo signing a decent backup or drafting a competent caddie. But, though the final score may have been a little more lopsided than expected, it’s not like anyone expected the Colts to pull off an upset after luring Kerry Collins out of retirement to be their starter.

Would the Saints be similarly helpless without Brees?

Every bit, if the defense continues to be as compliant as it was in the season opener at Green Bay last Thursday night, when it yielded touchdown drives of 76, 80, 80 and 93 yards. But even if the defense stepped up, the Saints’ offense is geared around a certain man pulling the trigger and — all due respect to backup Chase Daniel — Brees pulls it as effectively as anyone.

In New Orleans, Saints fans don’t have to be told to appreciate Brees, the only quarterback in franchise history to play in two conference championship games and to win a Super Bowl.

But watching the Colts flop without Manning is a good reminder why they do, and should, appreciate him.

That’s all the news for today.