Climbing to the Super Bowl

Say this – The Saints are wildly entertaining when they win.

Turning over their roster like pancakes, the Saints have passed their way back into a faint whiff of contention. And when I say passed of course I’m talking about Drew Brees who just continues his shock and awe campaign. I doubt that Drew will win the NFL MVP, but it will be a shame, because he’s got the Saints on his shoulders, wishing on a star.

A couple of other things – I’ll admit I was wrong about Jason David, if you’ll admit I was right about Pierre Thomas. And here’s the blasphemy – the Saints are better with Pierre carrying the ball 15 times a game than with Reggie doing it. Now Reggie’s always a threat, and he should be our punt returner – but he’s as big a threat to lose 7 yards as he is to gain 7. All Pierre does is hit the holes, break tackles, and move the pile. He’s a standard issue running back on his way to maybe not greatness, but awful goodness. Think Brian Westbrook.

While we’re on the subject of free agents, Lance Moore may be on his way to the Pro Bowl. With Marques Colston and Lance Moore and Jeremy Shockey, the potential for this offense is as exciting as their performance Monday night would indicate.

Now, the depleted defense is another story. They played well enough to win by applying a little pressure to a quarterback not named Brett Favre and not playing like him. I don’t even think Jason David’s play was fluke. I actually think he’s improving, but let’s not get too cocky – chasing NFL wide receivers around that rectangle is like me chasing my dog around the backyard. She knows where she’s going, and I can only guess. So, he will get burned again, but maybe will balance the burns with the big plays.

Now, it’s on to Tampa Bay, and the long climb back into contention, best achieved by a 7 game winning streak. Who wins the Super Bowl? The team that gets hot in January. Maybe the Saints are warming up.