NEW ORLEANS (AP) -Mardi Gras doesn’t start until early February.
It only seemed like a Carnival parade when the unbeaten New Orleans Saints returned to Louis Armstrong International Airport after their latest victory.
“That was crazy, absolutely crazy,” quarterback Drew Brees said, recalling the hundreds of fans who partied along the roadside and cheered Saints players when they returned from a 46-34 comeback victory at Miami last weekend. “We had a little mini-French Quarter right there at the airport.”
These are heady days for the Saints (6-0), who’ll try to match the best start in franchise history on Monday night when their longtime rivals, the Atlanta Falcons (4-2), visit what is certain to be an electric Louisiana Superdome.
“I can only imagine it’s going to be crazy, especially going against our rival,” Saints running back Pierre Thomas said. “Every time we play Atlanta, it’s a big deal. There’s going to be excitement in that dome.”
victory would give New Orleans its best start since 1991 and a three-game lead in the division. Recent history is on the Saints’ side. Atlanta has not won a game in New Orleans since 2002, with their last road win against the Saints coming in San Antonio in 2005, the year the Saints were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
This year’s Saints rank first in the NFL in yards per game (427.3), third in yards rushing (154.5) and sixth in yards passing (272.8). New Orleans also leads the league in scoring (39.7 points per game).
The Saints have become synonymous with offensive firepower since Sean Payton took over as head coach in 2006, leading the league in offense two of the previous three seasons.
The difference this season is a big-play defense that has forced 18 turnovers and scored five touchdowns, including three on interceptions by new safety Darren Sharper, who has six interceptions overall.
“That (turnover) statistic is one area that’s glaringly different for all of us. It has helped us a bunch as a team,” Payton said. “You hear each week talk about this Saints team is scoring 39 points per game, and I think the myth initially is that the offense is scoring all those points. The reality of it is that there are turnovers involved in there. There’s a lot that goes into a number like that that can get skewed. So the takeaways have been significant.”
lately as well, though not in a good way. Second-year quarterback Matt Ryan was intercepted twice and had two fumbles – losing one – in the Falcons’ 37-21 loss in Dallas last weekend.
Ryan has taken notice of New Orleans’ improvement on defense and figures he’ll be in for another challenge Monday night.
“Guys are making plays when balls are in the air and they’ve taken advantage of the opportunities that they’ve had,” Ryan said. “The addition of Sharper is big. … Their scheme is good. They bring a lot of pressure and do a very good job, but the biggest thing is they’re making plays. It comes down to that. They’re making plays at the important time in games, so we’ve been impressed with their defense on tape.”
The Saints’ defense also has been solid against the run, even stifling Miami’s wildcat in the second half last weekend, despite a right knee injury to defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. Anthony Hargrove, in his so-far successful return from a one-year drug-related suspension, has given the Saints solid depth on the defensive line.
New Orleans’ defensive front will be challenged again by Atlanta’s Michael Turner, who rushed for 1,699 yards last season, but is somewhat off that pace so far this year, with 403 yards and seven touchdowns.
n, something Payton said Ryan has done well in his young NFL career.
“He’s accurate and he’s smart. I know he’s got very, very good feet. He certainly has real good arm strength,” Payton said. “He’s very good with his play faking. He locates the ball well and he’s an excellent quarterback. He doesn’t look like a second-year player. He didn’t look like a first-year player last year.”
Meanwhile, Atlanta coach Mike Smith recently made a curious roster move with the signing of running back Aaron Stecker, who spent the past three seasons working in Payton’s offense in New Orleans.
Both Payton and Brees gave Stecker credit for being a bright player who certainly could provide a measure of insight about the Saints’ offensive tendencies. They didn’t seem all that worried about it though.
“I think the signing of Aaron was the need for a running back,” Payton said. “I don’t think it was to spend a week on the whole playbook.”
Added Brees: “To go out and actually defend somebody just because you know the 50 plays that they run, well, you don’t know when they’re running them.”
Smith also downplayed the move and said he does not want to make one game against a divisional opponent out to be more than it really is, even if it’s obvious that the traditional rivalry, combined with the prime time kickoff, could add some punch to the environment in the stadium.
or becomes the first to knock off New Orleans, Smith said he won’t rush to judgment. It’s too early in the season for that.
“In terms of how this team’s going to be judged in week 17 in the National Football League, there are so many ebbs and flows in a season,” Smith said. “I don’t think you can really get caught up in making evaluations week to week. I tell our guys all the time. ‘Ultimately we’re going to be judged at the end of the season.”’
The same, of course, holds true for the Saints.
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