METAIRIE, La. (AP) – Drew Brees looks at the NFC standings and likes what he sees.
The New Orleans Saints (4-2) are tied for the best record in the conference and are in solid position to defend their Super Bowl title, particularly if they continue to play with the dominant form they displayed on Sunday in Tampa Bay.
“It’s out there for the taking, and I think we entered the season feeling that way and really nothing’s going to change that mentality,” Brees said Monday after the team reviewed video of New Orleans’ 31-6 trouncing of the Buccaneers.
“We’re a confident group. We’ve got some swagger,” Brees said. “We know how good we are and how good we can be, and I still don’t feel like we’ve scratched the surface as to where we can go as a football team. I feel like yesterday was definitely a step in the right direction in all phases. That was a good win on the road against a 3-1 football team in our division.”
Looking for more balance on offense, the Saints found it in Week 6, putting up season highs of 475 yards and 31 points against the Bucs.
New Orleans entered the game averaging 75.6 yards rushing, which was 31st in the league and far off its pace from a season ago. With injuries to Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas forcing New Orleans to place their running game in the hands of an undrafted rookie and two veterans signed after the season began, the Saints racked up 212 yards rushing at Tampa Bay – 91 more than their previous game high of 121 against Carolina in Week 4.
Chris Ivory, who played last season for Division II Tiffin, rushed for 158 yards on 15 attempts for a whopping 10.5 yards per carry. Ladell Betts, signed in Week 3, and Julius Jones, added last week, combined for an additional 52 yards, including Betts’ short touchdown.
In 2009, the Saints ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing with 131.6 yards per game. But before beating the Bucs, they had yet to match last season’s average in a game in 2010. With the running game going at Tampa Bay, the Saints also hit on big passing plays, including touchdowns of 41 yards to Lance Moore and 42 yards to Robert Meachem.
“We just know the importance of the run game and obviously the success that allowed us to have last year,” Brees said. “But also just moving forward, you can’t be one-dimensional in this league. You’ve got to be able to do both. You got to have a healthy mix and healthy balance of the” run and pass.
The Saints’ defense has been solid all season and could soon get some additional depth. All-Pro safety Darren Sharper is eligible to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list, as is linebacker Clint Ingram. However, coach Sean Payton was not willing to commit to exactly when or if that might happen.
The Saints have three weeks in which they can practice Sharper and Ingram – both coming off offseason left knee surgeries – before they have to either activate them, release them or place them on injured reserve. Payton said the plan is for both players to be on the field when the Saints resume practice on Wednesday.
“We’ve got a lot of time,” Payton said. “The first thing they have to do is pass the physical. We’ll just keep monitoring their progress and see how they’re doing and if we feel like they can help us then we’ll play them. It would be that simple.”
During the season, Payton prefers to keep as quiet as the NFL allows about injuries and roster decisions, hoping to avoid giving away information that might make it easier for an upcoming opponent.
New Orleans may need Sharper sooner than later, however. Cornerback Tracy Porter is expected to miss at least another week or two while recovering from surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his left knee. Meanwhile, fellow cornerback Jabari Greer left Sunday’s game with an apparent shoulder injury. Malcolm Jenkins, who has been starting at free safety this season, is a converted cornerback and could potentially work at that position as needed if Sharper were able to return and Greer remained out against Cleveland on Sunday. Payton, however, said he would not have an update on Greer’s health until Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Payton said he hadn’t lost confidence in kicker Garrett Hartley, even though Hartley missed a 33-yard field goal attempt, marking his fourth miss in nine tries this season.
“Just from watching him perform during the week, I have a ton of confidence in this player. I think we’ll see in the long stretch his consistency,” Payton said. “It’s early in his career. He has real good leg strength. Like I said before, I think he has a bright future for us. We’ll continue to work, just like we would with any other position group, on the consistency. He’ll be as tough on himself as anyone. But I think he’ll be fine.”
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