Kristomac

1. Are the Saints for real?

Eric Allen: The Saints are definitely for real. This team is resilient and does a wonderful job of working within its offensive and defensive framework. This team is rarely out of place on the field. The biggest key to the Saints' season was the offseason signing of quarterback Drew Brees. There wasn't another QB on the market who would have worked as well in this system as Brees has. He came from an offensive system that focused on spreading the ball around, and that's what he's doing in New Orleans.


Sean Salisbury: Oh yeah, the Saints are definitely for real. The Saints are knocking people around defensively and are using sound principles on offense. It would be very easy for this coaching staff to try to overuse Reggie Bush and risk injuring him or putting him in situations where he isn't going to be most effective. Coach Sean Payton and the rest of his staff have done a fantastic job of putting him in space and making great use of his speed and agility. That is forcing defenses to have to game plan for him and leaving Deuce McAllister and Brees room to do what they do best. This team is one of the best in the NFC.

Joe Theismann: Coming into this season, most people -- myself included -- thought it would be a magical season for the Saints if they finished with seven wins. Now, it might be a disappointment if they finish with fewer than 10 wins with the way they are playing. I had the pleasure of watching this team play in its return to the Superdome, and while most people talked about the emotion keying them to victory, I saw much more. This is a team that is playing exceptional football right now, and New Orleans might have a chance to make some noise come playoff time.