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If history were a guide, the Saints’ fast start in 2009 would not mean much. They have won their first three games in five different years, and those 3-0 records led to only two playoff appearances and one playoff victory.

Of course, history does not account for the presence of Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas and a ball-hawking defense.

This is the second part of a story looking at what happened to the previous 3-0 teams. The last two were in 2002 and 2006.

4) 2002

Start: 3-0
First three: d. Tampa Bay 26-20, d. Green Bay 35-20, d. Chicago 29-23
Finish: 9-7

What went wrong: The synapses stopped firing in coach Jim Haslett’s brain. Even though starting quarterback Aaron Brooks was rendered useless by a bad shoulder, Haslett refused to bench him at the end of the year for backup Jake Delhomme when the Saints needed one more victory to clinch a playoff berth. That unimaginable stubbornness marked the beginning of the end of the Haslett era.

The Saints, boasting the third highest scoring offense in the NFL, were 9-4 and facing an incredibly easy finishing stretch when they collapsed in epic fashion.

First, they lost 32-31 in the Superdome to the Minnesota Vikings, who were 0-6 on the road and 3-10 overall. After the Vikings scored a last-second touchdown to pull within 31-30, quarterback Daunte Culpepper, in the midst of a dreadful season (23 interceptions, 23 fumbles) dropped a snap on a 2-point conversion, picked the ball off the ground and ran into the end zone easily.

Next, the Saints lost 20-13 on the road to the 1-13 Cincinnati Bengals, who rushed for 240 yards despite ending the game without their first-, second- or third-string running backs. Converted tight end Nick Luchey rushed for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and had 59 yards on 12 attempts as the Bengals rallied to win.

Finally, New Orleans fell at home to the 5-10 Carolina Panthers, who had lost their first five games against NFC South opponents by the combined score of 140-43. Carolina won 10-6, holding the Saints to 244 yards and two John Carney field goals as their near-certain playoff opportunity disappeared.

Brooks? Clearly bothered by the shoulder, he went 16 of 38 for 203 yards against Cincinnati and 12 of 31 for 145 yards against Carolina.

Defining moments: Brooks having the ball slip out of his hands repeatedly in the last two games while Delhomme stood on the sideline. A year later, Delhomme led the Panthers to the Super Bowl.

5) 2006

Start: 3-0
First three: d. Cleveland 19-14, d. Green Bay 34-27, d. Atlanta 23-3
Finish: 10-6 (lost in the NFC Championship Game)

What went wrong: Nothing. A good but not great team road a wave of emotion after returning to the Superdome in its post-Katrina year and reached the NFC championship game for the only time in franchise history. The high point was the first game back in the dome, when the Saints clobbered the Atlanta Falcons 23-3 in a Monday night game on ESPN. With a new coach (Sean Payton), a new quarterback (Drew Brees) and a revitalized running back (Deuce McAllister), they were exciting from start to finish. They notched another signature victory when they went on the road and pounded the Dallas Cowboys 42-17 on a Sunday night in December.

After starting 5-1, the Saints were a .500 team the rest of the way, but their 10-6 record was good enough to secure a first-round playoff bye in an incredibly weak NFC. They edged the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 in the divisional round and would have played host to the NFC Championship Game if the Seattle Seahawks had won an overtime game at Chicago. The Saints had to travel to the cold Windy City instead and imploded in the second half against a very beatable team.

Defining moment: Brees and company consumed the last 8:36 of the fourth quarter on a drive that ended in John Carney’s tie-breaking field goal in a 27-24 victory over the Eagles in October. Yep, it was the same score as their playoff game three months later. The significance was not just that the Saints improved to 5-1. The way they won – with a physical drive against a worn-out defense – was unlike any other Saints team.

Linkback: TheExaminer