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The New Orleans Saints are 10-0 and the talk of not just the Crescent City, but the nation as well. As they prepare to take on the vaunted New England Patriots (7-3) on the national stage that is the 'Monday Night Football' broadcast at 7 p.m. on ESPN, The Times-Picayune takes a look at the key statistics that put the Black and Gold at the top of many analysts NFL power rankings.

For example: The Saints lead the league with 48 touchdowns, which has resulted in their league-leading 36.9 points-per-game average. The Minnesota Vikings, who are second in touchdowns, have 37.
All three phases have scored for New Orleans with the addition of Courtney Roby's kick return against the St. Louis Rams two weeks ago. Yet that unit has its work cut out if it hopes to top the team's defense, which has scored seven times. Need to see that in pie chart form? That's included in the graphic. The defense also has a league-best 20 interceptions.
Quarterback Drew Brees' success has been well-documented. He leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt at 8.58 yards per attempt. He is tied with the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers for the league lead with 22 passing touchdowns. He trails only Brett Favre in passer rating at 105.8 this season.
We also break down the success of the Saints' rushing attack, which spreads the wealth among Reggie Bush (five rushing touchdowns), Pierre Thomas (five) and Mike Bell (four).
A printed copy of this graphic can also be found Sunday in The Times-Picayune.

www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman

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