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By Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett
NEW ORLEANS — All this, and Christmas, too?
The New Orleans Saints are already very thankful for all their hard-earned gifts in the 2009 season — a rare 13-0 start, only their second NFC South division title, a home playoff game and just their third postseason appearance in the last 17 seasons.

Quarterback Drew Brees is the Saint getting most of the presents, beginning with the holy nickname of "Brees-us," as in Jesus, whose birthday is coming up on Dec. 25.

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"It's a little sacrilegious," Brees said this week. "I guess that might be a little far — going a little far. Just the fact that it's a sign of affection and that people respect you and maybe what you stand for — so in that case, it's an honor for people to think that way about you."

Brees has put up some heavenly numbers. He is the No.1-rated passer in the NFL with 302 completions in 432 attempts for a near 70% completion percentage and a league-high 32 touchdowns going into Saturday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys (8-5) in the Louisiana Superdome. He is second only to New Orleans-born Peyton Manning in passing yards with 3,832.

Brees also leads NFL quarterbacks in receptions of T-shirts that say "Brees-us."

"I get free T-shirts out of it," he said. "I get them thrown in my car as I drive away after games. I had my window rolled down. I got some pralines thrown in there the other day, too, T-shirts, CDs. It's like Christmas. It is Christmas. I think it's great how excited people are. Everybody wants to be a part of this, and everybody deserves to be a part of this because so many fans have been waiting for this for a long time."

From 1967 through 1986, the Saints never got much for Christmas or had a winning season. There were six more losing seasons in the 1990s and another half dozen non-winning seasons in this decade, including a 3-13 disaster in 2005 on the heels of the Hurricane Katrina disaster that sent the beloved franchise to New York, San Antonio and Baton Rouge for "home" games.

After a generous gift from Dallas in the name of assistant coach Sean Payton, who became the Saints' head coach early in 2006, Brees arrived a few months later as damaged goods from the San Diego Chargers. Most NFL teams thought he would never be the same because of a serious shoulder injury and passed on him like coal in a stocking.

"A lot of us you might call castoffs or castaways a little bit because we were either traded here or got here because we didn't have too many other options," Brees said. "We were able to do that (turn things around post Katrina) as an organization, as a team, all of us individually, as a city and all kind of rebuilding together and all kind of learning on each other."

The Saints reached the playoffs in 2006 but with — according to their 2009 standard — a pedestrian 10-6 record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game in Chicago before losing. In 2007 and 2008, the Saints slipped to 7-9 and 8-8.

"Yes, we've taken our lumps a little bit as a team by not making the playoffs the last two years, but I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," Brees said. "Sometimes you have to go through that adversity and have it happen to you — some of that heartbreak in order for you to gain that edge and that mental toughness in order to allow you that opportunity of what we're doing this year. In other words, we don't make the playoffs the last two years, but I think that's what allowed us to be 13-0 right now with the opportunity to win them all."

A 16-0 record — or maybe less — would guarantee the Saints home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. There would be no trip to snowy Chicago or any other city until the Super Bowl.

Payton sees the postseason as the only season better than Christmas season.

"More than anything, we're trying to give ourselves the best opportunity to play and win in the postseason, and that would obviously be playing at home," Payton said. "We're trying to ensure our best chances when we get to the postseason."

Payton praised Brees-us and his disciples for not getting distracted through the perfect season so far.

"I think our players have done a good job," he said. "The leadership in the locker room has been strong as it relates to any potential distraction. They've done a good job of focusing on the next opponent and really keeping it that simple.

"When you can do that, you can avoid all the other potential things that come up and get you off the path. The focus all year has been on the next game, and this week will be no different."

After Dallas, only Tampa Bay at home two days after Christmas and a trip to Carolina on Jan. 3 remain in the regular season.

"You don't have many opportunities like this, do you?" Brees said. "It's something to consider."

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