SmashMouth

How pronounced will the Saints' Super Bowl hangover be in the city of hangovers?
When I spoke to New Orleans head coach Sean Payton last month about his newly released book, he said he'd be surprised if the story of his team's 2010 season wound up being one of a defending champion that lost its edge and fire and didn't deal well with the byproducts of the ultimate NFL victory. But honestly, which Super Bowl-winning head coach wouldn't have said roughly the same thing? The glow of success often makes it very difficult to clearly see your weaknesses the season after a Super Bowl win, and to combat that effect you have to have mature, committed team leaders who are self-driven and burning with the desire to re-scale the game's summit.
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In that respect, I like the Saints' chances of suffering only a slight case of Super Bowl hangover. I don't believe for a minute that quarterback Drew Brees will let down his guard or grow fat and sassy with that shiny ring on his finger. And on defense, the re-signing of veteran safety Darren Sharper might prove pivotal in the same regard on that side of the locker room. Yes, the party and the parades seemed to go on forever in New Orleans -- when do they not? -- but I don't see a Steelers-like step back coming from the Saints this season. I'm not predicting another Super Bowl run, but New Orleans should still be playing when January arrives.

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