More Than a Cinderella Story: The '09 New Orleans Saints

We all know the story by now. Only a mere four years ago a storied NFL franchise was on life support when the New Orleans Saints faced an uncertain future after Hurricane Katrina. The Saints returned home in '06 and embarked on a season which was as remarkable as it was unlikely.

The first night of the healing process was in Week 3 of that season against the Atlanta Falcons in the re-opening of the Super dome. An already electric atmosphere was built up into a fever pitch as Green Day and U2 performed a selection of hits including the single "The Saints are coming" which was in aid of Hurricane Katrina.

And now the line Bono sings on U2's Beautiful Day never seems more apt "See the bird with a leaf in her mouth, after the flood all the colours came out." The cathartic moment came when Garret Hartley kicked the winning field goal, literally taking a city to somewhere it had never been: the Superbowl. 

It would be mere folly to suggest this is a team built on a feel good factor and public support as that can only take you so far. The Saints for the two seasons after the '06 were a dependable defence away from other playoff appearances, finishing 7-9 and 8-8 respectively. The '08 season in particular demonstrated how much of a polar opposite there was between the defence and offence in terms of production.

One thing in particular that stands out from '08 was the way Drew Brees led that team by himself. No run game, no Colston and Shockey for most of the season and a pressure to score seven on every drive. 

During this offseason there was an eagerness to rectify mistakes from previous campaigns. Gregg Williams was brought in as defensive coordinator and free agency and limited draft picks were focused on making the defense better. Key additions were cornerback Jabari Greer and the cagey old veteran safety Darren Sharper.

The Saints were a playmaking juggernaut this season on both sides of the ball, combining their quick-strike offense and opportunistic defense with alarming effect.

Drew Brees had another MVP-like season and coped with the loss of injury plagued Lance Moore for much of the season, much like he did with Shockey and Colston a year previous.

The other other major factor which gave the team their 13-3 record was their much improved run game, with Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell all contributing greatly throughout the year.

There were many highlights but dominating wins over the Eagles, Giants, Patriots and a jaw-dropping comeback against Miami will live long in the mind of any Saints fan.

The one thing the Saints have seemed to struggle with is going into a big game as the favourite.

The two games in which the Saints have looked most out of sync on offense have been against the Vikings and the Cowboys. In both games the Saints were expected to win. The offense struggled in the first half against the Cowboys and stumbled in the second against the Vikings. 

Here in the UK, Sky Sports pundit Nick Halling was dismissive of the Saints in the aftermath of Sunday's win. He claims the Saints could be torn to shreds in the Super Bowl.

This could very well happen as the Colts are a very good team but they are not balanced enough to be considered great. They match up very well against the Saints defense with their plethora of receivers but this '09 version of the Saints have a bit too much about them to just get outclassed.

Sean Payton will probably be rubbing his hands at being the underdog. Just look at the last two years where the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants have both risen to the big occasion and only a fool would suggest the Saints will not do the same.

It maybe be a tired cliche but the most dangerous teams are the ones with nothing to lose. The Saints will be rightly lauded for their achievements this season come what may but you feel there is a burning desire within the organisation to go all the way. The hardest challenge was getting to the big dance and end over forty years of hurt. To win it all would be the icing on the cake.