The Saints Go Marching into Greatness, Part Two

Today marks the end to an unusually quiet 2009 hurricane season. For a bit of irony, however, a major storm is brewing in New Orleans.

Last night's primetime matchup between the now 7-4 New England Patriots and the now 11-0 New Orleans Saints had all the makings of a shootout-to-be.

Well, it wasn't.

The NFL's "been there, done that" team of success over the past decade was completely outmatched by the boys from the Bayou.

For most of this season, the Saints have looked good, real good. But by imposing their will on the Patriots, the Saints made a very loud statement, and a very important step toward greatness.

On a night when it seemed the whole world was watching, Drew Brees finished the contest with a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating, only the third quarterback to do so on a Monday night.

Nobody outside the Who Dat Nation would have believed the Saints were capable of dismantling the Patriots in such fashion.

Former Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady finished the game without a touchdown pass for the first time in nine games.

With a little over five minutes remaining, Brady was done for the night—without a touchdown and having thrown two interceptions.

The Superdome was on full tilt as Drew Brees connected with seven different receivers for 371 yards and five touchdowns while completing 78.3 percent of his passes.

After a near-perfect game, it is clear that Brees is an elite quarterback, and the Saints are for real. At times, Brees appeared unstoppable. It was as though it didn't matter what the Patriots did on defense, he was not going to be stopped.

And he wasn't.

Brees orchestrated touchdown drives of 59, 75, 76, 74, and 75 yards.

Many believed Brees needed this victory to solidify his position among the elite NFL quarterbacks. I have to agree, but that goal was more than achieved with the Saints' overwhelming victory over the Patriots.

Prior to the game, the Saints' 10-0 record was not enough to prevent many from opining that the Minnesota Vikings were the best football team in the NFC. It is arguable, however, that, with the complete dismantling of the New England Patriots, a new era in the NFL has begun—one in which the Saints are considered a top-notch ball club worthy of being feared, and the Superdome is a dangerous venue for visiting teams.

The convincing, one-sided victory places a stamp of approval on a season that finds the Saints undefeated at 11-0 and making a serious run for the playoffs with Super Bowl aspirations in mind.

The Saints have proven, without a doubt, that they are legitimate contenders for a championship.

Furthermore, I'll go so far as to say that the Saints are the most talented and dominant team in the NFL—bar none. They've raised the bar and set the stage. The best is yet to come.

There will still be doubters and some still left in disbelief, but last night we witnessed a very good football team take one big precision step in their march toward greatness.

And like I've always said, "Lord I want to be in that number...when the saints to marching in" to greatness!