Saints vs. Colts: Why Curtis Painter Will Keep Indy Close to Saints Sunday Night

Despite the fact that the New Orleans Saints sit at 4-2 while the Indianapolis Colts are a depressing 0-6, this Sunday Night Football matchup will be closer than the experts think.

Indianapolis quarterback Curtis Painter has been a solid fill-in for Peyton Manning this season, and the Colts have been improving since he was inserted into the lineup.

Here are five reasons why Painter will keep the Colts close in tonight's game.

The New Orleans Saints' Weak Defense

Despite their team's 4-2 start, New Orleans Saints fans have been complaining all season about the apparent ineptitude of their defense.

They certainly have cause for complaint. The Saints rank 19th in passing yards per game allowed and 26th in points per game allowed.

With the lockout, all NFL defenses have been behind the eight ball so far this season. But no defense has appeared to fall off so far as the Saints'. Every one of New Orleans' opponents has been able to move the ball and put up points on them, and the Colts will be no different.

He Has Reggie Wayne

Let's face it, I could probably complete some passes in the NFL if I had a guy like Reggie Wayne to throw to. Even without his future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Wayne has still managed to post 390 yards and a touchdown after six games.

Wayne has always been best in big games (remember that 53-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLI?), so there's no doubt he will be up for a Sunday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints.

And He Has Pierre Garcon

With Reggie Wayne in the twilight of his NFL career, it appears as if Pierre Garcon is primed to be the next great Indianapolis Colts receiver.

After posting 67 receptions for 784 yards and six touchdowns last season, Garcon's production has not dropped off at all this season (despite Peyton Manning's absence). He already has recorded 474 yards and four touchdowns in just six games.

With Wayne and Garcon, it's no wonder why Curtis Painter's numbers have been respectable so far this season.

The Colts Are Getting Better and Better

Despite sitting at 0-6, the Indianapolis Colts have been looking better and better each week since opening the season getting thrashed by the Houston Texans and losing at home to the Cleveland Browns.

The Colts have been very competitive in each of their last four games, losing by a combined 24 points. This is an especially respectable number considering three of the four games came against teams that had winning records last season.

A large part of the turnaround has been due to Curtis Painter taking over at quarterback for Kerry Collins. Painter has kept the Colts competitive in every game he has started, and this week will be no different.

The Saints Have Been Struggling

The New Orleans Saints have struggled mightily the last few weeks. After needing a last-second touchdown to lift them past the 1-4 Carolina Panthers two weeks ago, they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

Trends and momentum are huge in every sport, but especially football. And right now, the Colts are trending upward, while the Saints are slipping back a little bit.