NFL Power Rankings: New Orleans Saints' Road to the Super Bowl Begins Monday

You haven’t heard much about the New Orleans Saints in the past two months, and that’s just fine with them.

The Saints have been playing under the radar ever since their opening night loss to the Green Bay Packers, an event that seems like ages ago.

Since then they have quietly gone about their business, beating both the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans when those teams still had their franchise quarterbacks.

They took care of the division rival Atlanta Falcons on the road, and dropped 62 points on the hapless Colts. A win against the New York Giants and the Saints are in prime position to nab the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Entering Week 12, QB Drew Brees led the NFL in passing yards (3,326), was tied for second in passing touchdowns (23) and was third in quarterback rating (101.3)

With five games left (Lions, @ Titans, @ Vikings, Falcons, Panthers), the Saints have 12-4 written all over them.

The NFC playoff competition isn’t too daunting. The 49ers may have a terrific defense, but they can’t keep Brees under 20 points. That puts quite a bit of pressure on QB Alex Smith to generate points.

The Cowboys, Falcons and Lions are all fatally flawed, which means there is only one team standing in the Saints' way.

Their 42-34 loss on September 8^th to the Packers was one of the best games of the season thus far. The Saints were only a goal line stop away from tying the game.

Nine games later and the Saints are a far more balanced team. Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas form the greatest trio of backs in the league.

The three compliment each other’s skills perfectly, and despite limited attempts, rank 14^th in the NFL, rushing for 117 yards per game. James Starks and Ryan Grant have the 28^th ranked rushing attack for Green Bay.

Sure, QB Aaron Rodgers is currently on a hot streak that is unmatched in the NFL, but this isn’t a one-man sport. He needs more help from his rushing game and especially from their 31^st ranked pass defense. You can’t score when you aren't on the field.

I think the Saints possess more balance on both sides of the ball and have the only QB in the league that can keep up with the eye-popping numbers of Rodgers.

Beating the Giants will be the first step in stealing the No. 2 seed from the 49ers. Sure, the Saints have been laying low for the better part of two months, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t Super Bowl bound.

Remember, the Packers needed an incredible run just to make the playoffs last year. The Saints have yet to play their best football of the season and you get the feeling that they are just waiting for the calendar to flip into the final month.