New Orleans Saints: Why Has Saints' Success Been so Quiet in 2011?

The New Orleans Saints are 8-3, leading the NFC South and possess one of the best offenses in football but they’re not getting much publicity. So what gives?

The Saints are starting to come on strong when it matters most after posting three straight victories over quality opponents like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants, but is it just me or does it seem like a lot of their success has gone unnoticed?

I know the Saints aren’t the New England Patriots or have Tim Tebow running up and down the field and that’s what ESPN loves to cover, but give this team some respect. Sean Payton and his staff have once again put together a great team that can both pound the rock and sling it down the field.

The Saints rank first in the NFL in passing yards per game as they’re averaging 324.2 yards per game, and they rank eighth in the league in rushing yards per game with an average of 125.5. That’s a balanced attack that will give any defense problems, and Drew Brees is playing his best football as of late.

In the month of November, Brees threw eight touchdowns and only one interception, but I don’t hear any cries of MVP for the Saint from the worldwide leaders in sports. I’ll tell you the reason the Saints have flown under the radar for the majority of this season, and it’s because of the success of the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

You’d be a fool to say that this team hasn’t impressed you with the way they go out each and every week and execute. It’s becoming very likely that they will run the table and have an undefeated season, because honestly, who’s going to stop them?

I feel that Saints fans might have an answer to that question. The only team that can stop this Packer freight train is the Saints, and I have all the faith in the world that this team can stop them.

Just look at the first game of the season between both of these two teams. The Saints got off to an absolutely terrible start after going down 14-0 but managed to fight back and nearly tied the game at the end of regulation.

Now this offense is heating up with Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham causing mismatches all over the field, and the defense is getting better. The defense still has some work to do, but I’m seeing some strides being made up front and in the secondary.

As long as the offense continues to produce like they’ve been, the defense doesn’t have to be like that other team on the bayou that’s playing for the SEC Championship. The Packers have an incredible amount of firepower on offense and even a dominant defense isn’t necessarily going to shut this team down either. I mean, they did put up 31 points on the board against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl without Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant.

The bottom line is if you’re going to beat the Packers, you need to have an explosive offense, and that’s just what the Saints possess. So go ahead, media outlets, and continue to praise the Packers and not give the Saints the credit they deserve. I prefer it that way.