Saints aren’t sneaking up on anybody

SEATTLE — Complete with shovels, a preacher and, yes, even a casket, the New Orleans Saints put to rest their historical 2006 season in June.

Coach Sean Payton arranged the mock funeral that was held at the team’s minicamp four months ago. It was a reminder to the players, and the growing base of Saints fans, to forget the past and look toward the future.

And now?

“We might want to dig that back up,” Payton joked last week.

The 2006 season seems so far away. The Saints team that will face the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field tonight is still looking for its first win, despite many of the same names from the 10-6 squad that went to the NFC Championship game in January.

The Saints have 20 of the 22 starters from that team back this year. Only tight end Dan Campbell, now with the Detroit Lions, and injured running back Deuce McAllister are not expected to be at Qwest Field tonight when New Orleans (0-4) takes on the Seahawks (3-2).

“Their approach has been positive, and that’s difficult right now when you get to where you are at 0-4,” Payton said last week. “There is still a lot of football left.”

The Saints had one of the most improbable seasons in recent history last year by going from 3-13 to a 10-6 division champion. With free agent quarterback Drew Brees and high-profile draft pick Reggie Bush, the 2006 Saints helped bring some pride back to a devastated community by going all the way to the NFC Championship game.

But this year has been a whole different story. The Saints have gone from under-the-radar to the crosshairs, and they’ve taken plenty of bullets in the process.

Brees has followed up his 4,000-yard season with a dud, as he ranks 32nd in the NFL with a 57.4 passer rating _ only Chicago’s Rex Grossman (45.2) and Minnesota’s Tavaris Jackson (40.0) are behind him. Brees has just one touchdown pass, and nine interceptions.

Bush, who was expected to fill a bigger role even before McAllister suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, has just 147 rushing yards on 50 carries.

And the pass defense, ranked third in the NFL last season, has dropped to 30th. Defensive end Will Smith has the team’s only sack.

“It is puzzling at times,” Brees said. “I think we’re playing a tougher schedule than we did a year ago. I feel like the circumstances are a bit different. And each year, no matter how many of the same guys you have, it’s always a new team.

“We feel like we’re a better team than we were (in 2006), but it’s not showing right now.”

The Seahawks know all too well about the weight of Super expectations. After going to Super Bowl XL after the 2005 season, Seattle had plenty of targets on its back last year. The Seahawks weathered numerous injuries and other question marks and forged out a 9-7 record and third consecutive NFC West title.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren knows just how Payton feels this year.

“Following a year like that you’re not going to sneak up on anybody, that’s for sure,” Holmgren said last week. “People know how good you are and they’re going to prepare, if that was the case before.”

Despite the 0-4 record, the Saints aren’t going to sneak up on Seattle tonight.

“They have a lot of good football players on that team, and they have a good, young football coach,” Holmgren said.

The Saints also have an impressive recent history. Unfortunately for New Orleans, it’s buried six feet underground.

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