NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints had three major objectives after laboring through the 2008 season with an 8-8 record, and they addressed all of them quickly. And decisively.
Little wonder, then, that with such a prolific passing game, the Saints are in the NFC championship game for just the second time in the NFL franchise’s 43-year history. A victory over the Minnesota Vikings today in the Louisiana Superdome, and the words “Saints” and “Super Bowl” will be no longer mutually exclusive.
Wherever he is, the late Buddy Diliberto, the popular Saints radio critic who took botching the English language to a whole new level, isn’t passing out paper bags.
Unless, of course, they’re used to insulate a quart of beer purchased on the streets of the French Quarter. Sometimes, you gotta stay on the down low.
What will Bourbon Street be like, say, tonight, if the Saints actually punch their ticket to the Super Bowl?
Jermon Bushrod, the Saints’ offensive tackle, thought about it and said, “Out of control, probably … but you aren’t gonna see me down there.”
Maybe not, but Sean Payton, the Saints’ fourth-year coach, put it all together over the last calendar year. The Saints won their first 13 games on their way to the home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs.
No. 1, they had to improve the running game, and take some heat off Drew Brees. The Saints’ two Pro Bowl offensive linemen, Jon Stinchcomb and Jahri Evans, set an example up front and everybody else bought in. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell emerged as an effective 1-2 punch between the tackles.
No. 2, they needed new leadership, on defense. Payton mercifully showed former Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs the door and made a major splash when he landed Gregg Williams, formerly of the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins. Williams was a major coup for the Saints.
And finally, No. 3, they had to bolster the secondary. They did that in several phases, but most notably, with the addition of Pro Bowl free safety Darren Sharper, who was with the Vikings last season. Sharper is the proverbial coach on the field, and he is the NFL’s active leader in career interceptions.
Sharper had nine interceptions this season and he returned three of them for touchdowns. Plus, at least on the surface, he brings some inside information on the Saints’ opponent.
Not so fast, at least in Payton’s estimation.
“We have so much film now,” Payton said. “You get enough looks, both teams … Most of the game plan, all of the game plan, is really based on all the evidence on tape and what you’ve seen from a video standpoint.
“Other than that, I think oftentimes much is made of that, and it’s really insignificant.”
Sharper and Saints middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, however, have a different perspective. A locker room perspective, if you will.
“Yeah, I’ve been through this before,” Sharper said with a grin. “In Minnesota, guys used to lean on me for information about Green Bay (where he played his first eight NFL seasons, all with Brett Favre, now the Vikings quarterback). I give the guys the information I think I have, on the opponent.”
Vilma considers it valuable information.
Because he’s the Saints’ first Pro Bowl middle linebacker since the beginning of time, or something like that, maybe we should listen.
“Yeah, Darren’s definitely the guy we’re going to go to, to try to get tips on their offense,” Vilma said. “Whatever little edge you can get, to help you win, that can make the difference in the game.”
Food for thought with the NFC title game three days on the horizon.
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