It's another fine day in the New Orleans metropolitan area, where parishes have shown themselves to be of a higher quality than boroughs.
But if you can't get outside, here's some Saints verbage to take your mind off another (painful) day of work.
It's lunchtime in the Crescent City. Pick up your roast beef po boy and a Barq's and let's get to reading on the EOSB.
As always, comments are welcomed, discussion is warranted.
Certainly we've known for years now that the Saints have a pretty studly offense. But now the defense is joining the guys who matriculate the ball down the field in the NFL's rankings. The defense is ranked in the top 15 in nearly every major category.
Les East, in a special story for the Baton Rouge Advocate (it's special because Les wrote it), says that the Saints won't be losing their focus any time soon. Not with the schedule the team still has to play.
Amazingly, Jeremy Shockey of all people is the guy Sheldon Mickles quotes in saying the team is guarding itself from getting overconfident. Shockey!
Brady Aymond in the Lafayette Advertiser said looking around the locker room following Sunday's game showed him that this team is staying grounded. It reminds him of LSU's championship baseball team, he said.
Speaking of LSU, Glenn Guilbeau of Gannett Newspapers said the Tigers should look down Interstate 10 to the Saints if they want to find out how to play offense. New Orleans does, after all, have the top-rated offense in the NFL.
Local writer provocateur Brian Allee-Walsh says that as much as we talk about Drew Brees and Mike Bell and Marques Colston, it's the offensive line that deserves some of the credit.
John DeShazier, a great Macon, Ga., man if I've ever seen one, says what he thinks no one else will: The Saints are the best team in the NFL right now. Did you miss Marques Colston last year?
Pat Yasinskas at ESPN.com certainly did. But as Yasinskas says, Colston is a man amongst boys this season.
Speaking of men amongst boys, Michael Silver at Yahoo! sports writes that Saints QB Drew Brees is about the only one assured of playing in Miami in February - it'll be a Pro Bowl appearance or Super Bowl.
If you're a betting man, by the way, Vegas has the Saints with the best odds of making the Super Bowl. Yeah, you read that right.
Over at the Dallas Morning News, Rick Gosselin says that while New Orleans is known for the French Quarter, it's the first quarter that's putting the Saints over the top. The game plan: Score early, score often and make the other team play catch up.
Darren Everson and David Biderman at the Wall Street Journal wonder if the NFL should outlaw dome stadiums. They cite the fast starts by New Orleans and Minnesota as why domes are unfair advantages. Um, sure guys. Stick to stocks and money.
Up at the Shreveport Times, Scott Ferrell lists five reasons why this Saints 5-0 start is unlike the ones in 1991 and 1993.
The Associated Press' Brett Martel - New Orleans' own renaissance man - writes that the defense is making the offense better and vice versa. It's true. They've said that in the locker room.
Armando Salguero at the Miami Herald recounts the courtship that Miami and New Orleans both had with Drew Brees. The now beloved Saints QB almost became a Dolphin and here's how.
Over at the Sun Sentinel in South Florida, Mike Berardino writes that the Dolphins could be the first team to challenge the Saints.
Various Power Rankings
Peter King at SI.com finally has the Saints at No. 1. What took ya so long, Pete?
But Clark Judge of CBSsports.com says the Saints are No. 2 behind Indy.
Clifton Brown of the Sporting News bounced New Orleans from No. 3 to No. 1. He's now a believer.
ProFootballTalk moved the Saints from No. 4 to the top spot this week. And BleacherReport.com has New Orleans as the No. 1 team.
