For years and years, the Lovable Losers of Louisiana never really had much of a chance to make the playoffs, much less make any postseason noise, but that was before Drew Brees and Sean Payton came to town. Since the magical season of 2006, the Saints have been in the playoffs discussion every year but after missing the postseason in 2007 and 2008, the Saints patched up the defense and reeled off thirteen straight wins to start a season for the ages. Three straight losses followed and the Black and Gold seemed destined to crash and burn once more.But Brees & Co. got it all back together and clipped some Cardinal wings in the second round of the playoffs which set up the NFC championship game between the Saints and Vikings, arguably the best game in Louisiana Superdome history. Garrett Hartley's winning field goal in overtime put the Saints on a path to make history and the Who Dats never looked back. The season ended like every season should and the Saints were crowned league champions after a 31-17 win over New Orleans native Peyton Manning and the mighty Colts of Indianapolis.But those are all memories, water under the bridge. Drew Brees summed it up best in an interview with Sports Illustrated, "Last season was awesome, just awesome, but now it's time to bring another trophy back to our city."
The offseason was eventful, to say the least. Both Brees and head coach Sean Payton both released best-selling
memoirs, the Lombardi Trophy was carted around like a circus oddity, which of course, for this area, it is, and one of the worst environmental disasters in US history rudely interrupted the celebration just over two months after Black and Gold left Miami as NFL champions. But as Brees said, it's time to bring some more hardware home. The Saints have a chance too, a really good chance.
