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NO HOME COOKIN': Saints offer big challenge
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Published: November 8, 2009
NEW ORLEANS
Quarterback Jake Delhomme has several reasons to love the New Orleans Saints.
They were the team of his south Louisiana childhood, the first NFL team to put him on a roster. And ever since he left, he has been on Carolina Panthers teams that have defeated the Saints with regularity. He is 8-2 against New Orleans since joining the Panthers in 2003.
When asked about the last time he had played in a loss in the Superdome, Delhomme said: "I don't know. I'd be lying. I'm not sure."
There's a reason he can't remember. It hasn't happened.
Delhomme had only one home start for the Saints, his first career start in 1999, and they upset the Dallas Cowboys.
Carolina has won his four starts in the Superdome and another at LSU's Tiger Stadium in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina. He even played in two college wins in the Superdome.
The Panthers haven't lost in Louisiana since 2001. Today, though, they will face what is increasingly looking like the best Saints team in the franchise's 43-year history.
Having matched the 1991 Saints for the team's best record, the 2009 Saints need a victory today to give New Orleans fans something they've never seen: an 8-0 team.
Delhomme is calling the Saints "the best team in football." "What they do is awesome. It's fun to watch," he said. "On some Mondays you pull up film from around the league. I'll pull up some Saints film and just watch what they're doing.
"We have to go into the Superdome thinking we're going to play good football, because if you don't, they're going to run you out of there. It's kind of what they've done for the majority of their games this year."
New Orleans leads the NFL in scoring, averaging 39 points, or 8.5 a game more than No. 2 Minnesota. The Saints rank first in total yards (428.7) per game. Their 35-27 win over Atlanta last Monday night marked the first time all season they hadn't won by double digits.
Some days, Drew Brees passes all over the field. He passed for six touchdowns in one game this season. Some games, the Saints go with a three-back ground attack of Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush, who have totaled 975 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing.
And in every game, the Saints' defense has had at least one interception. Led by new safety Darren Sharper and new cornerback Jabari Greer, New Orleans has 16 interceptions overall, already passing last season's total. The Saints have returned five interceptions for touchdowns, tying the single-season team record set in 1998.
Considering all that, it's hardly surprising that oddsmakers are forecasting the end of Carolina's winning streak in Louisiana. New Orleans is a two-touchdown favorite.
The Saints aren't buying it. Coach Sean Payton has made his players aware he has yet to beat the Panthers in New Orleans, and the fact that Carolina (3-4) has won three of its past four games wasn't lost on them.
"Their slow start this year is no reflection on the type of team they are," Brees said. "They've kind of come out like gangbusters the last few weeks, and they're playing extremely well defensively."
Also, the Saints have been torched in recent years by Carolina's Steve Smith, who has 11 catches for 256 yards and a touchdown in his last two games against New Orleans.
"He's an unbelievable football player. He does things that obviously you can't coach," defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said. "He's so explosive. The thing that I think he does the best is that for a little guy, when the ball goes up in the air, he plays like a 6-10 (basketball) center. He goes and gets it. What you have to do is to turn his little body over so that when he does get it, he lands on his head and he doesn't come back in for a while."
The Saints are turning the historical perception of the franchise on its ear, too. For decades, New Orleans has been known mostly for finding ways to lose, never going to a Super Bowl or having fans who wore bags over their heads in shame.
Because of the Saints play this year, players and coaches across the NFL are starting to pay them the types of compliments normally reserved for New England, Indianapolis or Pittsburgh.
On possibly winning in the dome, defensive tackle Damione Lewis of Carolina said, "It'd be awesome.... It's going to be a challenge for us, it's a really good team. In my opinion, it's probably one of the best, if not the best, in the NFL."
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