Mother Teresa, the men and women of our Armed Forces and
perhaps even Sully Sullenberger are all worthy of canonization for their
impact on society. If New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton brings a
Super Bowl title back to the Big Easy, he may be declared an individual with
exceptional holiness too.
And that's not just because of the team name, but what it would mean to the
community if the Saints march back to the bayou with their first NFL
championship. In times of duress, many look to a higher being or people of
prominence to help them cope. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and the
displaced community was forced to use the Superdome as a temporary residence,
there was always hope with the Saints.
It was soon after the levee system catastrophically failed during the storm,
much like the football team often has since the late 60's, that team owner Tom
Benson made the move to hire Payton before the 2006 season. The two have been
to the NFC Championship game twice in the past four years, finally winning it
just a few weeks ago in the Superdome in front of the allegiant fan base.
Payton surely knows how important a championship would be to the fans and the
Crescent City.
"It's hard (to explain)," Payton said earlier on the significance of an NFC
title. "Four years ago, there were holes in this roof. The fans in this city
and this region deserve it. Like I said before, I'm just proud to be a part of
it, to be part of something that is so special for this city and well
deserved."
It's only fitting the Saints are in the Super Bowl against the AFC's best in
Indianapolis after ripping off 13 straight wins to start the season. Payton
and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, Jr. were fortunate enough to coach
one of the top offensive units in NFL history, as the Saints finished first in
yards per game (403.8), first in points per contest (31.9) and tied for first
with the Colts and Vikings with 34 touchdown passes. The job has been a bit
easier with Drew Brees under center, and the All-Pro quarterback has only
Payton and his staff to thank. Under Payton and Carmichael, Brees was the main
reason why New Orleans fans forgot the likes of former signal-callers like
Bobby Hebert, John Fourcade and Aaron Brooks.
Payton, who has posted a record of 38-26 in the regular season and 3-1 in the
postseason, helped former Saint Kerry Collins and the New York Giants get to
Super Bowl XXXV when he served as offensive coordinator, and his work with
Brees has further solidified his reputation as being a successful tutor to
quarterbacks. The former NFL Coach of the Year, who has also worked with Drew
Bledsoe and Vinny Testaverde, has extensive knowledge in this field and the
Saints are better for it. With a football I.Q. higher than that of Elaine Benes
in a classic episode of Seinfeld, Payton has a chess match for the ages ahead
of him against Colts All-Pro quarterback and four-time MVP of the league Peyton
Manning.
Manning has not only been on the mind of Payton the past few weeks, but
on that of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and that's not necessarily a
bad thing.
Or is it?
One mental picture worth painting in the mind of any defensive coordinator is
Manning performing surgery with his mind and arm at the line of scrimmage. If
those delusions aren't proof that scheming for Manning should take the
allotted two weeks before the Super Bowl, take a look at the film from Indy's
win over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship game. The only thing
Manning didn't have was an exacto knife against the Jets' 4-6 blitz package,
and Williams can only hope Carmichael can keep his offensive unit on the field
for a lengthy period of time. But before counting out Williams and his staff,
one has to show respect for the pioneer of tough defenses. Williams' units
in Washington and Tennessee made a steady climb near the top of the NFL's
defensive charts in his years there, but this year's Saints still have some
kinks in the system.
The New Orleans defense finished 13th in the league in sacks (35.0), 21st
against the rush (122.2 ypg), 25th in total yards (357.8 ypg) and 26th in pass
coverage (235.6 ypg). In the win over Minnesota in the NFC title game, the
Vikings racked up 475 yards of offense, including 310 thanks to the aging
right arm of future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre. The secondary will be in for
a long day and a rough trip back to New Orleans if Manning has his way as
usual.
"I think the key is alignment, assignment and knowing with each play your call
on defense, your responsibility on defense and just executing your job," Payton
said last week. "Obviously it's a lot easier said than done. Not only is Peyton
on top of what he wants to get to, but you can see that same awareness with the
receivers in Dallas Clark and the running backs. It's a team that's very
intelligent, very smart as well as talented, and at times they make it look
easy."
Payton has made coaching look easy ever since Benson handed him the keys to
the organization back on January 18, 2006. Now in his 21st year in coaching,
Payton is a veteran of the game and has a chance to become even more of an
exemplary figure in the hearts of Saints fans across the nation.
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