 Everyone knew the New Orleans Saints offense was good. We all knew they were an explosive bunch with Drew Brees at quarterback, giving each a receiver a chance to set new career game highs in 2008. We just did not expect the defense, with pretty much the same people on the field, to make such a huge step. The Saints are 4-0 after the first quarter of the season and are one of just four remaining unbeaten teams. Even when Brees has been off, like in the last two weeks, this team finds a way to blow out a team. In fact, New Orleans is consistently beating teams by double-digit points, whether they score 28 or a season low 24. The offense is third in the league in yards per game. Incredibly, passing yardage only accounts for 248 of the 414.3 yards per game. Mike Bell, Reggie Bush, and Pierre Thomas have accounted for 166.3 rushing yards per game. The New Orleans Saints are scoring a league best 36 points per game thanks to that explosively balanced attack, a good return team, and the defense. The Saints defense has been quicker to the ball and that shows in the yards allowed per game average. New Orleans is seventh in the league with just 295.3 yards allowed a contest. If you look at the numbers you would think the team is stingy against the run with 83.3 yards per game allowed and average against the pass with 212 yards allowed a contest. However, that assumption is incorrect. The game situations demand that team's throw the ball a lot since the Saints can post so many points so quickly. The team seem is above average against the run (3.7 yards per carry allowed, ninth in the league), but among the best against the pass (6 yards per attempt, seventh in the league). Individually, Drew Brees is having a great season and is a thrill to see for any football fan, whether at the Superdome as a Saints fan or on the road as part of the opposition. He has a quarterback rating of 108.4 (3rd) with nine touchdowns (4th) and just two interceptions. He is in the top ten for yards per game among quarterbacks. One would think he would have more numbers, but this season the Saints running game has been very good so he has not needed to try to broach the 5,000 yard mark again this season. Normally it is difficult to find a single player on a team to talk about on defense, the New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper already has five interceptions and two run backs. The man is 33 years old and has remained one of the best players in the secondary in the league, already guaranteeing his spot in the Pro Bowl through just four games. Sharper is not as quick as he was in his younger days with the Packers, but his ballhawking ability have made him one of the most important players on the D in the new defensive scheme from defensive coordinator Greg Williams. The New Orleans Saints schedule ahead has big games right away. The Week 6 match up with the New York Giants is a game of the undefeated and a battle for supremacy in the NFC. The Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons pits them against the only team in the NFC South that is going to be able to keep up with the Saints. The Panthers and the Bucs seem to already be out of any playoff talk after their early season blunders. The New Orleans Saints should be able to guarantee a playoff spot, if not a first round bye with their schedule ahead. Find your New Orleans Saints tickets with us here at OnlineSeats. Find the best seats in the Superdome for cheap. Enjoy your choice from this great selection of Saints tickets.
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