Saints proving they belong in NFC conversation

Nobody believed in the New Orleans Saints before the season. No, not even the people who attend the games at the Superdome honestly thought the Saints could be a Super Bowl contender before they kicked off against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.

Hell, even those who lied and said they believed in this team were jumping ship when New Orleans was soundly beaten by those Vikings and then by the New England Patriots over the first two weeks. Everything was terrible once more, and the Saints looked to be well on their way to another 7-9 season.

Then, somehow, everything changed. The Saints went on the road and intercepted Cam Newton three times in a blowout 34-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. The next week, the unthinkable. New Orleans took on the Miami Dolphins in London and shut them out, taking a 20-0 win back home.

Over the last two weeks, more of the same. New Orleans scored 52 points on the Detroit Lions, including a pair of pick-sixes before handling the Green Bay Packers (albeit without Aaron Rodgers) 26-17 at Lambeau Field.

At 4-2, the Saints are leading what might be the league’s best division. They are a half-game in front of the Panthers (who already lost at home to the Saints, as mentioned), and a full game ahead of the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons.

While New Orleans doesn’t have a great defense, it’s wildly better than in years past. The unit ranks 23rd in yardage allowed but has been average, giving Drew Brees and Co. a real chance to win without having to score on every possession. In addition, the schedule begins to get easier for the Saints, who still have six home games on the docket, starting with this Sunday’s tilt against the woeful Chicago Bears.

Perhaps one of the best moves of the season for New Orleans wasn’t signing veteran running back Adrian Peterson, but trading him two weeks ago to the Arizona Cardinals. Peterson was clearly frustrated with his role, sharing time with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara. The result of Peterson’s jettison has been more time for Ingram, who has put up consecutive 100-yard games.

If for no other reason, the Saints have to be taken seriously because of a Hall of Fame quarterback and a coach in Sean Payton who has been to the mountaintop. New Orleans has a long way to go this year, but the start has been good enough to make folks turn their heads and look at a team once thought to be irrelevant once again.