When the Saints started 0-2 with more of the same terrible defense they've played for three years, it looked like 2017 would become a fourth straight season of no playoffs.
Three wins later, the Saints look terrifying as a team threatening to do big things in the NFC.
New Orleans is in second place by a half game in the NFC South after Sunday's wild but strangely dominant 52-38 home win over Detroit. Already with a road victory at division-leading Carolina, that's two good teams the Saints have beaten. So yes, they're a good team, too.
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The defense has been most responsible for the quick turnaround, as the Saints' monetary and draft investment on that side of the ball is finally paying off. It started with the unit getting after Cam Newton and the Panthers. It continued overseas with a shutout of Jay Cutler and the Dolphins in London.
Fresh off a bye, the Saints went into full attack mode against the Lions and produced five sacks and three interceptions of Matthew Stafford. The scoring included a fumble return touchdown by Kenny Vaccaro and two pick-sixes, one by Marshon Lattimore and one by Cameron Jordan.
Although Vaccaro continues to be a weak link, Jordan and Lattimore have helped give the Saints exactly what they need: a chance to dominate on the edges against the pass. It's the perfect kind of complementary defense to support Drew Brees and a still-explosive offense.
Jordan continues to wreak havoc as the league's best all-around 4-3 defensive end this season, and Alex Okafor, signed away from the Cardinals, is playing well opposite him. Lattimore, the first-round rookie, has teamed with fellow young cornerback Ken Crawley to contain wideouts outside. Rookie second-round safety Marcus Williams has had an immediate impact as a rangy playmaker. Versatile linebacker Craig Robertson is also having a bit of a late-career breakout.
When New Orleans won the Super Bowl eight seasons go, it came through with sacks and takeaways in key situations, taking advantage of the pressure Sean Payton and Brees put on opponents by never letting off the gas. That team had 26 interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries and 35 sacks. It finished plus-11 in turnover margin.
Through five games in 2017, the Saints have nine interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 16 sacks — on pace to be even more productive than they were in 2009. Brees accounted for their first three giveaways of the season in Week 6, well-timed with the Saints being up big on the Lions.
Another key part of the Saints' 2009 profile was a top-10 rushing attack. They came into Week 6 this season ranked 29th. Both early in the game and later with the lead, New Orleans racked up chunks of yards on Detroit, turning 37 attempts into 193 yards. Free of Adrian Peterson, Payton has his ideal 1-2 punch in Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara.
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Take away the ball and get to the quarterback. Protect the ball and your quarterback. Then tee off defensively and pound away offensively. It seems like a simple formula, but it's tough to gather all the right personnel to make it work.
The Saints have done that, and their re-emergence as Super Bowl contenders comes at a convenient time in a faltering conference.
With Aaron Rodgers down for the Packers and Eli Manning stuck in too big of a hole for the Giants, Brees and the Seahawks' Russell Wilson are the only NFC quarterbacks with rings. That includes recent NFL MVPs-turned-Super Bowl losers, Newton and Matt Ryan. Newton has been inconsistent, and Ryan has not played as well this season. Jameis Winston got hurt in Week 6 and hasn't looked great for the disappointing Buccaneers.
Brees remains the QB you can trust most each week in the NFC South — and now conference — and his play this season has been the epitome of his Hall of Fame career. He's the given; the elite passer necessary to both make the playoffs and advance in the postseason.
Now that the Saints have all elements kicking in, they get the break of the Rodgers-less Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 7. They still have two games against the Bucs and don't play their pair against the Falcons until December. Before then, just holding serve against the Panthers would give them a sweep.
The remaining schedule is favorable for both Brees and the defense. Their toughest test, the loss to the Patriots, is in the rearview.
The Saints haven't been this combination of mentally and physically tough in a while, and the intimidation factor of the Superdome returned Sunday. That in turn feeds their defensive energy and makes it that much tougher to outduel Brees in New Orleans.
Credit the Saints for staying the course with Payton and being patient in finding the right mix defensively to help Brees. It's all adding up to a chance for the coach and QB to make another run at a ring together.
