Running back DARREN SPROLES racked up enough all-purpose yards this season to break a record that had stood for 11 years.
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loss against a winning team was in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, which was decided on the last play of the game. In those four wins against NFC playoff teams (one each against the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants and two against the Atlanta Falcons), the Saints’ average margin of victory was 17 points. The Saints weren’t just winning games, they were dominating them, which, in a way, can make the playoffs more stressful for the Who Dat Nation. A record-breaking, high-octane offense may be thrilling to watch, but it also can be a double-edged sword when
a team reaches the playoffs. Recent NFL history is littered with electric offenses that failed to win Super Bowls: The 2007 New England Patriots scored a record 589 points but managed just two touchdowns in a Super Bowl loss; the 2004 Indianapolis Colts averaged more than 32 points a game and lost in their first playoff game at home; and the 2000 St. Louis Rams were named “The Greatest Show on Turf” but couldn’t make it out of the first round. Looking at the individual records Saints players broke isn’t any more encouraging. Brees and Sproles broke records set by players on teams that lost in the Super Bowl, while Graham’s record was set by a man whose team lost in the AFC Championship game. Of course, all of those teams had just one player with an all-time great season and the Saints have the distinct advantage of having four (don’t forget that Thomas Morstead also set the record for most touchbacks in a season). New Orleans also has the advantage of having already won a championship. Being just two years removed from a Super Bowl win gives the team the calming influence of experience. More important, last season’s first-round loss galvanized the team’s focus when it was needed most. Though the Saints had every reason to be cocky before their first-