T Are The New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Bound?

Are The New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Bound?

How good are the New Orleans Saints for the 2010 season?  Are they Super Bowl bound?

Are they a the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL—a team getting no respect? Or  are they a flash in the pan—a team they played above their heads, a team with a mission, a team with a cause?

Well, consider  this:

ESPN's Fast Freddie Coleman believes the Falcons will prevail over the Saints in the NFC South in 2010. But Coleman has been struggling in the prediction department for a long time.

He told us that the Cardinals had too much firepower for the Saints to handle, and the Saints offensive line would be no match for the Vikings front four, and the Colts were just plain better than a Saints team that was in the Super Bowl by sheer luck.

But Fast Freddie isn't alone.

The esteemed professor, John Clayton, and ESPN's Chris Mortensen are drooling over the Falcons, too. In fact on a recent show Mortensen heaped praise on the Falcons and Matt Ryan without ever mentioning the names of Drew Brees or Sean Payton., or Tracy Porter or Darren Sharper.

ESPN's Mike & Mike ceased talking about the Saints' dramatic Super Bowl win by the Wednesday following the game.

Vikings beat writer Mark Craig of StarTribune.com. doesn't think the Saints are dominant enough to repeat. Writes Craig: "The Saints were a talented and very well-coached team. They have Drew Brees, an outstanding offensive line and a great defensive philosophy and swagger. But there are too many variables at play (unforeseen injuries, a different schedule, etc.). and too many other Super Bowl worthy teams in the conference (Vikings, Cowboys, Packers, etc.) to think everything will go the Saints way two years in a row.

"Maybe I'd feel differently had the Saints played better in the NFC title game. I can't put them head and shoulders above the rest of the conference when they needed overtime to beat a visiting team -- the Vikings --that turned the ball over five times and made crucial mental blunders with the game on the line.

How do you feel about the Saints for 2010?  Tell us below on our Buzzbacks: