Jammal Brown News

Unless you were paying close attention the past two weeks, you might not have noticed that All-Pro pass rushers John Abraham and Julius Peppers visited the Superdome.

The New Orleans Saints kicked off to the Atlanta Falcons Monday, rated as the NFL's best team by Las Vegas oddsmakers, the guys who supposedly know best - or else.

Q: You wrote that Payton was really relying on second half substitutions to keep fresh legs on the field in the second half game in Miami.

Here's today's edition of the Saints Mailbag. I'll file two more files on Monday to keep you busy with Saints information while waiting for kickoff.

Q: Is Heath Evans undergoing any surgery? A: Hea s having the surgery today, Andrews in Florida is doing the surgery.

As provided by the New Orleans Saints, here is a transcript of Coach Sean Payton's press conference Thursday: Injury report/opening statement: "Scott Fujita with his calf did not practice.

Analysis: After last week's remarkable comeback in Miami and a huge home win against the highly regarded Giants, it's looking like almost anything is possible for the Saints.

One of the primary reasons for the New Orleans Saints' turnaround and gradual climb into the NFL's elite over the last three years has been the front office's ability to spot small-school and late-round talent.

It was a significant loss, and in seasons gone by could have spelled major trouble for the New Orleans Saints.

"With their team, we look at defensively they're playing real well with the two most recent wins.

Sean Payton notes that his team's offensive line did a great job of keeping the Giants' front four off of Drew Brees ... That was a key statistic as we were looking at this game, you know, our ability to handle that front.

With nimble synchronicity, the lumbering duo tapped away in tandem on fake electric guitars while playing the video game Rock Band in the middle of the locker room.

After leading the New Orleans Saints to seven touchdowns in a 48-27 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday, quarterback Drew Brees continued to score points Monday, only this time with his teammates.

Below is a transcript of an interview with Saints quarterback Drew Brees, courtesy of the New Orleans Saints media office: Q: Do you notice the hoopla over the team getting any bigger? A: No, but I can only imagine.

South Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6: The dome will be Super.

New Orleans might be starting the party too soon. Oh wait, this is New Orleans. You can never start a party too soon.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas Coming off their bye week, the New Orleans Saints are about as healthy as they've been all season as they prepare for Sunday's huge game with the New York Giants .

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas To ultimately win the argument, or even be unquestionably in it, Drew Brees needs more than numbers.

NEW ORLEANS -- The last time the New Orleans Saints had the attention of the general football-watching public, they were far more than just a good NFL team. They represented much bigger things. They prompted social commentary. They were an inspiration, a catalyst for people to laugh and cry all at once.

It was three years ago and New Orleans was in the initial stages of rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. The Saints marched to the NFC title game behind a rookie coach, Sean Payton, and a newcomer quarterback, Drew Brees, and their players mostly were asked about the previous season, which they spent as nomads after being displaced from New Orleans by Katrina, or about being symbols of their city's rebirth. Rarely did the conversation that surrounded them concern topics as mundane as their running game or their pass rush.

A fast start hasn't always guaranteed success for the New Orleans Saints. But it sure can't hurt.