Mark Craig: In defense of the Saints

On Sept. 10, 2009, the blind squirrel (uh, me) found the proverbial acorn with a Vikings-Saints NFC Championship Game prediction.

So when it comes to the Vikings and Saints playing the no-respect card this week, don't flash it in this fella's face. Flash it somewhere else, guys. And oh how you know they will.

These are two outstanding teams that have won a combined 27 games. Both won by 31 points in divisional games over the weekend. But the fun part comes now as they jockey for position as the team that's getting no respect from the media.

Apparently, it's a big deal to be respected by people you don't respect.

After the Saints whipped the Cardinals 45-14 on Saturday, coach Sean Payton opened with this five-word jab:

"So much for being rusty."

A day later, after the Vikings' 34-3 destruction of the Cowboys, coach Brad Childress upped the ante with remarks that were part history lesson, part WWE ringside interview. He talked about the "nonsense" of the Cowboys being hyped as the hottest team and the lack of respect for his team. Then he mocked the pregame buildup as "the Tasmanian Devils that were coming from Dallas that were about to bombard the state of Minnesota and run through us like Sherman through the South."

The Vikings were a playoff team that added Brett Favre. A trendy Super Bowl pick. So no style points there.

The Saints were a different story. They were 8-8, last in the NFC South and had played defense passively and pathetically while their great offense sat outside the playoffs in 2007 and 2008.

But two words helped me take a chance on the Saints playing host to the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game:

Gregg Williams.

General Manager Mickey Loomis fired Gary Gibbs as defensive coordinator and hired the highly respected Williams. It was Step 1 toward a 13-win season that earned New Orleans its first NFC Championship Game at home.

Payton also helped Loomis dedicate this past offseason to upgrading the Saints' defensive personnel. The highlights were the free-agent signings of former Vikings safety Darren Sharper and cornerback Jabari Greer.

Sharper and Greer are perfect in Williams' gambling, attack-style defense. With linebackers and defensive backs blitzing the quarterback from all angles, Sharper ended up with nine interceptions, three of them for touchdowns, and an All-Pro selection at age 34. Greer missed seven games because of injury, but was at full strength in helping the Saints shut down the high-scoring Cardinals.

"We saw a lot of predictors say it was going to be a high- scoring shootout," Sharper said. "We were kind of excited about the fact that we held such an explosive offense to 14 points. I think we reminded a lot of people how good we were and how good we can be."

The Saints aren't great defensively. They have trouble stopping the run. But they play very hard, and they create turnovers. Their 39 takeaways during the regular season were second behind Green Bay's 40.

The Vikings can win this game, but they'll face the same pass-protection difficulties playing in front of a Superdome playoff crowd that crushed the Cowboys at the Metrodome on Sunday. The Vikings are better than the Cowboys, but I still like the Saints to win a close game at home. (Man, I hope Drew Brees can remember the words to "Pants on the Ground.")