Long ago--so long ago that I didn't even bother searching for it, but Stu could tell you if Dave would let him back in--I predicted that the Saints would have a top-5 rushing attack in 2011. Well, the last game is in the books now, and it looks like I blew it.

They're ranked #6.

Going by rushing yards per game--which is the default setting on the stats page on NFL.com--the Saints trail Denver, Houston, Carolina, Minnesota, and Philadelphia. Going by total yards, they trail the same teams, in the same order.

But if you go by average per rush, the Saints jump over Denver into a tie for 4th place (at 4.9 yards a pop). So, in a sense, I was right after all. Oh, what the hell, one must stick up for oneself, must one not? So I'm calling this a win. Deal with it.

But there's something more interesting (even to me) than being proved right: the teams that stand above the Saints in per-carry average are Carolina, Minnesota, and Philadelphia, with Buffalo tied. And all those teams are sitting at home this offseason, watching along with us fans.

What that means is the Saints are the best rushing team in the playoffs. They're in a better position than anyone to win on the road, on grass, in bad weather, etc.

And pretty soon, by the only measure that really matters, they're going to be ranked #1 overall.