Saints keep marching as they enter Week 3 of the 2006 season

The New Orleans Saints are rolling into Week 3 as they set their sights on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons. After an abysmal 3-13 season in 2005, the new additions of head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees seem to be paying dividends almost immediately.

New Orleans began their season by travelling to Cleveland where the gutted out a 19-14 victory over the Browns. Brees clearly looked rusty, and it was obvious Payton was holding Brees back after his horrific shoulder injury in which he had surgery to repair in January. Brees threw for 170 yards along with one touchdown and an interception.

Week 2 was a completely different story. It appears that Brees just needed a little bit of game action to get back into the swing of things. New Orleans lit up the scoreboard against the Green Bay Packers led by future Hall of Famer Brett Favre. Brees looked like a completely different player, and now one can see why the Saints front office would take a gamble of bringing in the quarterback.

Brees’s 353 yard performance that included two touchdowns was a huge bright spot and building block in the 34-27 win over the Packers. This momentum will be helpful heading into Monday night against the Falcons.

Monday Night Football will hold a completely different meaning for the city, the fans, and the team when the Saints have their ‘homecoming’ in the Louisiana Superdome. Not only will it represent the return of the team to the city looking for hope, but it will also be a chance for the fans to get their first look at their new head coach and quarterback.

A Michael Vick-led Atlanta will be a tough matchup, but with a sold out crowd for the home opener, and two wins under the belt, anything is possible.