Saints level-headed despite undefeated start

It would be easy for the New Orleans Saints to get caught up in the hype of being 8-0 in the first half of the season.

It’s their best start in franchise history. Fans are talking Super Bowl. Commentators are heralding their performance, and Vegas has the Saints in the Superbowl this season.

Sunday’s come-from-behind 30-20 win over the Carolina Panthers has only amped up the hype.

But the atmosphere in the Saints’ locker room remains calm and collected. Head coach Sean Payton said after the game that he was proud of his team, but admitted the Saints must improve if they are to be a championship-caliber team.

“It doesn’t really promise you anything,” Payton said. “I’m encouraged that we have been able to win a few of these games even without playing our best football. We’re playing well in all three phases, but we still have a lot of things to correct.”

Payton’s players agree that the undefeated season isn’t New Orleans’ ultimate goal.

“This means nothing,” safety Roman Harper said of the fast start. “We can still lose the last eight games and finish 8-8. We have to stay positive and understand what our main objective is.”

Accomplishing those goals starts with not reveling in the previous wins, or looking ahead to other games beyond the next game, according to wide receiver Robert Meachem, who finished with five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers.

“We have a lot of faith in ourselves that we can keep it going, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” the third-year receiver said. “Now, we’re worried about the Rams on Sunday.”

A big reason for the Saints record start is the team’s ability to outscore opponents in the fourth quarter.

Despite falling behind a few times this season, the Saints have managed to outscore their opponents 91-18 in the fourth quarter.

Defensive end Anthony Hargrove, who recovered two fumbles, one for a game-sealing touchdown Sunday, said it goes back to the team’s mentality.

“It’s tradition,” the defensive tackle said. “We know it’s a 60-minute game and we play four quarters. It’s one of those things we pride ourselves on. We figure if anybody can play with us for four quarters then we’ll see what happens.”

One of the biggest differences in this year’s team is the ability of the players to rally around each other instead of point fingers.

That’s especially true in the defense where cornerback Tracy Porter said everyone is accountable.

“We don’t hang our heads, don’t point fingers – we just rally around each other,” he explained. “We know what the mistake was and the next time we come out, we correct it.”

With five of the final eight games on the road, the Saints expect to be challenged in the second half of the season. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma said it’s up to the team to continue to improve.

“This team has shown that they don’t give up even when they are down, but we shouldn’t put ourselves in those positions to begin with,” he said. “As long as we continue to improve, then we’re happy. We just can’t get caught up in anything. It’s still early.”