METAIRIE, La. -- Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans wishes he was playing Monday night. Evans is in his first season with the Saints, but his year has been cut short due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in a 46-34 win against Miami on Oct. 25.

Evans had three touchdowns in six games before his injury. Evans played four seasons in New England and he said he has fond memories of his time.

So is this game any tougher to sit out?

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and not for the bitter reasons," Evans said. "I love those coaches. I love Mr. and Mrs. Kraft, I love that organization. Anytime you get to play against your buddies, it's no different than going in the backyard and wanting to play football. You want to beat your buddies, and those guys are all my buddies, so this one will be tough to swallow, but I'll be here so no broken TVs at my house this week, no crutches going through the TV screen or anything like that. This is one I would have loved to have played in. Any competitor would have."

When Sean Payton and his staff arrived in New Orleans prior to the 2006 season, he set out to change the franchise in every facet, from the play on the field to the culture in the locker room. He searched for a blueprint, and he found the Patriots. Ever since he became a head coach, he has tried to shape the franchise in the same fashion Bill Belichick used in New England.

“You look to duplicate, or try to duplicate," Payton said. "You spend more time talking about doing all the right things and trying to pay close attention to what New England has done as an organization. Certainly, they have been at the forefront of our league. If you were in business, it would be silly not to pay attention to how they’ve been successful, their formula and their recipe.

"When we came in in ’06, we tried to begin to change a culture. We’ve got all the film at our disposal. We spent a lot of time looking at the top teams, not just offensively, but on defense and the kicking game. They’re an organization that has done a lot of things well over a long time, and we pay close attention to each year.”

Sean Payton and Bill Belichick may never have coached together, but they do share a tie in their respective upbringings.

Belichick spent 12 years working under the Tuna in New York, rising from special teams coach to linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Payton, meanwhile, jumped on board with Parcells in Dallas, spending three years there with him before getting the Saints job.

He'd already been an offensive coordinator for three years before going to the Cowboys, making his experience a bit different than Belichick's, but he said that you can probably find similarities in any program with Parcells roots.

"There’s gonna be structure, and there’s gonna be a certain way you want to play the game," Payton said. "There’s been coaches that have been with him longer than others. When you really date back and look at the history of Parcells and Belichick and the success they had with the Giants, and forward, it’s very impressive, and something that all of us hope to someday to enjoy and understand how hard it is week-in and week-out to win in our league."

Belichick and Payton did get a chance to spend time together as coaches of the respective runners-up in 2006, getting each a man a trip to Hawaii to coach in the Pro Bowl.

"We spent a lot of time together," Belichick said of the week. "I think he’s a really sincere guy that comes from the heart. There’s not a lot of fluff and B.S. on top of it. He’s really down to earth, humble, sincere and a man that I really respect. I respected what they did in that season. I respect what they do now.

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick has used this week as a compliment offensive toward the New Orleans Saints. He has, at various points, suggested he would not be surprised if the Saints broke the 2007 Patriots offensive record; compared Reggie Bush to Marshall Faulk; said they’re a more balanced team than Colts; pointed out the Saints typically run the clock out in the third quarter; mentioned that Drew Brees rescues sick children from mine shafts in his spare time and sometimes between quarters on Sundays*; and claimed he could not imagine a more difficult scenario to lead a team into.

*Everything else is true.

The latest bouquets were thrown today, both at his press conference here with local media and on a conference call with New Orleans media. Starting out here in the media workroom, Belichick was asked if the Saints were unique in that a coach cannot choose just one weapon to single out.

“I can’t even point to one weapon at one position,” Belichick said. “Look at their running backs. [Reggie] Bush, [Mike] Bell, Pierre [Thomas]. Those guys have all been productive. They’re different styles. They compliment each other. Same thing with the receivers. They all make plays. Tight ends. Defensively, they’ve got good pass rushers. It’s a good linebacking group. They can make plays in the secondary. They’re solid across the board – returning punts, returning kickoffs. They spread it around. Look, they’ve got 18 different guys that have scored touchdowns. You’re going to stop one and let the other 17 go? I know a lot of those are defensive touchdowns. But still. That’s a lot of different guys.”

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If you already saw me make the point on this via Twitter, cool. If not, read on. (Sorry if you're sick of Jets talk. This will be it. Promise. Or at least, until the next time someone shoots their mouth off. Good? Good.)

Anyway, the bone of contention that Rex Ryan had stemming from Sunday's game regarded a third-down shot Tom Brady took, tossing a moonshot downfield to Randy Moss on a fade. Stat padding? It would seem to be, particularly after Darrelle Revis had spent much of the afternoon making Moss about as relevant on most plays as some dude in section 331.

"We need to stop them anyway," Ryan said Monday, "so it's no biggie, but I was surprised, and I did feel a little bit disrespected."

OK, so here's the thing: If you're going to complain about the other team trying draw more blood in garbage time, you'd better not have the red stuff all over your hands. On the play in question, a third-and-6 from the Patriots 45 with 30 seconds left, the Jets sent seven rushers at Brady -- a zero blitz. It was just the third time the Jets had sent that much pressure at the quarterback all afternoon.

If we're talking decorum here, normally, taking a shot downfield like that as late in the game as the Patriots did may be considered bad form. But coming after another team's quarterback like that in this kind of situation is probably worse. So it's hard to see -- even for a guy who can appreciate Ryan's heart-on-the-sleeve style -- how this isn't a case of throwing stones from a glass house.

No, the TV Azteca girl has nothing to do with me posting that picture!!!!

It's actually Benjamin Watson that's the subject here. And Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is our speaker.

From Vilma's PlayMaker Mobile page, a full assessment of the Patriots (with high praise for Big Ben) ...

A guy like Brady gets the ball out quick. Take a guy like Brees, he never really checks down. Maybe once and then he knows exactly what to do, where to throw the ball and he does it with great accuracy. A guy like Peyton will check down all the time, and it's there that he excels. He knows how to manage a game no matter what. Now Brady, Brady is great because he gets the ball out quickly, and he has great weapons at his disposal. He doesn't waste time and he doesn't hold the ball too long. You know, the top three QBs in the league are all great for different reasons, they all have different styles.

Brady gets the ball out quickly, knows in three seconds he can throw it and Moss will jump up and win the jump ball. In two seconds he can dump it off to Wes Welker. He's got weapons. And nobody talks about their tight ends but they have two great tight ends. Ben Watson and Chris Baker. You can't sleep on New England's tight ends. Ben Watson is one of the most underrated guys in the league, but of course he doesn't get the spotlight playing behind Moss and Welker. Those guys of course are huge names, and we'll have to play fast and well on defense to keep 'em in check. We are ready for the New England Patriots and we know we're going to have to EARN the right to go 11-0.

You might not want to read too much into this list, because it's the day before Thanksgiving and the Patriots don't play until Monday night. But here's the list of players who were not present at the media portion of practice:

Julian Edelman
Fred Taylor
Patrick Chung
Rob Ninkovich
Pierre Woods
Vince Wilfork
Sebastian Vollmer
Nick Kaczur
Randy Moss
Ron Brace

It's encouraging that Steve Neal, Matt Light, and Sammy Morris were all there.

FOXBOROUGH -- The way Tom Brady looks at it records are meant to be broken.

Monday's opponent, the New Orleans Saints, is on pace to clip some of the records Brady and the Patriots set in 2007, when they became the first team to post a 16-0 regular season. The 10-0 Saints could break the Patriots' marks for points in a season (589) and touchdowns (75).

"I've seen a lot of great offenses since I've been in the league," said Brady, "like the Rams and the Colts. We were one of them, and the Saints are obviously one of them this year. But there is always going to be another great offense. ...They're always going to be broken; there are not too many records other than Cal Ripken's [consecutive games streak] that won't be broken, every other one you can pretty much assume."

Brady said protecting the Patriots' legacy is not added motivation for Monday night's matchup with the Saints.

"Not as much," Brady said. "I think from their standpoint they obviously have a lot of confidence in what they're doing. I remember the kind of confidence we had taking the field as an undefeated team and knowing that if we played a good game it was going to be almost impossible for teams to beat us. If you don't play well you do get beat as evidenced by what happened in the Super Bowl that year.

"We go down there with our own feelings as well, even though we're 7-3 we have a pretty confident team too. We've played a lot of good football this year at times. It hasn't been all perfect, but aside from a few couple of bad halves of football it's been pretty solid. We just have to keep building on the consistency of team. ...They're confident. We're confident. They're one of the best teams in the league. We see ourselves as a team that can beat anybody that we play. Then again we got to go out and do it. It's much easier said than done against this team."

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When the Patriots gathered today in their locker room, they had an unexpected speaker waiting. Owner Robert Kraft stood before the players and delivered a message. He urged the players to be thankful for what they have and to think about the less fortunate with Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow.

"He just told us how thankful he is for us and what we do," cornerback Jonathan Wilhite said.

After Kraft addressed the team, coach Bill Belichick opened his press conference with a similar message.

“I just want to pass along Thanksgiving wishes to all the fans and players’ families, everybody who has to put up with us through the year,” Belichick said. “I’m thankful for Kraft family giving me the opportunity to be the coach here. He put the day in good perspective. It’s a good time to reflect and be appreciative, at least one day in the year. It probably should be every day.

“It’s a great time for all of us to be thankful, especially those of us with the Patriots. We have a great situation here. It’s a great opportunity.”

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Patriots tackle Mark LeVoir responded to Jets cornerback Donald Strickland's talk about LeVoir's violent block Sunday being a "cheap shot" by not really responding at all.

"I'm not going into that. I play hard, and whatever happens, happens," Levoir said. "My focus is on the Saints this week. I'm getting ready to go and have a good practice."

Later, LeVoir said he hadn't even seen exactly what Strickland had said. If you need a refresher, here's what Strickland told The Star-Ledger on Monday:

‘‘I think it was a real cheap shot. He really didn’t have to go at my head like that, especially with the NFL’s precaution about helmet-to-helmet contact.

‘‘It happened. It was a block and he took advantage of it. But I guarantee you the next time we play them it’s going to be a different story. I’m making a point of emphasis to retaliate. That’s the way I feel.’’

Several injured Patriots walked through the locker room today, including Jarvis Green, Matt Light, Sammy Morris, and Steve Neal. Here's a quick rundown:

-Morris said that Sunday he was "for the most part" a game-time decision. He said his knee, which has kept him sidelined since he left the Titans game in Week 6, should be feeling better than it did last week.

“It’s only been a couple days,” Morris said. “But I think so. It’s about the same. Just take it as it comes, and I’ll know as the week goes.”

The buildup surrounding Monday night, Morris said, would not serve as any extra motivation to come back.

"It's any game," Morris said. "I think all the side stuff is from the outside. It's just as important as any week."

-Neal said he's "day-to-day." He left the Colts game with a head injury.

-Green has missed three games since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee during the Patriots bye week. He was questionable for the Jets game last Sunday and is optimistic about his return. He said he's been most busy sorting through ticket requests. Green, who is from Donaldsville, La. and played at LSU, has never played in New Orleans as a pro.

"I would think it's special for everybody to go back home and play," Green said.

-Light offered no update as he walked into the trainer's room, aside from wishing one reporter a Happy Thanksgiving.

-Also, safety Patrick Chung, who left the game Sunday with a head injury before returning, said he plans on playing Monday night. “It’s not a question,” Chung said.

Back when Reggie Bush was a USC freshman, I remember watching the Rose Bowl and thinking to myself, immediately, "Marshall Faulk". Two national titles and a Heisman later, my feeling on that was cemented.

But now it's changed. When I first saw the comments Bill Belichick made on Tuesday, it made it seem like he was flat-out saying Bush was Faulk 2.0. Then, I read closer.

"Look, they are two players that are playing in two completely different systems, so you’re not comparing apples to apples," the coach said. "They are both great players and they both add an element to their teams that’s very productive, very unique and it’s hard to defend."

Here's what I got from it: Because Bush catches the ball like a receiver, the Saints are able to move him all over the formation, and get the matchups they want with linebackers and safeties. That's what the Rams used to do with Faulk.

But let's not go overboard here. The fact that the Saints have two players (Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell) who have more than 500 yards rushing that wear numbers other than "25" should tell you something. When Sean Payton went to revitalize the running game in the offseason (mission accomplished -- It now ranks fifth, where it was 28th last year), part of it was conceding that Bush was never going to Walter Payton. So they upped Thomas workload, got Bell out of mothballs and freed Bush to do what he does best -- which is a little bit of everything.

Was Faulk like that? Yeah, he was. But he was also an underrated inside runner who posted four consecutive seasons of 1,300 yards rushing in the heart of his career, averaging more than 15 carries per game in each of those years, more than 5.3 yards per carry in three of them. Bush is averaging 5.5 carries per game, and has 50 fewer carries than Thomas and 73 fewer than Bell through 10 games.

Bottom line: Let's tap the breaks on that comparison. Hey, I'd love to have been right on drawing that one from years ago. Fact is, at least as it stands now, I really wasn't.

Last night on the radio, Damon Amendolara (host of 98.5 The Sports Hub's D.A. Show) and I discussed how to get the most out of Laurence Maroney.

And since I blogged yesterday about how he's improved -- in picking his spots with his approach -- D.A. raised the question of whether or not he needs to be a full-time back to be most effective. Most people look at what he did at Minnesota, sharing carries with Marion Barber and Gary Russell, and say the answer has to be "no". But I'd argue that the Gophers ran the ball so much, that there could be more than one guy carrying a full load, and the 22 carries per game that Maroney averaged over his final two years at Minnesota bear that out.

Anyway, D.A. and I agreed to mark a "full load" at 18 carries, and I said I'd look at how much better (or worse) he's been when given that kind of work. Here's what the numbers say ...

10/8/06 (vs. Miami): 18 carries, 38 yards, 0 TDs
11/19/06 (at Green Bay): 19 carries, 82 yards, 0 TDs
1/7/07 (vs. Jets): 18 carries, 69 yards, 0 TD*
9/9/07 (at Jets): 20 carries, 72 yards, 0 TD
9/23/07 (vs. Buffalo): 19 carries, 103 yards, 0 TDs
12/16/07 (vs. Jets): 26 carries, 104 yards, 0 TDs
12/29/07 (at Giants): 19 carries, 46 yards, 0 TDs
1/12/08 (vs. Jaguars): 22 carries, 122 yards, TD*
1/20/08 (vs. Chargers): 25 carries, 122 yards, TD*
11/8/09 (vs. Dolphins): 20 carries, 82 yards, TD
11/22/09 (vs. Jets): 22 carries, 77 yards, 2 TDs

* -- playoffs

Totals: 228 carries, 917 yards (4.02 yards/attempt), 5 TDs
Other games: 368 carries, 1,578 yards (4.29 yards/attempt), 15 TDs

So ... Statistically, there really hasn't been that much of a difference, although it's worth mentioning that his three biggest games in the regular season have come in the 14-16 carry range. For whatever reason, it's seemed to me that he's more effective when he's in there more, but maybe that's just my eyes lying to me.

Either way, with Sammy Morris on the mend, we may not get much more evidence on this. Take it for what it's worth.

Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden was named the AFC's Defensive Player of the Week following his three-interception game against the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bodden returned his first pickoff 53 yards for the Patriots' first points in a 31-14 victory. It is the first time Bodden has received the award.

The three interceptions were a career high for Bodden, who tied a Patriots record held by several players for interceptions in a game. The most recent was Asante Samuel in November of 2006.

Bodden and the Patriots' defense held the Jets to 122 yards passing on Sunday. Brandon Meriweather also intercepted a Mark Sanchez pass.

The Arizona Cardinals were the biggest gainers in the weekly Power Index, jumping seven spots from No. 14 to seventh after a 21-13 victory Sunday over the Rams. The Saints remained No. 1.

The Power Index measures offensive and defensive efficiency and uses a formula to calculate an overall rating of a team's quality.

The Chargers also made big strides, moving from 17th to 11th. The Giants and Cowboys both dropped three spots despite victories.

Next week's index should be interesting as the top two teams, the Patriots and Saints, meet on Monday night in New Orleans.

What a second look at Sunday's game showed ...

1) Got their back: Perhaps the best example of how much more confidence these coaches have in the Patriots secondary is how they're varying the rush they bring. New England brought blitzing defensive backs consistently at Mark Sanchez, which leaves less protection on the back end.

On Tully Banta-Cain's first sack, Jonathan Wilhite and Brandon McGowan (who blitzed a lot) came screaming off the edge, which helped get Banta-Cain the one-on-one he needed to sack Mark Sanchez for a 9-yard loss. On Leigh Bodden's second pick, McGowan got pressure on Sanchez, who sailed the ball outside of intended target Jerricho Cotchery. And Brandon Meriweather's pick in the fourth quarter was prompted by a six-man rush that pinned Sanchez by the pylon.

You can say that the Jets receivers are average, which is part of the reason for the trust in the DBs. But you have to concede that the Jets' line is solid, and that they had to have such trust to have any chance of getting to Sanchez consistently.

2) Circling the wagons: The Jets didn't come at Brady quite the same way they did in September. They brought extra rushers on more than have their snaps then, and this time around, it was 27 percent (12 of 44 pass drops).

But that doesn't mean a patchwork line didn't have plenty to deal with. This time, instead of fighting the Patriots with numbers, they fought Brady and Co. with scheme, consistently trying to get guys free with a variety of zone blitzes -- bringing inside linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris, and a variety of defensive backs, while dropping outside linebackers and linemen.

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The anticipation for the Patriots game against the Saints, six days before kickoff, is already approaching frenzy. The hype could be even thicker. Monday night’s showdown could have easily been a meeting of two unbeaten teams.

That could be making a leap, but consider: The Patriots have trailed at halftime only once this season, in their opening game against the Buffalo Bills. They faced a 14-10 deficit, which they eventually overcame with an unreal last-minute rally. They’ve led at the break in every game since, even their losses – 9-3 against the Jets in Week 2, 17-7 against the Broncos in Week 5, 24-14 against the Colts in Week 10.

In the games they let slip away, their only three road games, the Patriots’ offense stalled. They scored zero points in the second half against the Jets and Broncos and 10 against the Colts. They scored no points in the third quarter in all of their losses. The disparity is most stark in their losses, but the first half/second half difference has shown itself all year.

“I think after you play as many games as we have that there’s some merit to the numbers that are up there,” Belichick said. “I don’t think that tells the whole story and I don’t think that tells a weekly story. But from a standpoint of production, what you produce, that’s what you’ve produced.”

The Patriots have scored 196 points in first halves and 94 in second halves. Five times this season, the Patriots have not scored a single point in the third quarter – half of their games. Here is the full points scored breakdown, by quarter:

First quarter: 71

Second quarter: 125

Third quarter: 39

Fourth quarter: 55

The numbers are skewed by the 45-point first half against the Titans, which included a 35-point second quarter. Still, the difference is surprising.

“It’s not one particular thing,” said director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who also helps oversee the offense on game days. “It’s a collective thing, whether it’s a route here, a dropped ball here, maybe a missed block. So I think you’re trying to eliminate collectively as a group some of those little things that may cause you to stall a little bit.

“Really, we’ve played OK at different points offensively, so I think the most important thing is being consistent for 60 minutes and finishing the game because you never know when that one play is going to sort of make the difference. Our philosophy in the first half is the same as it is in the second half. It comes down to executing a little bit better in the second half and making sure we are a little more consistent with what we’re doing.”

Here's how the Patriots and Jets ran out their offensive personnel on Sunday ...

PATRIOTS

"11" personnel (1 RB/1 TE): 25 of 78 snaps (15 1st half/10 2nd half)
"12" personnel (1 RB/2 TE): 24 of 78 snaps (12/12)
"22" personnel (2 RB/2 TE): 12 of 78 snaps (5/7)
"10" personnel (1 RB/0 TE): 7 of 78 snaps (4/3)
"20" personnel (2 RB/0 TE): 4 of 78 snaps (4/0)
"21" personnel (2 RB/1 TE): 3 of 78 snaps (1/2)
"13" personnel (1 RB/3 TE): 2 of 78 snaps (2/0)
"23" personnel (2 RB/3 TE): 1 of 78 snaps (0/1)

JETS

"21" personnel (2 RB/1 TE): 26 of 49 snaps (8/18)
"12" personnel (1 RB/2 TE): 8 of 49 snaps (7/1)
"11" personnel (1 RB/1 TE): 7 of 49 snaps (5/2)
"22" personnel (2 RB/2 TE): 4 of 49 snaps (1/3)
"10" personnel (1 RB/0 TE): 3 of 49 snaps (1/2)
"14" personnel (1 RB/4 TE): 1 of 49 snaps (0/1)

... Counting offensive linemen where they lined up here. So if they were at tight end, that's where they were counted. Same goes for lining up at fullback. ... This is a high number for the Patriots 32 of their 78 snaps were with two or fewer receivers on the field, probably a result of making protecting Tom Brady a top priority. ... Julian Edelman and Isaiah Stanback, when they aren't on the field together, are splitting snaps based on formation. When Edelman comes in and is in the game together with Wes Welker, there's usually a back or tight end on the perimeter so both can play the slots. In more conventional three receiver sets, Stanback came in to play at the "X" position.

Just like we did last week, we're gonna look here at how the Patriots and Jets came after each other's quarterbacks.

As you'll see, New England was far more varied and aggressive, on average, against the rookie Mark Sanchez, than they were against Peyton Manning. Don't grouse about that -- Manning was 7-for-8 for 99 yards last week when the Patriots brought even one extra rusher. Here are the numbers ...

TOM BRADY
vs. 3-man rush (9 of 44 snaps)
First half: 4--7, 77 yards
Second half: 2-2, 17 yards
Total: 6-9, 94 yards
vs. 4-man rush (22 of 44 snaps)
First half: 9-12, 103 yards, TD, Sack
Second half: 5-8, 38 yards, Sack; 1 rush, 7 yards
Total: 14-20, 141 yards, TD, 2 Sacks; 1 rush, 7 yards
vs. 5-man rush (6 of 44 snaps)
First half: 2-3, 15 yards
Second half: 3-3, 28 yards
Total: 5-6, 43 yards
vs. 6-man rush (3 of 44 snaps)
First half: 1-2, 6 yards
Second half: 0-1
Total: 1-3, 6 yards
vs. 7-man rush (3 of 44 snaps)
First half: 2-2, 24 yards
Second half: 0-1
Total: 1-3, 24 yards

MARK SANCHEZ
vs. 3-man rush (5 of 23 snaps)
First half: 0-1
Second half: 2-4, 37 yards
Total: 2-5, 37 yards
vs. 4-man rush (9 of 23 snaps)
First half: 1-4, 5 yards, 2 INT
Second half: 2-5, 34 yards, INT
Total: 3-9, 39 yards, 3 INT
vs. 5-man rush (6 of 23 snaps)
First half: 1-3, 10 yards, Sack
Second half: 1-1, 21 yards, Sack
Total: 2-4, 31 yards, 2 Sacks
vs. 6-man rush (2 of 23 snaps)
First half: 0-1
Second half: 0-1, INT
Total: 0-2, INT
vs. 7-man rush (1 of 23 snaps)
First half: 0-0
Second half: 1-1, 29 yards, TD
Total: 1-1, 29 yards, TD

There are two dozen members of the Patriots who know exactly what the New Orleans Saints are going through right now. The Historic 24 are all that's left on the Patriots' roster from their record-setting 2007 team, which became the first and only team in NFL history to post a perfect 16-0 regular season since the league moved to a 16-game slate in 1978.

Along with the Indianapolis Colts, the Saints are sitting at 10-0 entering Monday night's matchup with the Patriots at the Superdome, which already has the ESPN hype-machine overheating, treading down the perfect path the Patriots blazed.

It's an incredible place to be for the Saints, a franchise that has never gone to a Super Bowl and for a large chunk of its existence inspired its fans to wear brown paper bags over their heads to partially obstruct the horror unfolding on the football field. The Saints biggest imprint on the league is found in those NFL Films football follies videos.

But this season, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who leads the NFL in touchdown tosses with 22, and his team have heeded the old New Orleans credo and let the good times roll, while rolling through the league.

Statistic Patriots 2007 Saints 2009 Record 10-0 10-0 Yards per game 437 420.5 Yards allowed average 271 330.6 Points per game 41.1 36.9 Touchdowns 54 48 Points allowed 15.7 20.4 Touchdowns allowed 19 23

There are some similarities between these Saints and the '07 Patriots. Tom Brady's 50 touchdown passes and Randy Moss's 23 touchdown receptions are safe, but the Saints are on course to challenge some of the Patriots' records.

New Orleans is averaging 36.9 points per game, which puts them on a pace for 590 points, one more than the Patriots' record-setting point output in 2007. New Orleans has scored 48 touchdowns this season, 4.8 per game. Multiplied over a 16-game season, New Orleans would score 76.8 touchdowns. The Patriots' NFL-record for touchdowns is 75.

In the first 10 games of the season, the Saints have scored 40 or more points four times, just like the '07 Patriots.

The Patriots were coached by a former New York Giants coordinator and Bill Parcells assistant, Bill Belichick, and the Saints are coached by Sean Payton, who was the Giants offensive coordinator when they went to Super Bowl XXXV during the 2000 season and worked for Parcells in Dallas for three years as an offensive assistant.

The similarities end there because as old friend Rodney Harrison would say, no disrespect, but the Saints are not the 2007 New England Patriots. That's like saying whoever the heck won the Tour de France this year is Lance Armstrong.

You can debate whether the Saints are even the best team in the league right now. Some pigskin pundits would put their lot with the Colts or even the 9-1 Vikings. In '07, there was no debate -- the Patriots wouldn't allow one.

Super Bowl title or no Super Bowl title, that team was special. The first 10 games of 2007 may have been the single most awe-inspiring stretch of football the league has ever seen. The Patriots simply toyed with and demoralized teams. They averaged 41.1 points per game over that time and allowed just 15.7.

It wasn't just that those Patriots won, it was the unforgettable fashion in which they did it.

The games from that part of the season were more conquests than contests. You can say the Patriots, enraged by "Spygate," were poor sports and ran up the score, but the rest of the league was helpless to do anything about it.

There was the Sunday afternoon in sunny South Florida when Brady, Moss and Welker simply played pitch and catch against the Dolphins' defenseless secondary and New England led 42-7 at the half. Or the next week at home against the Redskins when Brady threw his 30th touchdown pass of the season in the eighth game, a pass that gave the Patriots a 45-0 fourth-quarter lead on their way to a 52-7 romp. Or Moss's four first-half touchdown receptions in a 56-10 beatdown of the Buffalo Bills in front of a national television audience on NBC's "Sunday Night Football."

However, what made that New England team truly historically great wasn't how it performed in its first 10 games, which with the exception of a heart-stopping comeback against the Colts, were blowouts, it was how they responded in the final six games when every game was played with the intensity of a playoff contest and every opponent went Pat Benatar on them.

"We always got everyone's best shot," said former Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour in the claustrophobic confines of the visiting locker room at Giants Stadium, moments after the Patriots completed the 16-0 odyssey. "I think that is what makes it so special."

The Saints have gotten a small taste of this already. They went into St. Louis on Nov. 15 expecting to romp over the woebegone Rams and instead the game came down to the final play with the Rams throwing into the end zone to try to end the Saints undefeated season. The Saints escaped with a 28-23 victory.

The truth is the Saints might not want to try to match the '07 Patriots. The 16-0 took its toll. It was a physical and emotional drain. The hype, the records, the scrutiny, the four prime-time night games in the second half of the season, it all wore the team down.

By Super Bowl XLII, they really didn't have much left in the tank and it showed. Something they wouldn't admit until training camp the next season.

"Every season has an emotional and physical draining sense to it, but that season yeah in particular," said former Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs during 2008 training camp. "When that final bell rung, it was like you could finally pass out and nobody was going to touch you and tell you to get up, so yeah it was exhausting."

Brees said in an ESPN interview that the Patriots in general are the team that the Saints are trying to emulate.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but those Patriots were a sui generis outfit. Sorry, Saints, you're no Patriots.