Mickles: Saints fans having fun with future

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Oct 30, 2009 - Page: 1C

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METAIRIE — Unless you’re a member of the New Orleans Saints, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a peek at what lies ahead for one of the NFL’s last three undefeated teams.

While the 6-0 Saints are invoking the “we-take-them-one-game-at-a-time” mantra, it’s virtually impossible — especially since their stirring 46-34 come-from-behind victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday — for their fans not to think big, real big.

A lot of it has to do with a schedule that sets up perfectly for the Saints over the final 10 games of the season.

Even though they already have six wins in their pocket, nothing is promised them at this point. As Drew Brees pointed out after Sunday’s win, all they’re guaranteed is the 10 games remaining on the schedule.

But a lot of people outside of the organization are certainly having a lot of fun thinking about what the Saints can possibly do — especially if they get past the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in the Superdome.

For example, with games coming up against Carolina (2-4), St. Louis (0-7) and Tampa Bay (0-7), it’s not a stretch to envision the Saints being 10-0 going into another Monday Night Football appearance against the New England Patriots on Nov. 30 — if they beat the Falcons.

Beyond that, with two more games ahead against Carolina and Tampa Bay as well as a matchup with 2-5 Washington, it’s not hard to imagine the Saints winning 14 games.

But don’t tell that to the Saints, who Thursday defended running back Reggie Bush after he said in a Sporting News Radio interview that his team could go undefeated this season.

“Can we go undefeated?” Bush said in repeating the question posed to him. “Yes. I do think we have the players, the chemistry. We have the heart and dedication, the coaching staff, we have the players.”

Coach Sean Payton and several teammates, including Brees and running back Pierre Thomas, were annoyed by how Bush’s comments were interpreted and spread all across the country.

“If we pay attention to the interview, the comments in the context they were taken don’t bother me,” Payton said. “But that’s the nature of how news is made.

“Honestly, if you listen to any of our players, Reggie included, myself included, each week we have to focus on the next opponent,” he said. “We are two weeks away from being even at the halfway point. There are a lot of games left. We have a lot of football left with good teams, starting with this week’s team.”

Thomas, who tried to clarify Bush’s quote in an interview with JockLife.com, said there’s a difference between the words “can” and “will.”