All season long people have made excuses for the Saints as to why they are not a serious contender for the Super Bowl.

The victory over the Falcons when the Superdome was re-opened was credited to the emotion surrounding the event. The early success was the result of an easy schedule, even after an impressive victory over the Eagles. Then, when they fell into a slump and lost three of four, most people thought there's the Saints we remember. But these are not the same Saints we remember. This is a team that has responded with three straight victories.

The latest came against the new darling of the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys. Sean Payton called a flawless game plan and the Saints rolled over the Cowboys on national TV. His knowledge of the Dallas schemes and tendencies gave him an advantage that he exploited the entire game.

Coach Payton has developed an offense that allows all the skill players to make plays. We all know about Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn and Reggie Bush but everybody on the offense has a chance to be a part of this offense. Marques Colston has burst on the scene but how many coaches would have trusted a 7th round rookie early in the season to play the role that Marques has played? Terrance Copper has been a great addition along with Devery Henderson and now Jamal Jones.

Every player is a viable option on every play. Just ask Mike Karney who put up three TDs on the Cowboys after not scoring a TD his three previous seasons in the league. When a team has multiple threats to defend, it puts a tremendous strain on the defense. The Saints have the deepest set of skill players in the league.

Put that together with Drew Brees, a QB that has a chip on his shoulder, and you have a recipe for success. The Saints have rallied around the difficult experience of last season and no longer appear to a team of destiny, they are just a good football team. The NFC South has placed a team in the conference championship game every year since the realignment.

The Saints, obviously, are the only team not to represent their division. If they fill that role this season it won't have anything to with destiny, it will be because they earned the right.

Michael Vick showed his frustration with the Falcons season after the game last weekend. His obscene gesture to the fans was an example of what can happen if you lose control of your emotions and a demonstration of the extreme pressure that comes with being a QB in the NFL.

No other position is scrutinized so thoroughly and no position bears the burden of the blame of losing like the quarterback. Michael is the franchise player of his team. He burst on to the scene and handed the Green Bay Packers their first playoff loss at Lambeau and followed that up the with a trip to the NFC championship game. 

Expectations couldn't be higher for fans in Atlanta and the pressure could not be greater for Michael. The Falcons started out 6-2 last year and then faded to 8-8 and after going 5-2 to start this season the are under .500 for the first time in Jim Mora's tenure as Head Coach. So what is the problem.

The point of discussion continues to be about whether or not the Falcons can win the Super Bowl without having a legitimate passing game. Michael Vick's athletic ability is unmatched at the QB position but that does not mean he will be a Super Bowl champion. History has shown that the quarterbacks that have played the position similarly to Vick have struggled to win a championship.

Randall Cunningham and Fran Tarkenton never won the big game and Steve Mc Nair came close but fell a yard short. Stave Young is the only QB that is in the top five in rushing yards that has won a Super Bowl and he had Jerry Rice. Michael Vick, like all QB's, needs a supporting cast around him.

This season his offensive line has not protected him well and his receivers have continuously dropped balls at critical times. That being said I feel the Falcons will not win a championship until the they find a way to upgrade their passing game. They need to be able to get chunks of yards throwing the ball down field and until they are able to do that I don't think they can win a Super Bowl. 

The big plays that come when Michael pulls the ball down need to be a part of the offense not the key to the offense.

There are several things going wrong for the Falcons offense this season and Michael Vick's struggles in the passing game are one of them. But because he is the QB it will always be the first one that fans look at.   

The push for the playoffs begins this weekend.

Teams have positioned themselves all season to get to the point after Thanksgiving to have something to play for down the stretch.

The Dallas Cowboys sent a message on their traditional Thanksgiving game by pounding the Buccaneers. They have won three consecutive games for the first time since Bill Parcell's first year as head coach and would have a five game winning streak going into the stretch run if they didn't give the game away to the Redskins.

The obvious reason for the improved play is Tony Romo as the starting QB. He is 4-1 as a starter, has provided mobility which has helped the offensive line and has been outstanding in the second half. But I think his greatest contribution to the team cannot be measured in statistics.

We all remember how unhappy coach Parcells looked earlier in the year. He had been through a training camp in which he was constantly asked questions about the health of T.O., started the season off poorly and then had to deal with Terrell's attempted suicide/accidental overdose. He appeared to be a beaten man on the Cowboy sideline.
The change at QB not only has provided better play on the field but seems to have improved the chemistry of the team.

Tony Romo has fun playing the game and his enthusiasm has been contagious throughout the team. The intangibles of a quarterback are an overlooked aspect of playing the position. Tony has lightened the mood and for the first time in a long time the Cowboys are having fun playing football. He gets another shot at the Giants with a 10-day rest going into the pivotal division game for the inside track to the NFC East title next weekend at the Meadowlands.

If the Cowboys beat the Giants and continue to build momentum during the remainder of the season they could establish themselves as the team to beat in the NFC. I wonder if there is any room left on the Cowboys bandwagon?