It's a stretch to claim the New Orleans Saints are "alive and well" after their 28-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Just alive, though? You can give them that.
"It's anybody's league right now," Saints quarterback Drew Brees told ESPN after the game. "Look around. We're not afraid of anybody. And we understand we got a mountain to climb here, but one game at a time, continue to get a little bit better each week and it's all out there for us.
"The book of the 2012 Saints has yet to be written."
The book might not be closed, but the Saints (3-5) remain an atrocious defensive outfit. They surrendered 221 rushing yards to the Eagles, who managed just six points on four trips inside the Saints' 10-yard line. Steve Spagnuolo's defense deserves credit for tightening up in the red zone, but Philadelphia's scary-bad offensive line is equally responsible. Just ask Marcus Vick.
If you're still on the fence about the Saints, hold tight. The 8-0 Atlanta Falcons come to the Superdome on Sunday. If the Saints can manage to knock off their NFC South rivals, they'll do more than facilitate another champagne tasting for the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
If that happens, you also can rightfully call the Saints "alive and well." Stay tuned.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
