Scouting Scouting the Saints
Record: 10-6, NFC South champions. Won opening week at Cleveland, 19-14; won at Green Bay, 34-27; beat Atlanta, 23-3; lost at Carolina, 21-18; beat Tampa Bay, 24-21; beat the Eagles, 27-24; lost to Baltimore, 35-22; won at Tampa Bay, 31-14; lost at Pittsburgh, 38-31; lost to Cincinnati, 31-16; won at Atlanta, 31-13; beat San Francisco, 34-10; won at Dallas, 42-17; lost to Washington, 16-10; won at the N.Y. Giants, 30-7; and lost the regular-season finale to Carolina, 31-21.
Record: 10-6, NFC South champions.
Won opening week at Cleveland, 19-14; won at Green Bay, 34-27; beat Atlanta, 23-3; lost at Carolina, 21-18; beat Tampa Bay, 24-21; beat the Eagles, 27-24; lost to Baltimore, 35-22; won at Tampa Bay, 31-14; lost at Pittsburgh, 38-31; lost to Cincinnati, 31-16; won at Atlanta, 31-13; beat San Francisco, 34-10; won at Dallas, 42-17; lost to Washington, 16-10; won at the N.Y. Giants, 30-7; and lost the regular-season finale to Carolina, 31-21.
Coach: Sean Payton (first year).
Points per game: 25.8.
Opponents' points per game: 20.1
Series record: The Eagles lead by 14-9 in the regular season and 1-0 in the postseason.
Last meeting: The Saints won, 27-24, Oct. 15 in New Orleans.
Playoff history: The Eagles won the teams' only postseason game, 36-20, on Jan. 3, 1993, in New Orleans.
Who's hot: In his last four games, RB Deuce McAllister has rushed for 403 yards and two touchdowns on 89 caries and has posted three of his four 100-yard rushing games for the season.
Who's not: DE Charles Grant didn't record a sack in his last four games, his longest drought of the season.
Who's out: Among the key players on injured reserve are LB Tommy Polley and veteran TE Ernie Conwell.
Local ties: Joe Vitt, assistant head coach/linebackers, is a graduate of Highland Regional High in Blackwood and was the Eagles' linebackers coach from 1995-98. Payton was the Eagles' quarterbacks coach from 1997-98. DT Hollis Thomas spent the previous 10 seasons with the Eagles. LB Mark Simoneau was an Eagle for three seasons before being traded for Donté Stallworth. Starting rookie OG Jahri Evans is a Philadelphia native who attended Frankford High and Bloomsburg. Safety Bryan Scott attended Central Bucks East.
Did you know: Saints rookie WR Marques Colston of Harrisburg had 1,038 receiving yards and became one of just six rookies in the last two decades to have 1,000 receiving yards. The others were Arizona's Anquan Boldin, Minnesota's Randy Moss, Tampa Bay's Michael Clayton, New England's Terry Glenn, and Seattle's Joey Galloway.
Fast fact: The Saints are 1-5 in the postseason. .