Uh, they were.

They were my preseason pick after they made the trade for Jamal Adams, but my original preseason pick.

It looks like I should have stuck with them, especially when they made that move.

For Kwon Alexander, who hasn't been splashy but has been effective.

That's the New Orleans Saints, the best team in the NFC and honestly, at this moment, I don't think it's very close.

The Saints have been playing lights out defense guys all like every level of the defense has been playing Great.

If you talk about the best defense is in the NFL right now, You've got to talk about the Saints there, at least in the conversation.

If not winning that debate.

I'm talk about defense with the Saints.

They're doing this without Drew Brees.

No, Drew Brees is Taysom Hill, a gadget player.

What's a hell of a gadget?

He could do every single thing you want on a football field.

I wonder if he could play defense because he could do them all at a high enough level that you can actually play him in the position you can.

You can you can split Taysom Hill out wide.

If you want, you can.

He can catch a pass out of the backfield.

He could run out of the backfield.

He can block.

He can.

What do you What do you want him to do?

He could do everything and he can read defense's and throw the ball and he's just holding it down till one of the all time greats gets back.

Who will have a nice long rest So he won't look, you know, worn down at the end of the day in the playoffs.

Guys, this Stephen A.

When you look at it, what the Saints finally have been bringing it up since the preseason?

What have they been missing?

It's been a really complete team.

Minus one little sore spot.

A number two receiver.

What's Emmanuel Sanders?

Hell of a number two receiver.

What's Michael Thomas Hell of a lead receiver?

One of the best in the game.

How about Kamara?

Is he any good?

Yeah, one of the very best.

They got everything right now, and when they get Drew Brees back, it's going to be even better, because what we see with Taysom Hill is put him on the field.

What are you gonna dio?

How do you know what's gonna happen?

He could do anything.

Saints are the best team in the NFC to me.

Max, I'm gonna say nobody right now.

I don't think we can definitively say that.

I mean, listen when I'm talking about and what I mean by that just for clarification purposes, Clearly, the Saints look great, and they won eight straight.

We got that.

I'm just looking ahead, Max.

And I'm projected, like Okay, who am I going to depend on?

Who's the team I'm going to believe in come playoff time.

That that That's basically how I'm answering this question because we know as of right now, if you've won eight straight even after losing Drew Brees and Taysom Hill comes in off the bench and he's completing 70% of his passes even though he hasn't thrown one single touchdown.

Okay, but he's completed 70% of his passes.

You look at the defense.

I can't argue with that.

What I would say to you is this the Seattle Seahawks, even though they've got three losses on the season, don't be fooled by what you're seeing here.

The reality is that when you really, really look at these boys, particularly with the acquisition of Dunlap, now that you've got Jamal Adams back in the lineup because he was out for a couple of weeks because he was hurt and then they just you know, they just got Chris Carson back into the lineup because he was out for a few games due to his injury.

And then we look at the greatness of Russell Wilson consistently being asked to carry the extreme load that he has carried, and he's gotten this far.

I think Seattle right now is the best team in the NFC because of Wilson because of Carson.

Because D.

K.

Metcalf is an absolute stud and dollar lock, it is no joke.

And oh, by the way, Greg Olsen was in Carolina for years is one of the more reliable tight ends, and football is just that he's not Kelsey or Kittle.

Okay, we got that.

We understand that, but in the end, a couple other doozies, not as well.

But in the end, when you look at the multitude of weapons that they have available and you look at what you're anticipating, they're going to be defensively, particularly now that they could get to the quarterback.

And now Jamal Adams is back in the lineup.

Well, I just look at a Sea Hawks in the NFC, and there's nobody that I would look at and say, Excuse me, they're going to take these brothers out there better than the Seahawks because when I look at the New Orleans Saints, even with Drew Brees, something happens to them come playoff time.

They're just not as potent offensively defensively.

You know what?

I give them credit where credit is due.

For years.

They were horrific.

Then they improved over the last couple of years, and this year they're really, really damn good on the defensive side of the ball.

Make no mistake about it, but I'm still not sold on them collectively offensively, even with Michael Thomas, even with Emmanuel Sanders, even with Albert tomorrow, once Drew Brees comes back, I'm not sold that they've got what it takes come postseason time, the way I'm sold on the Seattle Seahawks because of Russell Wilson, you're making the argument that they're not perfect and and you're pointing to drew Greece's performance in the playoffs, where he's looked like an old, beaten up guy.

By the by, You know, you just do my whole point.

That's but that's my whole point about the Saints and Drew Brees this year is, but it's a big if, if he comes back healthy right in time, especially if he has a game or two before the playoffs.

But even if it's just for the playoffs, I don't expect to see a tired old Drew Brees.

I expect to see a rested Drew Brees, who's more motivated than ever, because this is probably it, and he may be on the best team has ever been on.

Just consider this Stephen A.

You.

You said, You know, you lamented for so many years the defense, they don't give the defense.

You know why we're not really thinking about the Bucks in the Super Bowl right now.

Why the Bucks aren't in this conversation because of the beating the Saints put on them, not week one, when the Bucks were.

You know, of course, they've just been thrown together.

The Saints didn't look great that I'm talking about the last game they played in early November.

States 38 bucks three.

The mighty Bucks offense managed three points against that Saints team.

And, by the way, the Niners 13.

The Falcons nine, the Broncos three.

It would be one thing to say, Yeah, the Falcons and the Broncos, but actually, the Falcons are capable of putting up points.

The Bucks a field goal.

They almost 38 to 3.

Stephen A.

The Saints have been have been.

Not only do they arguably the best defense in the league, but certainly over the last month they they played the best defense.

Their defense is rounding into form at just the right time, and they should have arrested Breeze back.

Now, if you're saying the Seattle Seahawks have a puncher's chance and a good one, Yeah, of course they got.

They got Russell Wilson, one of the three best quarterbacks in the NFL, in an all time great in this prime.

They got Metcalfe.

They got lock it, they got a whole lot.

They have Carson back, right?

Carlos, like they have a whole lot on offense.

They have a historically bad defense.

I think Jamal Adams given time with Bobby Wagner.

It's enough high end playmakers to get them or respectable.

But I think I suspect there's a bad defense.

The state's not only they're not quite as explosive on offense, but they're damn good and they have the best defense in the league.