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NFC North colleague Kevin Seifert brought up an excellent point about an additional consequence of the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal.

You can almost certainly cross the Saints off the list of teams to play the season-opening Wednesday night (Sept. 5) game at the New York Giants.

Before all the trouble started, the Saints appeared to be on a short list to face the defending Super Bowl champions. They did it last year when they opened the season with a Thursday night game at Green Bay.

Since the NFL doesn’t usually schedule division opponents in its kickoff game, the Saints likely were on a short list with the Packers and Steelers to open in New York. I’m pretty sure that list is down to just the Packers and the Steelers now, and I’d guess that Green Bay is the heavy favorite. That would pit the past two Super Bowl champions against each other, and you can’t ask for a better storyline.

I really don’t think the league would want to take away attention from the opening game with another big round of publicity about the bounty program. In fact, I think you could see less of the Saints, who have been a prime-time regular in recent years, in nationally televised games.

We might find out the exact pairing for the opening game next week at the NFL meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. We likely will get the complete NFL schedule in April.

It looks like there’s at least a chance the New Orleans Saints could be playing in the season’s first game for the third straight year.

As the defending champion Super Bowl champion, the New York Giants will host the Thursday night opener at MetLife Stadium. That game will be played Sept. 6.

I’m just looking at the eight teams the Giants are scheduled to host in 2012 and the Saints look like one of the three leading candidates, along with Green Bay and Pittsburgh. The league doesn’t usually schedule division opponents in the opener.

You also can probably scratch the Buccaneers and Browns from the list since they’re not marquee teams. Green Bay and Pittsburgh each have national followings and the Giants and Packers could be paired in a rematch of the playoff game in which New York went into Lambeau Field and defeated the Packers.

But don’t count out the Saints. They also draw strong television ratings and they played the Thursday night opening game at Green Bay in 2011 and hosted it against Minnesota in 2010.

There’s a very interesting blog item by The Palm Beach Post’s Brian Briggane. He caught up with former Green Bay defensive back Leroy Butler, who is unhappy that former Green Bay coach Mike Sherman did not get the job as head coach in Tampa Bay.

Butler is unhappy with the Glazer family that owns the Buccaneers, and with former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Warren Sapp. Butler said he believes Sapp influenced the Glazers' decision to not hire Sherman.

There’s history between Sapp and Sherman. Back in 2002, Sapp turned from defensive tackle to blocker after a Tampa Bay interception. Sapp hit Green Bay offensive lineman Chad Clifton and knocked him out of the game. Sherman and Sapp had a heated exchange that got a lot of national attention.

Sapp later left the Bucs, and Sherman left the Packers. But their paths crossed again last week when reports surfaced that Sherman was about to get hired to coach the Bucs.

Sapp sent out some tweets that blasted Sherman and general manager Mark Dominik, who use the same agent. Sherman had interviewed with the Bucs early in the process and again last week.

Butler claims that Sapp’s tweets influenced the Glazers to pass on Sherman and hire Greg Schiano away from Rutgers.

Part of me would like to say Butler is categorically wrong. I don’t think the Glazers use Sapp as some sort of advisor, and I’d like to say the owners probably weren’t sitting around reading his tweets when they were in the middle of making such an important decision. But I can’t say that definitively when it comes to the Bucs. As I’ve written before, the Bucs sometimes are way too sensitive about how they are perceived.

I’d like to think this was not one of those times. I’d like to think that, after meeting with Sherman and Schiano, the Bucs simply decided Schiano was the better fit for their franchise.

As we told you Thursday night, Houston Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has pulled out of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' search for a head coach.

But that doesn’t mean Tampa Bay’s choice will come straight from a list of Mike Sherman, Marty Schottenheimer, Brad Childress and Jerry Gray. Those four have interviewed for the job and any of them could end up as the next coach. But a league source said Tampa Bay’s list of candidates goes deeper than that.

The source wouldn’t specify if other candidates have interviewed or if the team is waiting to talk to candidates that are still involved in postseason play. It’s possible the Bucs could want to talk to some coaches still involved in the playoffs.

Let’s take a look at some coaches still in the postseason that could be candidates:

Tom Clements, Green Bay Packers, quarterbacks coach. His name has been tied to a lot of jobs in recent weeks. Clements hasn’t been an NFL head coach, but he’s looked very good as Aaron Rodgers' position coach. He’s very experienced and respected around the league.

Winston Moss, Packers, assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach. His name is getting tied to the Raiders’ opening. But Moss also could make some sense for Tampa Bay. He played linebacker for the Buccaneers.

Darren Perry, Packers, secondary-safeties coach. Another hot name on Green Bay’s staff. He is considered a rising star. Even if he doesn’t get a job as a head coach this year, he could be in line for a job as a coordinator.

Gregg Williams, New Orleans Saints, defensive coordinator. He’s been a head coach before. He’s a strict disciplinarian, which appears to be a quality the Bucs look very favorably upon these days. If the Bucs are going to compete in the NFC South in the immediate future, they have to go through the Saints. Williams knows New Orleans’ offense as well as anyone because he has to practice against it every day.

Pete Carmichael, Saints, offensive coordinator. This is probably a long shot because Carmichael has been in the shadow of head coach Sean Payton. But Carmichael started calling the plays when Payton broke his leg and has done a nice job. Carmichael has a very low-key personality and the Bucs might be looking for someone more dynamic.

Perry Fewell, New York Giants, defensive coordinator. He has experience as an interim head coach. He has been a candidate for other jobs in the past and some teams that have met with him say Fewell interviews extremely well.

Mike McCoy, Denver Broncos, offensive coordinator. More than head coach John Fox, McCoy is the one who has adjusted Denver’s offense to suit quarterback Tim Tebow. McCoy is viewed as a rising young star and has an outgoing personality. He also shares the same agent as Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik.

Cam Cameron, Ravens, offensive coordinator. His previous stint as a head coach in Miami did not go well, but Cameron probably learned some things from that experience. He’s had lots of success as a coordinator and could get another look as a head coach.

NEW ORLEANS -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 45-16 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

What it means: The Saints (12-3) clinched the NFC South, which means they’ll be one of the top four seeds in the playoffs. They still have a shot at going as high as the No. 2 seed, but they’ll need to win their finale and hope San Francisco loses. The Falcons (9-6) already are in the playoffs, but now they can’t do any better than the No. 5 seed. Also, New Orleans’ victory means that, once again, no team has won the NFC South in consecutive years since the division came into existence in 2002.

Record time: With two minutes and 51 seconds left in the game, Drew Brees made history. With a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles, Brees broke Dan Marino's record for passing yards in a season. Marino had 5,084 yards in 1984. Brees came into the game needing 305 yards to break the record. He finished with 307 yards. Brees also threw four touchdown passes.

The Sproles factor: I might be overlooking someone, but I don’t think I’m too far off in saying Sproles was the best free-agent signing in the NFL this year. Sproles has made huge contributions as a runner, receiver and a return man. Early this season, I still saw some fans wearing Reggie Bush jerseys. I don’t think I’ve seen one in a couple of months.

The great debate: After watching the Saints absolutely dominate what had been a good Atlanta team for the past month or so, I think it’s fair to start talking about how the Saints match up with the Green Bay Packers. Remember, the Saints took the Packers down to the wire in the season opener at Lambeau Field. I know for certain the Saints are a better team now than they were in September. Yeah, you can bring San Francisco into the argument too, but that kind of waters things down. The Saints and Packers play great offense and a postseason game between them would be as exciting a game as you could ask for.

What I didn't like: From an Atlanta perspective, the way the Falcons lost this game had to be demoralizing. The Falcons had seemed to be on a roll in recent weeks. They’re already in the playoffs and they should have an easy finale. But the momentum Atlanta had built over the past month or so has been shattered. If they somehow end up facing the Saints again in the playoffs, that’s not a good psychological matchup. The Saints have defeated the Falcons twice already and that’s got to be in the heads of the Atlanta players.

What's next: The Saints host the Carolina Panthers in the regular-season finale on Sunday. The Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints are focused solely on their “Monday Night Football’’ game with the Atlanta Falcons right now. A victory will give them the NFC South title.

But fans and media have been getting ahead of the game and comparing the Saints to the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans’ quarterback Drew Brees to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. There’s also been a fair amount of debate about which of those quarterbacks should win the Most Valuable Player award.

Well, the looking down the road continues. In this Insider post, Chris Sprow goes into great detail about how well Brees has played in the past six games. He says that if Brees continues playing the way he has been, the Saints can beat the Packers, even if it’s in the NFC Championship Game in Lambeau Field.

He then points to several other reasons why the Saints might be better than the Packers, including the New Orleans defense and the continued emergence of Jimmy Graham.

Colleague Ashley Fox has a column that says New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees is a worthy candidate for the Most Valuable Player award. If that sounds familiar, it should. I wrote a column that made a similar point just about a month ago.

Before Packers’ fans start shouting, Fox and I both make it pretty clear that Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers will win the award. We’re not saying Rodgers is unworthy of the award. He absolutely is worthy. He’s had a great season and so have the Packers.

But the point Fox and I are making is that Brees at least belongs in the conversation. He’s on the verge of shattering Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season (5,084). And the Saints are 11-3. The Packers were undefeated until Sunday, but their loss at Kansas City takes away one strong argument for Rodgers.

He no longer is playing for an undefeated team. He’s playing for a great team and so is Brees. Both quarterbacks are having great seasons. Neither would be a bad choice.

But the reality is Rodgers will win the award. He plays for the Packers. Green Bay might officially be the NFL’s smallest market and New Orleans isn’t far behind. But, unofficially, the Packers are a national team with a huge profile and lots of history.

The Saints’ national profile has grown in recent years, but they don’t have the lore of the Packers. That pretty much guarantees Rodgers will win the MVP, but Brees definitely belongs in the conversation.

Just so we don’t end up having post offices in Tampa getting filled with mail from every city in Wisconsin, let’s start this off with a clarifier.

I’m not saying the New Orleans Saints will knock off the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. ESPN "Monday Night Football" analyst Jon Gruden, who also lives in Tampa -- although I’m certain he’s in another ZIP code -- isn’t saying the Saints will beat the Packers.

But Gruden said in a recent conference call with the national media that he believes the Saints could beat the Packers.

“I took the Saints earlier this year to go to the Super Bowl,’’ Gruden said “I think if they get an opportunity at full strength, I think they can outscore anybody in the league, including Green Bay. I've seen them do that.’’

I’m sure sirens are now sounding from Sheboygan to Eau Claire and everywhere else in Wisconsin. But I do have to agree with Gruden about the Saints’ ability to outscore anyone. Their offense has been good since Sean Payton and Drew Brees arrived, but it’s better than ever these days. A potential shootout between the Packers and Saints in January could be a lot of fun to watch.

But even Gruden, who comes from a purely offensive background, said a clash between those two teams could come down to more than offense.

“I really think [New Orleans defensive coordinator] Gregg Williams and this defense, if they can find their stride and start to get turnovers, they're a very hard team to play against,’’ Gruden said. “Gregg Williams with the lead, with that offense in his pocket has been able to do that during his career, and I think that's what makes the Saints a doubleedged sword.’’

Jeff Duncan makes an excellent point when he writes that members of Who Dat Nation need to double as Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans, at least for one day.

That day would be Monday night when the Steelers play the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers and Saints are each 10-3 and they’re fighting for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, with the Green Bay Packers pretty much holding a lock on the top seed.

The No. 2 seed is hugely important because it guarantees a week off and a home game in the second round of the playoffs. The Saints learned last year that going on the road in the postseason is not easy, when they went to Seattle and lost.

But guaranteeing a week off and a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome might require help from the Steelers. Since the 49ers have a better conference record than the Saints, the only way New Orleans can claim the No. 2 seed is to finish with a better record than San Francisco.

The Saints obviously need to take care of their own business. But Pittsburgh probably is their best shot at help with the 49ers.

After playing the Steelers, the 49ers close their season with games against St. Louis and Seattle.

NEW ORLEANS -- We’ve known for quite some time that the New Orleans Saints’ offense could probably score enough to stay with an NBA team if it needed to. Defense, though, hasn’t exactly been a strong point during the Sean Payton era.

Heck, you get the idea the coach only uses a defense because it’s required. You can’t fault him, because running an offense the way a smart kid would play a video game has brought New Orleans far more wins than losses through the years.

But it was the defense that was largely responsible for Sunday night’s 31-17 victory against the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Sure, Drew Brees (342 passing yards and three touchdowns) worked his usual magic and the offense put up the usual big numbers (tight end Jimmy Graham became the first tight end in franchise history to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season). But the defense, which has been known to give up some yardage and points, played perhaps its best game of the season.

Yeah, the Saints only allowed seven points in a win against the Colts and 10 in a victory against the Jaguars. But those were the Colts and the Jaguars. The Lions have a real offense (see Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson).

“(Johnson) can take over a game,’’ Payton said. “And the quarterback (Stafford) is playing with confidence.’’

Sure, Stafford put up 408 passing yards and it’s not often you can say a defense played a good game when it gives up 400 passing yards. However, the New Orleans defense did play well. Stafford only threw for one touchdown and Johnson was limited to six catches for 69 yards. Holding Detroit to 17 points is more than respectable.

“That was a big part of the game plan,’’ cornerback Tracy Porter said. “We created population around him and were able to minimize the damage he can do.’’

The New Orleans defense was particularly good early on. Johnson had just two catches for 19 yards in the first half, and the Lions didn’t score until there were 2 minutes, 28 seconds left in the first half. New Orleans went into halftime with a 24-7 lead. The Lions got back into the game with 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, but never scored again.

“Some of those stops on third down early in the game were pivotal and we were able to get a lead,’’ Payton said. “In that second half when that momentum swung a little bit, we got a key score and then a key stop defensively. All in all, it was a good hard-fought win. We have a ton of respect for that team we just played.’’

They should, because the Lions have a good offense and the Saints are going to see more good offenses down the line, especially if they get into the playoffs, which seems pretty much automatic at this point.

The Saints improved to 9-3 and clinched their third straight winning season. And they're going to need more games like this from their defense.

Let’s be brutally honest, the Saints are never going to have a great defense that can shut teams down all the time. That’s not the way coordinator Gregg Williams plays. His emphasis is more on being opportunistic, creating turnovers and making some big stops when needed. That’s what the Saints did against the Lions. That’s also what the Saints did in the 2009 season when they won the Super Bowl. They regressed defensively in 2010 and that’s part of the reason why they were bounced in their first playoff game.

Up until the Detroit game, the current defense has played more like the 2010 unit than the 2009 group. But this game might end up being a turning point. It was no coincidence that middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma returned after missing four games with a knee injury. Vilma led the Saints with 10 tackles.

“He’s the guy that runs the show,’’ free safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “Our other guys did a really good job filling in for him, but it’s a lot easier when he’s in their making the calls.’’

The Saints were able to pressure Stafford. He was sacked three times and hurried five others. The Saints did a good job containing the running game as well: the Lions finished with 87 net yards on the ground.

“Three and out is just as good as a turnover,’’ said Porter, who created New Orleans’ only turnover of the night with a fourth-quarter interception.

As Porter and Jenkins chatted in front of their lockers before meeting with the media, they talked about how the Saints should have had more interceptions. They started with two passes that went off Jenkins’ hands. Then, they started doing some more math.

By the time they were done, the conclusion was the Saints should have had five more interceptions.

“It wasn’t perfect,’’ Payton said. “There’s a handful of things we’ve got to get corrected to get to where we want to go to. But we’ve got time to do that.’’

Where the Saints want to go is the Super Bowl. Even with all their offense, the Saints are going to need some help from their defense down the road. Getting some stops and keeping Johnson under 100 yards and out of the end zone was very good.

Keep doing that and add some turnovers and the Saints could be really scary in the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, it’s looking at the moment like the unbeaten Green Bay Packers are the team to beat in the NFC.

But don’t hand the Packers the NFC title just yet. The Saints could have something to say about it before all is said and done. They went up to Lambeau Field for the season opener and took the Packers down to the last play of the game before losing.

Like the Saints, the Packers score points in bunches. But Green Bay’s defense hasn’t been dominant. The Saints have improved on defense since the opener.

If they can keep doing the good things they have recently and improve on those handful of things Payton talked about, the Saints might be able to slow the Packers enough to win -- if they end up meeting down the road.

The NFL announced its Players of the Month for Offense, Defense and Special teams. There wasn’t an NFC South player among them.

Not surprising, really, since no NFC South player has been a Player of the Month this season. What is surprising is how the league, which usually goes out of its way to spread these kind of awards around, isn’t doing that with the NFC Offensive Player of the Month.

Aaron Rodgers won it. Good for him. He’s a great player and is having a tremendous season.

But here’s the catch. Rodgers also was the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October – and September. Heck, he actually just became the first player since Player of the Month awards were started in 1986 to win an award in four straight months. Rodgers also won it in December of last season.

The NFL office decides on these awards, and you can’t help but wonder if the chance to allow Rodgers to make history factored into this one at some level. Rodgers and the Packers are a great story and Green Bay is a storied franchise.

Rodgers certainly had a tremendous November, complete 72.4 percent of his passes for 1,103 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception, and he led the Packers to four wins in the month.

But there have been lots of times through the years where I’ve seen the league not necessarily give weekly or monthly awards to the guy with the best statistics. It’s usually done in the interest of sharing the wealth among the teams.

It seems like there’s a guy in the NFC South who is firmly covered by Rodgers’ shadow and the lore of the Packers. As I wrote the other day, I think Brees should at least be a strong candidate for Most Valuable Player. But that’s not going to happen. Rodgers will win that award, too.

Brees did receive the NFC Offensive Player of the Week this week. But I say the league snubbed Brees a bit by going with Rodgers for a fourth straight month. Brees and the Saints only played three November games because they had a bye week.

But the Saints won them all and Brees completed 69 percent of his passes for 943 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.

Yeah, I know New Orleans isn’t a huge market and the Saints’ history isn’t nearly as rich as the Packers. But shouldn’t Brees, who is on pace to break Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season, at least be getting some accolades?

There suddenly is a lot of talk about the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

Which is the best team in the NFC? Which of them has the more explosive offense? Is Drew Brees better than Aaron Rodgers?

Well, fans and media members can argue that all they want. But let’s turn to the one person who might be most qualified to offer a neutral comparison of the two teams. That’s Detroit coach Jim Schwartz. His team lost to the Packers on Nov. 24. The Lions’ next game is Sunday night in New Orleans.

“I think they are different,’’ Schwartz said in a conference call with the New Orleans media Wednesday. “They are completely different schemes. I think the things that are similar are very efficient quarterbacks that can not only run the offense but also make big plays. They can stay out of trouble and don’t take very many lost-yardage plays. They also have tremendous confidence to fit balls in. There are some throws that Brees and Rodgers will make that a lot of quarterbacks wouldn’t risk. They trust their receivers. They trust their playmakers.’’

Schwartz took the conversation well beyond a comparison of Brees and Rodgers.

“Both teams have a lot of playmakers at a lot of different positions,’’ Schwartz said. “The Saints’ leading receiver is a tight end (Jimmy Graham) and Darren Sproles is the NFL’s leading receiver on third down. They have four different receivers that all have roles and can make plays. They all sort of fit different in their offense. Green Bay is probably the same way. Their schemes are different but they both have good quarterbacks and multiple playmakers. They are not just one-trick ponies. There are a lot of different places they can go and they are fairly balanced when it comes to run and pass. It makes you work defensively to try to keep points off the board.”

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season is that it has lasted this long.

But the 27-year-old record isn’t going to make it to 28. Eleven games into the season, two quarterbacks are on pace to shatter Marino’s record, and a third is just behind them.

The fact New Orleans’ Drew Brees and New England’s Tom Brady are putting up yards at a faster clip than Marino, and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is almost with them makes what the former Miami quarterback did in 1984 that much more impressive.

In just his second NFL season, Marino threw for 5,084 yards. He led the Dolphins to a 14-2 record and they lost to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.

Marino’s record has stood as the Holy Grail of quarterback numbers for nearly three decades, but it would be only fitting if three guys pass it this season. The league has changed dramatically since early in Marino’s career.

The changes have become even more obvious in recent years as rules have been adjusted to make life easier on quarterbacks. They’re more protected due to rules installed for their safety, and their receivers have advantages the guys in Marino’s era didn’t. Defenses can’t guard receivers aggressively, and passing numbers around the league have increased, especially in the past few years.

Yet only Brees has come close to Marino. Brees threw for 5,069 yards in 2008, when the Saints were just mediocre.

This time around, the Saints are much better than mediocre. They’re 8-3 and atop the NFC South. Brady’s Patriots have the same record and lead the AFC East. Rodgers and the Packers are the only undefeated team in the league.

The next five weeks are going to be way better than the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa home-run derby. This is going to be like a pennant race and a chase for one of the game’s most glamorous records all rolled into one.

The talk of Marino’s record falling has really just started. Brees has admitted he’d like to break the record.

“Absolutely," Brees said. “But only in the framework of winning."

The framework is going up in New Orleans, New England and Green Bay.

Brees currently has the lead. Through 11 games, he’s on pace for 5,366 yards. Brady is on pace for 5,276 yards. Rodgers is only another big game away from getting on pace to break Marino’s record. At the moment, he’s on pace for 5,055 yards.

There’s no doubt Marino played by different rules, and that makes his record all the more impressive. As Brees, Brady and Rodgers move closer to the record, there will be some talk about them playing in a “juiced-ball" era.

The rules changes give some credence to that. But if all three quarterbacks pass Marino’s record, the quarterback-friendly rules aren’t going to diminish the milestone.

If Brees, Rodgers and Brady all pass Marino’s number, it will come within “the framework of winning." We won’t be talking about the chase for the record. We’ll be talking about the chase for the Super Bowl.

TRENDING UP

TRENDING DOWN

The "First Take" crew debates if the New Orleans Saints are the biggest threat to the Green Bay Packers.

If the season ended today, the New Orleans Saints would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs.

They’d host a first-round game against the No. 6 Chicago Bears. They might even be able to get a home game against Detroit or Dallas in the second round. But the Saints also would have to go on the road if they ended up playing either Green Bay or San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.

The Saints would be the NFC South’s only playoff representative at the moment. But the Atlanta Falcons are 6-4 and only a game behind the Saints. That means the Falcons are very much in the playoff picture.

That picture is starting to become clearer. With six weeks left in the regular season, it’s not too early to start talking playoffs. It’s not too early to start envisioning all of the different scenarios.

With that in mind, let me recommend that you take a trip over to ESPN’s Playoff Machine. Go over there and you can punch in any scenario you want and the machine will sort things out for you.

You might want to save the link because the Playoff Machine could be an even more valuable tool as the season goes on.