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TAMPA, Fla. -- I'm at One Buccaneer Place and will be heading out to watch the Bucs work out in a little over an hour. I'll give you a report on what I see later. But, first, let's take a quick trip through the NFC South headlines to bring you up to speed.

Former Atlanta guard Harvey Dahl has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Rams. Justin Blalock, the other starting guard from last season, remains a free agent. There is a possibility he could return to the Falcons, but the team began preparing for this situation last year when it drafted Mike Johnson and Joe Hawley.

New Orleans running back Pierre Thomas said he’s only about 85 percent healthy after offseason ankle surgery, but he was able to practice Friday.

Linebacker Dan Connor is happy to be staying in Carolina after incorrect rumors had him going to Chicago as part of the Greg Olsen trade.

So far, so good on the Da'Quan Bowers health front. The rookie defensive end, who fell to the second round due to concerns about a knee injury, went through the first workout of training camp with the Bucs.

The Saints terminated the contracts of linebacker Stanley Arnoux and long-snapper Jason Kyle after they failed physicals.

Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said he hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of middle linebacker Barrett Ruud returning to the Bucs. I think that’s a long shot.

Jason Kyle's stomach hadn’t settled down completely as he spoke on the phone from his San Diego hotel last Thursday night. His mind, though, had calmed down a few hours earlier and already was expanding.

The long-snapper for the New Orleans Saints has several business ventures on the side. He is the Chief Executive Officer of his own start-up company, which sets up pro athletes with endorsement and speaking opportunities, and used to be very active in the NFL Players Association. Kyle is one of the smartest players in the league, and he made an astute observation last week.

“You know, I’d never thought about it in these terms until today,’’ said Kyle, 38 and a veteran of 17 NFL seasons. “We’re professional athletes, and people think we’re great and want our autographs and treat us like kings. But we’re not heroes. We’re just guys that are blessed to be able to run fast or shoot a basketball or whatever, and some of us work at it very hard. But that doesn’t make us heroes. Those people are the real heroes.’’

“Those people’’ are the Blue Angels and the rest of the military personnel Kyle met at Naval Air Facility El Centro last week. It’s funny how flying at speeds of more than 700 miles per hour and going up, down and sideways will shake up your stomach and your thoughts. That’s what happened to Kyle as he went up for an 80-minute flight over the California desert with the Navy’s flight demonstration unit.

“Twenty minutes into the flight, I was in as much of a sweat as I’ve been in my whole life,’’ Kyle said. “I’ve always prided myself on working very hard to stay in shape. I’m not in the kind of shape those pilots are. They prepped me for it and told me what I’d have to do to keep myself from blacking out. You’re constantly tightening your legs and your stomach to keep the blood going to your head, so you don’t black out and you know which way is up and down. Those guys have to be able to do that all the time.

“Think about what they do, and think about what we do. There’s really no comparison. Those guys are incredibly good at something that’s incredibly difficult, and they work so hard at it and the stakes are a little different than playing football. I couldn’t imagine having to land one of those planes on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the night. But I am very glad and proud that we do have exceptional people that can do that.’’

Kyle got the invitation because he’s a close friend of former New Orleans kicker John Carney, who lives in the San Diego area and has flown with the Blue Angels before.

“John didn’t go up this time,’’ Kyle said. “He talked me into it and said it would be like riding a roller coaster. It wasn’t like any roller coaster I’ve ever been on. John came along to watch it from the ground. I think I saw him taking pictures and laughing at me as I stumbled off the plane at the end of the flight.’’

Kyle, who spent eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers before joining the Saints in 2009, was able to laugh after the flight, but definitely not during it or even before it.

Pilots briefed Kyle on what to expect prior to the flight, and that’s when he began to worry a bit. They told him he would experience G-forces as high as 7.5 and that he might black out if he didn’t keep blood rushing to his head. They told about different maneuvers that were planned, and that parts of the flight would be upside down.

There were also mentions of how there would be some low-terrain flying, where the plane would be lower than some nearby mountains. They also made sure he knew that there was an air-sickness bag close to his left hand and another close to his right.

“I had two goals,’’ Kyle said. “Not blacking out and not throwing up. I was one out of two.’’

Kyle didn’t black out.

“An 80-minute flight, I’d guess I spent 30 minutes of it getting sick,’’ Kyle said.

Still, as he reflected on his flight, Kyle didn’t spend much time dwelling on the negatives. I've covered Kyle in his Carolina days and New Orleans days, and he went to the Super Bowl with the Panthers and the Saints. I never heard him sound so excited or animated.

He ticked off some highlights.

“When we hit 7.5 Gs, I felt like my head was in a vice,’’ Kyle said. “That wasn’t fun, but feeling the pressure go away as we eased up was pretty cool. We did some barrel rolls that were crazy, but they were also pretty fun. I can’t say it got any easier as we went along, but there were a few light minutes between turns that I really enjoyed.

“But the best thing I can say about it and the biggest compliment I can give is, that as crazy as it felt at times and as sick as I was, I never once felt really scared. That’s because I knew I was safe. I knew I was in the hands of people that are the absolute best in the world in doing what they do.’’

Kyle kissed the ground when he got out of the plane. He needed a little private time in the pilot’s locker room to start getting his body back. Then, he went out and mingled with the troops, took some pictures and signed some autographs.

But, like Kyle said at the top of this story, he didn’t feel like the celebrity. He felt like the guy hanging out with the real heroes.

There’s one last twist to this story. Although the experience was harrowing at times, the Blue Angels asked Kyle if he’d like to fly with them again. He accepted the offer.

But he’s going to wait a month or so.

“I need some recovery time,’’ Kyle said. “But I also want to really work on my legs and abdominals, and some of the pilots gave me some advice on how they do it. I’m going to try it and try to prepare like the Blue Angels and all the military pilots.’’

Prepare like the real heroes.

I’m going to throw a trivia question at you that was spawned as I spent part of the last week working on a story that is scheduled to appear Wednesday morning.

No cheating and looking things up. Just think through the rosters of each team and tell me how many guys there are, at this moment, who are on NFC South rosters and have been on NFC South rosters since the division was created in 2002.

I’ll give you one little clue: There are six guys who fit that profile. I’ll give you one other clue: Two teams have one guy each and the other two have one each.

Heck, I’m feeling generous, so I’ll throw you one more: One of these guys has played for two NFC South teams, transitioning straight from one division team to another and never leaving the division since its formation.

All right, time’s up. Do you have your answers?

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The New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers are turning things over to the backups as we approach the end of the third quarter of Friday night's preseason game in New Orleans. I'll keep an eye on what happens the rest of the way, but since the important part's over, I wanted to get my observations up here as quickly as possible.

• For the most part, I’m not a fan of preseason football and think it’s worthless. But give Drew Brees less than two minutes and put him about 90 yards from the end zone and I’ll gladly watch that any day of the year. That shovel-pass to Reggie Bush that went to 38 yards was special. The Saints had to settle for a field goal, but Brees could have put the Saints in the end zone if Marques Colston wasn’t called for a couple of penalties on the drive.
• Speaking of Brees, he appeared in a pre-recorded interview at halftime that dealt quite a bit with how the Saints have helped overcome the horror of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the region five years ago Sunday. I’d just like to say one thing about Brees. We in the media, and you as fans, have a tendency to glorify or worship guys because of what they do on the field and some guys come off looking a lot better as people than they really are. I’ve been around Brees quite a bit the past three years and can honestly say this guy is totally genuine. Everything you’ve seen and heard about him is true.
• I wrote the other day that Jabari Greer is the best cornerback in the NFC South. I felt good about that decision then because it was based on what I’ve heard from numerous coaches, scouts, general managers and players. But I felt even better about that decision very early in the game when Greer almost had an interception. If you saw it, what you saw was the text book version of how a cornerback should go after the ball while totally staying away from any chance of getting called for interfering with the receiver.
• I’ve been saying from the first day of New Orleans’ training camp that Bush looks healthier now than at any point I remember since he’s been in the NFL. I also thought he looks faster -- and he wasn’t slow to begin with. Watching Bush against the Chargers only added to my hunch that we’re going to see a big season from this guy. He did everything well Friday night -- and I’m not just talking running the ball or catching it. I saw Bush make a couple of very nice blocks. By the way, Pierre Thomas also looked good and so did Chris Ivory. Do the Saints still really need to go out and add another running back?
• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Dave MartinDevery Henderson's tip for a touchdown showed just how deep the Saints are at receiver.
  Anytime the Saints have their offense on the field, there is the potential for a spectacular play. The best of Friday night? When Devery Henderson caught a touchdown pass from Brees. Sounds simple, but it wasn’t. The ball was basically a toss-up between Henderson and a defensive back at the goal line. There was no way Henderson could catch the pass as it was. The cornerback had a shot at intercepting it. But Henderson sort of reached around the cornerback with his right arm, tipped the ball up like you would in volleyball (right over the cornerback’s head) and backed up a couple yards and caught it in the end zone.
• Watching Henderson, Robert Meachem and Colston each make nice catches and remembering the Saints also have Lance Moore, Courtney Roby, Adrian Arrington and a few other prospects made me think of how a lot of readers have been asking if the Saints should trade one of their receivers. After all, they’ve got an abundance of depth. But I say they should stick with what they’ve got. The Saints have strength in numbers at wide receiver and, with the way Brees spreads the ball around, this is a beautiful situation.
• Nice hit by New Orleans long-snapper Jason Kyle on punt returner Darren Sproles. I covered Kyle for a lot of years in Carolina and know him pretty well. Anytime someone suggests he’s no more than a specialist, Kyle gladly will remind you he played some linebacker early in his career. If Sproles didn’t know that before Friday, he does now.

METAIRIE, La. – Time for some observations from the New Orleans Saints’ first practice of camp.

• Rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson got his contract signed, passed his physical and got on the field for a good chunk of practice. I’m not going to anoint him after one practice, but he looked good out there. Extremely athletic, and I can see him immediately being the third corner behind Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter. By the way, Robinson doesn’t seem to have the same problem with hazing as Dallas rookie Dez Bryant. Robinson walked off the field carrying the shoulder pads and helmets of some veteran members of the secondary.
• Jon Gruden was out at practice, and I think this is a repeat of last year. That’s when Gruden spent a few days with his old buddy Sean Payton and sat in on the meetings with the quarterbacks. Coaches are often superstitious, and Payton might view Gruden as a good-luck charm.
• From what I saw, Troy Evans was getting most of the work at Scott Fujita’s old linebacker spot. But I think this one will be a battle throughout camp and the preseason. Jo-Lonn Dunbar and some other young linebackers are in the mix.
• It appeared Alex Brown got the first-team work at Charles Grants’ old defensive end spot. He looked pretty good. With Jimmy Wilkerson and Bobby McCray as backups, I think the Saints are in better shape at that spot than they were a year ago.
• With Robert Meachem and Marques Colston not practicing because of injuries, Lance Moore was shining at wide receiver. I saw him make multiple big plays.
• Perhaps the most eye-turning play of the morning session came when rookie quarterback Sean Canfield hooked up with Larry Beavers on a deep route down the left sideline.
• I listed long-snapper Jason Kyle as a veteran, who possibly could be on the bubble, the other day. So much for that. The Saints created Robinson’s roster spot by releasing Clint Gresham, the guy who was supposed to challenge Kyle.
• Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams brought up the so-called “Super Bowl hangover’’ that the media has touched upon. Williams got pretty emotional and said he resents those implications. He backed up his reasoning extensively and said this season’s team can be better than last season’s. I’ll share all that with you Saturday when we feature the Saints in our Camp Confidential segment.
• Another reminder to any fans that were planning on coming out for Friday's afternoon practice: Don't do it. Because of the extreme heat, the Saints will practice indoors. That will be closed to the public. The same plan is in place for Saturday afternoon's session. I'll be out at this afternoon's practice and will share some more observations with you tonight.

As training camps get rolling, here’s a list of five guys to keep an eye on.

As names go, they’re not the biggest, but you’ve heard of them. They’re all veterans and some of them have been starters. They also have one other thing in common: Due to age, upcoming prospects and salaries, they might not make it to the opening-day roster:

Michael Clayton, Buccaneers. This time, Clayton really is down to his last chance. Seems like we’ve said that every year since he’s bombed after a great rookie season. But it’s more true than ever. When a team goes out and uses two picks in the first four rounds to take wide receivers, that’s not a sign they’re really happy with the veterans.

Ryan Sims, Buccaneers. Very similar situation to Clayton’s. The Bucs went out and drafted defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Brian Price with their first two picks, and they’ve got high hopes for Roy Miller. Sims could stick as a situational guy, but there’s no way the Bucs want him starting again.

Jason Kyle, Saints. This guy is as good a long-snapper as there has ever been, and a great guy to have in the locker room. He’s solid and dependable, but he’s also scheduled to make more than $1 million. The Saints have Clint Gresham who is scheduled to make about one third of what Kyle is to earn. It really comes down to the Saints deciding if Kyle is a necessity or a luxury.

Brian Finneran, Falcons. Another guy who always seems to be on the bubble. He has stayed around because he’s a dependable backup receiver, can do a lot on special teams and has even lined up at safety. But, when the Falcons drafted Kerry Meier in the fifth round, it made me wonder if they were picking the next Finneran.

Tyler Brayton, Panthers. Brayton is probably the least likely on the list to be cut, and it’s entirely possible that he keeps his starting job. But, with the Panthers going through a youth movement, it wouldn’t be a total surprise if something strange happens at defensive end. The Panthers have high hopes for Charles Johnson and Everette Brown and a few other young defensive ends. If those guys come along quickly, Brayton could become expendable.

You know the story already. Now, Sean Payton’s filling in the details.

The coach of the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints has written a book that is scheduled to hit stores Tuesday. It is called “Home Team." The subtitle is “Coaching the Saints and New Orleans back to life."

That last line sums up the book in one sentence. But I recommend you read the book even if you’re a Saints fan and think you already know all about the Super Bowl season and the three seasons that preceded that. If you do, you’ll find out a lot of things you didn’t know.

We’re not talking any headline-grabbing revelations here, because there aren’t any. The big picture has played out very publicly. What Payton is doing with co-author Ellis Henican is coloring in the outline that already was sketched.

Like just about all football coaches, Payton runs a tight ship. When addressing the media, he’s generally guarded with what he shares, especially about the inner-workings of his team. That’s why this book is a rare opportunity to see what really has gone on with the Saints since Payton first interviewed for the job in 2006.

Payton’s playing by different rules in this book and, in a lot of ways, opening the locker room doors and his mind for fans to really see how the Saints went from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to the top of the football world. Written entirely in Payton’s voice, the book chronicles just about everything, from Payton’s first flight into New Orleans right up through the post-Super Bowl celebration.

Like I said, there’s nothing that’s going to grab a headline or really shock you. But there are a few significant confessions that haven’t been public knowledge.

Start with the daring onside kick to start the second half of the Super Bowl. That decision has brought Payton acclaim for making one of the boldest moves in Super Bowl history. Well, truth be told, Payton reveals the onside kick was not initially the surprise play Payton wanted to run.

In the days leading up to the Super Bowl, Payton said he wanted to steal a possession from Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts and his first thought was to run a fake punt. He floated the idea by his coaching staff for several days and word trickled down to the players. Veteran long-snapper Jason Kyle finally went to Payton and delicately suggested the fake punt might not be a great idea.

“They didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear," Payton said. “They told me what I needed to hear."

Payton backed off the idea and special-teams coach Greg McMahon offered a counterproposal. That was the onside kick. Payton grabbed onto that and it worked masterfully.

There’s also a little revelation about why the Saints were so late in showing up for media day on Tuesday of Super Bowl week. Payton said that five players -- Tracy Porter, Bobby McCray, Roman Harper, Usama Young and Jermon Bushrod -- missed the team bus that morning. After each of the players made it to the locker room on their own, Payton shut the door and began blistering his team.

“I can smell a team that looks like they’re just happy to be in the Super Bowl," Payton said he told his team. “You guys reek of that team."

The Saints quickly stopped reeking and you already know how they went out and won the Super Bowl. Payton shares the details of the postgame joy and how he virtually had to be dragged to the morning-after news conference.

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I’ve been reading an advance copy of Sean Payton’s book “Home Team: Coaching The Saints And New Orleans Back To Life’’ periodically over the last few days.

The book comes out June 29, and I’m still promising a full book report once I finish. But I have to break in with a few items here. It took more than 20 chapters to spot anything I didn’t already know because the story of the Saints winning the Super Bowl and its significance to New Orleans played out very publicly.

I don’t think either of these items is earth shattering, but they did cause me to raise my eyebrows a bit.

First off, Payton reveals that the onside kick to start the second half of the Super Bowl wasn’t his initial idea. He’s talked many times previously about how he wanted to take a possession away from the Colts and that happened. But Payton says in the book that his first thought was to use a fake punt and he hatched that idea while talking to his mentor Bill Parcells in the week off between the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.

Payton said that he began talking to his assistants about how to set up the fake punt and word began spreading to the players. Veteran long snapper Jason Kyle approached Payton and cautiously suggested a fake punt wasn’t a great idea.

Payton wrote that’s when he realized he needed to give up on the fake punt. Soon after, special teams coach Greg McMahon suggested the “ambush’’ kick and Payton bought it.

The other thing that jumped out at me -- and this may matter more to me because I’m in the media -- is that Payton gave a pretty lengthy explanation of why the Saints were late to media day on the Tuesday before the Super Bowl. Believe me, I was aware the Saints were late. League officials were freaking out because the Saints were at least 30 minutes late in showing up in the interview area.

In the book, Payton says five players -- and he names them -- missed the team bus that morning. According to the book, defensive backs Tracy Porter, Roman Harper and Usama Young, defensive end Bobby McCray and offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod did not make it to the bus.

Payton wrote that team officials began frantically trying to locate the players. Harper, Young, McCray and Bushrod made it to the stadium on their own. According to Payton, Porter was the last to show. Once he did, Payton said he shut the locker room door, let the media wait and proceeded to rip his team.

His theme was that the Saints were behaving like they were just happy to be at the Super Bowl. Payton let them know that wasn’t good enough.

Like I said, I’ll do a more complete review of the book once I’m finished. But I thought those two items were worth sharing quickly.

Atlanta Falcons

Potential unrestricted free agents: CB Brian Williams, WR Marty Booker, QB Chris Redman.

Potential restricted free agents: RB Jason Snelling, RB Jerious Norwood, P Michael Koenen, CB Brent Grimes, OL Quinn Ojinnaka, T Tyson Clabo, G Harvey Dahl.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: General manager Thomas Dimitroff repeatedly has used the phrase “fiscally responsible’’ when talking about the approach to free agency. In other words, the Falcons aren’t going to go on some wild spending spree. This organization prefers to build through the draft. But history has shown the Falcons aren’t afraid to make a strategic strike or two in free agency. They have a huge need at defensive end and that’s a tough spot to get guaranteed production from when you’ve got the No. 19 overall pick in the draft. The Falcons aren’t likely to target elite free-agent DE Julius Peppers, but you could see them make a move for another pass-rusher.

Carolina Panthers

Potential unrestricted free agents: DE Julius Peppers, WR Muhsin Muhammad, QB Josh McCown, QB A.J. Feeley.

Potential restricted free agents: LB Thomas Davis, QB Matt Moore, TE Jeff King, CB Richard Marshall, DT Louis Leonard, LB James Anderson, DT Tank Tyler, CB C.J. Wilson.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: Owner Jerry Richardson is very concerned about the uncertain labor situation and that may keep him from spending big money in free agency. The Panthers avoided a $20 million hit by not placing the franchise tag on Peppers, but that doesn’t mean all of that money is going to be used in free agency. The Panthers traditionally are a team that builds through the draft and they didn’t sign a single UFA last year. But look for at least a few smaller moves because coach John Fox has to win this year and needs to improve this roster, especially on the defensive line, at wide receiver and perhaps at quarterback.

New Orleans Saints

Potential unrestricted free agents: QB Mark Brunell, S Darren Sharper, TE Dan Campbell, TE Darnell Dinkins, DT Kendrick Clancy, LB Scott Fujita, S Pierson Prioleau, LS Jason Kyle.

Potential restricted free agents: G Jahri Evans, RB Mike Bell, RB Pierre Thomas, WR Lance Moore, TE David Thomas, T Jermon Bushrod, S Roman Harper, S Usama Young, DT Remi Ayodele, DT Anthony Hargrove, T Zach Strief, S Chris Reis, WR Courtney Roby, LB Marvin Mitchell.

Franchise player: None

What to expect: As a final-four team the Saints aren’t allowed to sign any unrestricted free agents unless they lose one of their own at a similar price tag. That’s likely to keep the Saints from being big players in free agency. But the good news is they don’t have a lot of dramatic needs. They will have to keep a protective eye on some of their restricted free agents, who may draw interest from other teams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Potential unrestricted free agents: WR Antonio Bryant, DE Jimmy Wilkerson, S Will Allen, LB Angelo Crowell, S Jermaine Phillips.

Potential restricted free agents: RB Cadillac Williams, LB Barrett Ruud, T Donald Penn, WR Maurice Stovall, T Jeremy Trueblood.

Franchise player: None.

What to expect: The Bucs haven’t spent a lot of money in free agency in recent years and they’ve been sending out signals this year won’t be much different. They’re focused on the 10 draft picks they hold. But the Bucs could pull a small surprise or two. They’ve got a restless fan base and more needs than those draft picks can handle. A couple of signings in free agency could energize the fan base and help the rebuilding process. The Bucs really need a No. 1 wide receiver and they’re not truly positioned to get that in the draft.

The Colts and Saints arrive in Miami on Monday, when the hype for Super Bowl XLIV will kick into high gear.

Eager to do our part, we locked NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas, who analyzes the Saints for ESPN.com, and AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, who tracks the Colts, in a room and asked them to talk through several of the top issues.

We’re sure to revisit many of them in the week to come, so consider this a tasty platter or appetizers. Tuck a napkin in your collar and dive in.

How much of a factor is it that the Colts have a recent Super Bowl championship on their resume, while this is the first Super Bowl appearance in a not-so-glorious franchise history for the Saints?

Pat Yasinskas: I’m not going to even try to bluff my way through this one or downplay this aspect. This is a huge factor and the Saints are clearly at a disadvantage here. By my count, they’ve only got four players who have even appeared in a Super Bowl (with other teams, of course). That’s safety Darren Sharper, cornerback Randall Gay, fullback Kyle Eckel and long-snapper Jason Kyle. Gay is the only one of those guys with a Super Bowl ring.

If you really want to pad the list, I suppose we could throw in tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas, who were on the injured-reserve list when their teams went to Super Bowls, and fullback Heath Evans, who went to a Super Bowl with New England. But Evans won’t play in this one because he’s on injured reserve. That’s it. Not a long list of guys who have been there and done that.

The Saints haven’t been here before, but they have to act as if they have. They’ve got strong veteran leadership in players such as Sharper, Drew Brees and Jonathan Vilma. They’ll have to follow their lead. Just as important, the coaching staff has to set the tone that the Saints shouldn’t stroll into Miami with their eyes wide open. They need all eyes focused only on winning the game.

Paul Kuharsky: I’m not expecting the Saints to be overwhelmed or unfocused by the hype or events of Super Bowl week. They were smart to get their game plan drawn up and installed during the week after winning their conference, same as the Colts did.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday itself that can prove to be the big difference. It’s great to have people tell you about the unnatural start time, the long delay between warm-ups and pregame festivities and the extended halftime to make room for The Who. It’s another thing to go through it yourself. Edge: Colts. Not only have they done it, they’ve done it in this very venue.

I also think the adrenaline that shoots through guys when kickoff finally arrives can make it hard for them to settle down. Indianapolis will be better prepared for that, and if the Colts settle down more quickly than the Saints, New Orleans has to hope by the time its feet hit the ground it’s not facing a two-score deficit.

Understandably, the first thing people talk about with these two teams is the passing game. But both the Colts and the Saints can run the ball a little bit. Which team has the better running game?

PY: I’m going with the Saints. People tend to overlook their running game, but it’s a big reason why they’re in the Super Bowl. One of the best things Sean Payton did in the offseason was realize his running game was inconsistent and just plain bad last year. He made a conscious commitment to make the running game better this year and the most impressive thing might be that he and general manager Mickey Loomis were able to avoid the temptation to go out and sign Edgerrin James or draft Beanie Wells.

They realized they already had some good backs in the building with Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell and they added Lynell Hamilton for a bit of depth. They had a good offensive line already in place, and Payton altered his play calling to have a more balanced offense that allowed the Saints to protect leads and run out the clock.

New Orleans doesn’t have one dominant back. Thomas can do a bit of everything, Bush provides speed and a receiver out of the backfield and Bell and Hamilton give the Saints some power. This makes for a very solid combination.

PK: I like the Saints' running game better as well, but as we’ve discussed thoroughly in the AFC South blog this season, the Colts aren’t looking for conventional production in this department. They need their runners to pick up blitzes, put together some efficient runs, work well in play-action, and not put the team in bad spots with runs for losses. The home run plays are far more likely to come out of the passing game.

It’s important to note that the Colts, the NFL’s lowest-rated running team in the regular season, just out-rushed the Jets, the league’s top ground game, in the AFC title game. Indy has survived a lot of quality running backs too, including the Titans' explosive 2,000-yard runner Chris Johnson. While he torched the rest of the league, averaging 5.8 yards a carry, he managed 4.1 and 147 total rushing yards against the Colts in two Tennessee losses.

The Colts may give up some yards, but overall they are more than capable of containing Thomas, Bush, Bell and Hamilton well enough to win.

The quarterbacks are obviously the marquee names in this game and they will be dissected all week.

PK: I have a great deal of appreciation for Drew Brees, but even if he wins this game, we’re not going to be calling him Peyton Manning’s equal. Both quarterbacks are excellent leaders. Both are supremely accurate. Both have a quality stable of weapons.

But things begin to stray from there. Manning has four MVPs, including this season’s, and he won it over Brees, who finished second. Manning has a lot more big-game experience and a title on his resume. And while he wasn’t always at his best on the playoff stage, he’s playing at a level right now where a lot of people feel, reasonably it seems, that he may just be unstoppable.

In the AFC Championship Game, against the Jets and the NFL’s top-rated defense, he needed some time to figure out what New York was trying to do. Once he did, he shredded the Jets with 377 yards and three touchdowns. His in-game adjustments, with help from coordinator Tom Moore, are unparalleled. And like a lot of defensive coaches before him, Gregg Williams is talking about sending people at Manning and hitting him. These days, it very rarely works out the way against Manning and the Colts, as it did against Brett Favre and the Vikings.

PY: Paul, let me start by saying I respect the heck out of Manning and all he has achieved. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and, quite possibly, the best quarterback ever. And I’ll gladly agree that he probably is playing at his highest level ever right now.

That said, why can’t we call Brees his equal if the Saints win this game? Seriously, I believe the only thing really separating Brees and Manning right now is a Super Bowl ring. Look at Brees’ numbers the past few years. He’s right there with Manning. I honestly remember watching him in training camp last year and thinking, “This guy is the closest thing to Peyton Manning I’ve ever seen’’ and Brees has only continued to improve since then. He has carried a franchise on his shoulders and that franchise is the New Orleans Saints -- enough said about that.

As for the MVPs, that’s a wonderful thing. But I think some of that is overrated and the Manning name carries a lot of weight in elections. I’m not trying to tear down Manning at all. But I think you have to at least let Brees in the same sentence if he can win this game. I’ll offer a compromise here. If the Saints win this game, can we at least say the two best quarterbacks in the league are from teams in the South?

PK: Well, beyond four MVPs to none, if the Colts win Manning will be up two Super Bowls to none, and while he’s only three NFL seasons ahead of Brees he has led his team to the postseason 10 times to Brees’ three. Lots of cushion there in my eyes. But I’ll go with you on the South divisions ranking one and two if Brees gets his hands on that Lombardi Trophy.

We talked quarterbacks, of course we have to talk pass rushes. How much will the guys chasing Manning and Brees influence this game?

PK: For a long time the Colts' defense was at its best when the offense got a lead and made the opponent one-dimensional. That did a lot to get the run game out of the mix against a defense keyed around speed, not size, and put Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis in those maximal pass-rushing situations.

It doesn’t have to be that way now. This version of the Colts is still fast, but the defense is a bit bigger with Antonio Johnson and Daniel Muir manning the middle of the line. It has a second big-hitting linebacker in Clint Session to go with Gary Brackett and boasts defensive backs who can come up and hit as well as run and cover.

Jon Stinchcomb (against Mathis) and Jermon Bushrod (against Freeney) will be dealing with some serious speed. If Freeney's ankle injury holds him out or limits him, that will hurt. Raheem Brock is a quality third end, but he won't necessarily prompt the Saints to help Bushrod with a tight end or back, so the vaunted Saints passing attack may not have to sacrifice a weapon in protection. If the Colts bring a fifth rusher to help, as they have much more often in Larry Coyer’s first season as their defensive coordinator, the timing up front can get all out of whack no matter who's at end.

If either defense can prompt some happy feet, it could be an edge.

PY: Absolutely. The pass rush is going to be a deciding factor in this game for both teams. No doubt Indianapolis has a great pass rush and that’s a challenge for the entire New Orleans offense, particularly Bushrod. He is a backup who has been forced to play all season because of an injury to Jammal Brown.

Bushrod has his limitations. But he has held up all right against players such as Julius Peppers and John Abraham. DeMarcus Ware has been the only guy to really tear him apart. Admittedly, a lot of that has to do with the rest of this offense more than it does with Bushrod’s skills. The Saints account for him on every play and they’ve been able to cover him because the rest of their offensive line is so good. They’ve given him help from tight ends, fullbacks and running backs and the offense is designed so that Brees rarely takes deep drops and he gets rid of the ball very quickly. Plus, it’s tough to fluster Brees.

Sure, it’s tough to fluster Manning too, but that’s not going to stop the Saints from trying, and their pass rush is better than a lot of people think. Defensive end Will Smith is one of the most underrated players in this game and Bobby McCray’s a pretty good pass-rusher too. With Sedrick Ellis and Anthony Hargrove, the Saints are capable of getting a push in the middle and Gregg Williams is not afraid to bring the blitz -- although I don’t see him doing it a lot in this game. The Saints beat up Favre and Kurt Warner in their two playoff games. I know Manning is seen as sacred by a lot of people, but I don’t think Williams and the New Orleans defense view him that way.

PK: However it unfolds, I root for a classic. We should have good seats, I want the good storylines too.

PY: I’m with you my friend. Nothing better than the Super Bowl -- good football, good weather and good entertainment. Remember how great Bruce Springsteen’s show was at halftime last year? Oh, that’s right, you didn’t make it. Hope The Who helps make up for that.

PK: Could be another tricky day for you and the team you’re following. But it’ll be fun to join together to see how it unfolds.

The NFC South has a few representatives on USA Today’s All-Joe Team, which gives recognition to players who usually don’t get that.

I particularly like the selection of New Orleans long-snapper Jason Kyle. I’ve covered him throughout most of his career and never have seen him have a bad snap -- even in practice. And, as USA Today points out, Kyle was perfect on the NFL’s biggest snap of the season -- Garrett Hartley’s field goal in overtime against Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game.

The rest of the NFC South representatives include Atlanta safety Thomas DeCoud, Tampa Bay linebacker Barrett Ruud, Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart and Carolina quarterback Matt Moore.

Time to talk about special teams as we continue to unveil the All-NFC South team for the 2009 season.

Kicker: John Kasay, Panthers. This one’s not even close. In a year when just about every other NFC South kicker suddenly got old, bad or injured, Kasay was the model of consistency. Kind of sums up his career.

Punter: Thomas Morstead, Saints. Kind of a tough call here because Carolina’s Jason Baker actually had slightly better punting stats than Morstead and Atlanta’s Michael Koenen. But Morstead and Koenen both kicked off and did it very well. I chose Morstead, the rookie, in a very close call over Koenen.

Long snapper: Jason Kyle, Saints. You’ve probably never heard of him, but that’s the best thing you can say about a long snapper. In my eyes, this guy is the best in the business and has been for a long time.

Return man: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers. Yeah, I know he got hurt and missed significant playing time. But this guy still ended up leading the league in kickoff return average and wasn’t bad on special teams.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

It’s time to reveal the selections on special teams for our midseason All-NFC South team.

Punter: Jason Baker, Carolina. A very steady punter, who has made the Panthers forget the rocky days of Todd Sauerbrun.

Kicker: John Carney, Saints. It hasn’t been a very good year for veteran kickers in the NFC South. John Kasay and Jason Elam are well below 80 percent on their field goal attempts. Carney’s only been slightly better at 79 percent, but we have to choose someone to fill this position.

Return man: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers. Start the music. We’ve got a Buccaneer on the All-NFC South team. But this guy deserves it. He’s come back from a brutal hit by Carolina’s Dante Wesley and shown he hasn’t lost a thing.

Long-snapper: Jason Kyle, Saints. He’s switched teams, going from the Panthers to the Saints, but he remains automatic.

	Getty Images
	Kurt Warner’s Cardinals and Jake Delhomme’s Panthers have gone in different directions since their playoff meeting last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando and Pat Yasinskas

The Arizona Cardinals did more than knock the Carolina Panthers from the 2008 postseason.

Their 33-13 victory in Charlotte delivered a knockout blow from which the Panthers' organization has yet to recover. What should be a Week 8 grudge match between playoff contenders is looking more like a mismatch.

Arizona is 4-2 and riding high following a nationally televised victory over the Giants, the Cardinals' fourth consecutive road victory dating to their divisional-round upset of Carolina. The Panthers are 2-4 and contemplating whether to bench veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme, who has more interceptions through six games (13) than he had in 16 starts last season (12).

What happened?

NFC West blogger Mike Sando and NFC South counterpart Pat Yasinskas pick up the discussion.

Pat Yasinskas: That playoff game changed the momentum for both franchises. Going into that game, the thinking was how the Panthers would thump the Cardinals. Arizona had beaten Atlanta in the wild-card round to get its playoff victory, but the Cardinals were ultimately a 9-7 team from a weak division. They would be no match on the road against a 12-4 team. The upset vaulted the Cardinals toward the Super Bowl while absolutely crumbling the Panthers. Carolina hasn't recovered from it, starting with the quarterback and extending to the defense. The game led to changes on the coaching staff. The Panthers still could have a mental block heading into the rematch at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Mike Sando: These teams share quite a few similarities. Both re-signed older quarterbacks during the offseason. Both made significant changes to their coaching staffs. Both faced salary-cap limitations in free agency after naming franchise players. The results have been vastly different.

Fateful QB decisions

	Chris Keane/Icon SMI
	Jake Delhomme and the Panthers haven’t been the same since last season’s playoff loss to Arizona.

Pat Yasinskas: After the playoff game, I personally had some doubts about Delhomme, as did a lot of fans. He threw those five picks and I thought there was a chance they would at least bring in someone to compete with him -- not to replace him, but to compete with him. They did not do that. He had one year left on his deal and they signed him to a contract extension. I understand the loyalty coach John Fox and general manager Marty Hurney felt toward Delhomme because he has obviously done a lot for that franchise and he is a leader in the locker room. But in hindsight, that game against the Cardinals and even a few late-season games last year showed that he was declining and they should have sought out alternatives.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals had little choice but to re-sign Warner. In the back of their minds, though, they would have been entitled to wonder when Warner might hit the wall. Quite a few other quarterbacks have faded at around age 38. Would Warner be next? He made the trip to San Francisco in free agency, but there was still a sense the Cardinals were bidding against themselves. Committing $22 million to him over two seasons was a necessary risk. In the end, Arizona could not walk away from the quarterback who put them ahead in the final stages of Super Bowl XLIII. The Cardinals made the right move.

Coaching turnover

Pat Yasinskas: I think the playoff debacle against Arizona contributed to a rift on the Panthers' coaching staff over the direction of the team. Defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac decided he no longer wanted to be a coordinator. His departure started a near-total disbandment of the defensive staff. Line coach Sal Sunseri left for the University of Alabama. Linebackers coach Ken Flajole bolted to become defensive coordinator for the Rams. Secondary coach Tim Lewis left for the Seahawks. On the offensive side, Delhomme's longtime position coach, Mike McCoy, became offensive coordinator in Denver. Fox had passed over him for the same position on his staff a couple of years earlier. Some on the staff felt McCoy should have gotten that job.

	Jason Bridge/US Presswire
	Kurt Warner has thrown for 1,672 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals had a good thing going on the offensive staff when coordinator Todd Haley left to coach the Chiefs. I think Arizona is still sorting through the aftermath of that one. Haley and Warner were tight. Haley knew how to push players' buttons. He called the plays and the offense was in a rhythm. The offense is still finding its identity a little bit. On defense, Whisenhunt failed to land Keith Butler from the Steelers after firing coordinator Clancy Pendergast. He promoted linebackers coach Bill Davis instead. Either way, the defense was going to become more straightforward, with an emphasis on reducing big plays allowed. It's still too early to pass judgment on Davis, but the defense has played very well recently. Overall, Whisenhunt is certainly on the rise, whereas there's a perception Fox has possibly run his course in Carolina.

Pat Yasinskas: Absolutely, Mike. There’s a sense of that. Julius Peppers asked out after last season, shocking given that Fox is supposedly a defensive wizard. There was precedent for this. Kris Jenkins asked out for two years before Peppers did. People shrugged and said Jenkins was a flake. But when Peppers, who was born and raised in North Carolina, asked for the same, it raised some eyebrows. Fox used to build his team around the defensive line and suddenly you had the two cornerstones of that line asking to get out of there. That tells you something pretty major right there.

Salary-cap limitations

Pat Yasinskas: Franchising Peppers cost about $18 million total in cap space. The Panthers re-signed tackle Jordan Gross to a long-term deal. With those moves, they tied up their cap to a point where they could not do anything else. They did not sign any free agents. They had to let veteran cornerback Ken Lucas go. They could not even re-sign veteran snapper Jason Kyle, even though the savings for letting him go was only $600,000. That severely affected their depth across the board, which was demonstrated when defensive tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu went down with an injury on the first day of training camp and there were no decent replacements behind him. The Panthers have struggled on the interior of their defensive line ever since. They bragged coming into the season that they had 21 of 22 starters back, but the salary-cap issues meant they had absolutely no depth behind those starters.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals charged $9.678 million against their cap by naming Karlos Dansby their franchise player. They paid more than $10 million per year to Warner. Larry Fitzgerald was already making that kind of money. Re-signing Adrian Wilson ate up another huge chunk of cap room, although some of that seemed by design. Arizona did manage to sign cornerback Bryant McFadden from the Steelers in free agency. When defensive end Antonio Smith left in free agency for $8 million a year, the Cardinals plugged in second-year player Calais Campbell, who has played well. Again, the Cardinals' moves have simply worked out better.

Divergent outlooks

Pat Yasinskas: I think we're seeing the end of the Fox era in Carolina. The Panthers still have talent, but Delhomme appears finished. It’s time to blow up the roster and rebuild.

Mike Sando: The Cardinals are a good team with the potential to get better. The Cardinals were 4-2 at this point last season heading into their 30-24 regular-season defeat at Carolina. They should beat the Panthers this time. The rest of the schedule sets up favorably. Some of the games that once appeared toughest this season -- at Seattle, at the Giants, at Tennessee -- are either in the bank already or looking like they will be.

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Some interesting developments in New Orleans on Saturday night. The Saints signed John Carney, a kicker they have regretted letting go previously.

But this move isn't about making amends for the past. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports kicker Garrett Hartley is facing a possible four-game suspension for unspecified reasons.

Hartley is just the latest in a revolving series of kickers the Saints have gone through since letting Carney go after the 2006 season. Hartley had been inconsistent in training camp and he missed a 20-yard field-goal attempt in Friday's preseason opener.

Carney is known as one of the league's most reliable kickers, but doesn't have a particularly strong leg. Carney spent last season with the Giants and made 35 of 38 field goal attempts. Carney's return means the Saints are continuing to shuffle their special teams.

They have a new long-snapper in Jason Kyle. Rookie Thomas Morstead is battling with Glenn Pakulak for the punting job and the Saints have been using backup quarterbacks Joey Harrington and Mark Brunell as holders, instead of letting the punter handle that role.