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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Saints in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The ending of this dream is simple. It ends exactly where it starts -- in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. That’s the site of this season’s Super Bowl and there’s no sweeter vision in the eyes of Saints fans than watching their team win the NFL’s biggest spectacle at home. If revenge is sweet, this would be 1,000 times sweeter.

New Orleans fans and players are mad about how severely the NFL punished the Saints for their bounty program. They would love it if Roger Goodell handed the Saints the Lombardi trophy in their own building.

It actually could happen. Think about it: Other than suspended coach Sean Payton, the Saints really haven’t lost that much from a team that went 13-3 last season. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma also is suspended for the entire season, but Vilma’s age (30) started to show last season. The Saints are better off with Curtis Lofton at middle linebacker. The Saints also will have to get through the first four games without suspended defensive end Will Smith.

But other than that, this team remains loaded with talent. Drew Brees and the offense always will put up a bunch of points. If new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can make the defense better, the Saints easily are a playoff team. They’ll be motivated by an us-against-the-world mentality, so anything is at least possible.

Nightmare scenario (6-10): It’s easy to say Payton had a great system in place and a veteran team, so the assistants can just run the show and it will be business as usual. I tend to agree with that theory. But what if the importance of a head coach is even greater than we realized? And what if the emotional weight of the most turbulent offseason in NFL history catches up to the Saints?

That’s when all bets are off and when things could start falling apart. Since winning the Super Bowl in the 2009 season, the defense hasn’t been very good. The greatness of the offense has been enough to carry the Saints to the playoffs the past two seasons, but it hasn’t been great enough to carry them deep into the postseason. There’s no doubting Spagnuolo has a good defensive mind, but he might not have all the personnel he needs to run his scheme successfully.

Well, the easy thing to say is that the offense will carry this team no matter what. But even if Payton wasn’t suspended, it’s hard to imagine the offense being even more productive than last season. Take Brees and the offense back down to what they were in 2007 and ’08, give New Orleans a defense that’s no better than last season's, and the Saints could tumble to a middle-of-the-pack team.

Give New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson credit for one thing. He’s not letting the whole saga of the bounty program keep him from moving on.

Benson reportedly has reached an agreement with the NBA to buy the New Orleans Hornets.

Benson has owned the Saints since 1985, and wasn’t always viewed favorably by fans. He reportedly wanted to move the Saints permanently to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina. But former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue urged Benson to keep the team in New Orleans.

Benson did, and eventually worked out a long-term deal that included major upgrades to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Until the bounty program was exposed, the Saints have enjoyed an unprecedented era of success since 2006.

Maybe Benson can make a similar story out of the Hornets. But he also might want to get Saints quarterback Drew Brees signed to a long-term contract before the team’s offseason program starts Monday.

If this had happened at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, the jokes would already be flying about how the high-powered Saints’ offense was the culprit.

But, since we’re talking about Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers’ offense instantly was crossed off the list of suspects when a stadium scoreboard caught fire Saturday.

In all seriousness, a fire broke out in speakers on the scoreboard in the north end zone. Emergency crews responded and quickly put out the fire.

It reportedly was caused by an electrical problem.

As the host city for next year’s Super Bowl, New Orleans reportedly is a candidate to host the Pro Bowl in 2013.

This situation remains very much up in the air, but there’s some pretty solid logic — and precedent — to putting the all-star game with the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

It’s been done before. Although the Pro Bowl was held in Honolulu on Sunday and also was there last year, it was held in Miami, the same city that hosted the Super Bowl prior to that. That also was the first time the NFL moved the game to the week before the Super Bowl, a trend that has continued and is expected to remain in place.

Hawaii’s two-year contract for the Pro Bowl is up. A return to Hawaii in 2013 remains a possibility and the game likely will be played in Honolulu in 2014 when New York/New Jersey hosts the Super Bowl. There’s been talk that the plan going forward will be to play the Pro Bowl in Hawaii when the Super Bowl is being held in a cold-weather venue and in the host city when it’s a warm climate.

New Orleans’ climate in January and February might not be as consistently warm as Miami’s, Tampa Bay’s, San Diego’s or in the Phoenix area. But it’s generally significantly warmer than it is in New York or Indianapolis.

A lot of players believe the Pro Bowl should be in Hawaii every year. There is a part of me that agrees with that, especially if all NFL writers get to make the trip. Hawaii has the Pro Bowl tradition and the state and the city of Honolulu really roll out the red carpet for the event.

There also is some talk about putting next year’s Pro Bowl in Los Angeles or Orlando. I’d vote against either venue. Neither is home to an NFL team or has an NFL-quality stadium. If players want to take their families to Disney World or Disney Land, they can do that some other time during the offseason.

The NFL apparently is talking to Hawaii about a return trip. If a deal can be worked out there, great. If not, I say bring the Pro Bowl to New Orleans.

That would at least put the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl in the same city, which makes plenty of logistical sense. I’d also make the argument that New Orleans is equipped to handle both.

New Orleans may not be a huge market, but the city has a long history of successfully being home to big events. The city is set up perfectly for a Super Bowl, with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome only a short walk or ride from most of the downtown hotels. In fact, of all the Super Bowls I’ve been to, I’d say New Orleans has the best logistics of any site.

If next year’s Pro Bowl isn’t in Hawaii, put it in New Orleans. It’s a logical fit.

Time for an evening look at Wednesday's headlines from around the NFC South.

• John Manasso writes about some changes that could be coming for Atlanta’s defense now that Mike Nolan is the coordinator. It remains to be seen what the Falcons will do about potential free agents in cornerback Brent Grimes, linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive end John Abraham. But I think it’s fair to suggest that no matter what happens with those three, the Falcons will be looking to improve their pass rush and play in the defensive backfield.
• Here’s a list of highlights from the Saints’ 2011 season. No surprise that Drew Brees breaking Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season is No. 1. Even as a jaded journalist, I’m always going to remember I was in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for that game and got to witness history.
• Here’s some potentially interesting news. The NFL, which forbids players from tweeting during regular-season games, will make an exception during the Pro Bowl. Since Atlanta receiver Roddy White will be there, his Twitter account could be more interesting than the all-star game.
• With Indianapolis hiring Chuck Pagano as head coach, New Orleans offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who had been candidates, apparently will be staying with the Saints. Of course, Carmichael and Kromer could suddenly appear on Tampa Bay’s list, if they’re not already there.
• Speaking of Tampa Bay’s search, the Bucs reportedly had a second interview with Mike Sherman Wednesday. Does that mean the Bucs are getting closer to finally making a hire? Not necessarily, the Bucs have been so deliberately slow in this search and pulled a total surprise when they unsuccessfully attempted to hire Chip Kelly. They could be closing in on Sherman, but they could be secretly meeting with someone else.
• The Panthers interviewed Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson at the Senior Bowl. Again, I urge caution into reading too much into pre-draft interviews. But, Wilson to the Panthers with a late-round draft pick, carries some logic. The Panthers could be looking for a backup for Cam Newton. Derek Anderson is scheduled to be a free agent and the Panthers may cut Jimmy Clausen loose.
• Richard Rodgers has been added as Carolina’s assistant special teams coach. He played with coach Ron Rivera in college at California.

New Orleans fans, here’s some news to help you recover from the playoff loss to San Francisco.

Your stadium is mentioned in Bruce Springsteen’s new single “We Take Care of our Own."

You can listen to it here. The mention of the Superdome comes pretty early in the song. I think this song might have been written before the naming rights were sold and the stadium became the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But I doubt anyone’s going to hold that against “The Boss," especially since the Superdome is mentioned in a very complimentary way, sort of like an American landmark.

Special thanks to AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky for letting us know about this. Largely due to our geographic roots (Kuharsky’s a New Jersey guy and I’m from a part of Pennsylvania that’s not far from New Jersey), we both are big Springsteen fans. Springsteen already had a song all about a stadium “Wrecking Ball’’ (about the old Giants Stadium), but as best as I know this is his first mention of an NFC South Stadium, although I believe he has played in at least several of them through the years.

Time for a Tuesday morning look at the top headlines from around the NFC South.

— A lot of Carolina fans are asking why the Panthers simply don’t block offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski from interviewing for the head coach job in Tampa Bay. Joe Person reports the Panthers aren’t allowed to stop Chudzinski from taking a step up. The team also could offer Chudzinski more money to stay, the way Wade Phillips did in Houston. But Chudzinski’s a young guy who wants to explore opportunities as a head coach. If he ends up staying, he probably will get a nice raise. By the way, Chudzinski is interviewing with the Bucs today. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was supposed to interview Monday. But Zimmer encountered some travel issues and he also will interview with the Bucs today.

— Former Minnesota head coach Brad Childress said he has yet to hear back from the Bucs after interviewing for their job. Childress said the team told him the search would take some time. He also said he wouldn’t be opposed to coming to Tampa Bay as an offensive coordinator, if another candidate is hired.

The Bucs also are expected to interview Green Bay quarterbacks coach Tom Clements later this week. There also have been reports the Bucs have asked for permission to interview Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.

— John DeShazier points out the Saints would have ended up hosting the NFC Championship Game if they had won in San Francisco. They would have hosted the New York Giants, who upset Green Bay. The Saints beat the Giants at home in the regular season. I’m sure everyone who works for the Saints — and all of their fans — are wondering what could have been if the Saints played the NFC Championship Game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. By the way, coach Sean Payton is scheduled to meet with the New Orleans media later Tuesday to review the season.

— Atlanta fans continue to be shocked at the hiring of Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator. One of their main gripes is the Falcons didn’t even go through the process of interviewing other candidates. We don’t know for sure that’s true. The media doesn’t always get every interview. Besides, coach Mike Smith knew for a good month that former coordinator Mike Mularkey probably would end up as the head coach in Jacksonville. Smith had plenty of time to think about a replacement and he has history with Koetter.

Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 45-28 victory against the Detroit Lions at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday night.

What it means: It wasn’t quite as easy as the final score would suggest. The Lions led early and much of the game was competitive. The Saints were far from perfect and the offense turned the ball over twice in the first half. But this was still a solid win against a good team. That’s a lot better than what happened last year when the Saints got beat by Seattle in the first round of the playoffs. The Saints had plenty of momentum carrying over from the regular season and they only built on that.

Unsung hero: Running back Pierre Thomas had a huge impact. Detroit’s defense deserves some blame for poor tackling, but Thomas deserves lots of credit. He broke a bunch of tackles as a runner and a pass receiver. Darren Sproles brought the flash, but Thomas was just as important in this victory.

What I liked: The way the Saints never blinked after they got down early. Drew Brees and Marques Colston each lost fumbles in the first half. But the Saints’ offense just kept churning out the yardage and quickly wore out Detroit’s defense. The Saints reacted like a confident, veteran team and that will accomplish a lot in the playoffs. The Saints were so good on offense that they didn’t have to punt a single time. I also liked the way coach Sean Payton adjusted his offense in the second half. The passing game was pretty much horizontal in the first half, but it got very vertical in the second half.

What I didn’t like: Calvin Johnson had over 200 receiving yards. There’s no real shame in that. The guy is the best receiver in the league and he can make just about any defense look bad. The troubling thing was that the Saints got very little pressure on Matthew Stafford. They’re going to have to find a pass rush if they want to keep winning in the postseason.

What’s next: As the No. 3 seed, the Saints will travel to San Francisco next weekend to play the second-seeded 49ers.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Time to get ready for one of the biggest 24-hour periods in NFC South history.

I’m about to fly to New Jersey, where I’ll be covering Sunday’s playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. But, before we even get to that game, we’ve got another NFC South playoff contest.

The New Orleans Saints host the Detroit Lions on Saturday night. Colleagues Kevin Seifert and Jeff Chadiha will be at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. I’ll be watching the game from my hotel room and providing a wrap-up as soon as it’s over. I’ll also jump into our Countdown Live chat during the game between the Saints and Lions.

On Sunday morning, I’ll join NFC East colleague Dan Graziano and Sal Paolantonio from our television side out at MetLife Stadium. I’ll get you the inactives about 90 minutes before kickoff and also will keep you up to date on any pregame news or notes.

Once the game starts, Graziano and I will be jumping into the Countdown Live chat along with Matt Williamson from Scouts Inc., ESPN Stats & Information and the folks from ESPNNew York.com.

» Wild-Card Final Word: Bengals-Texans | Lions-Saints | Falcons-Giants | Steelers-Broncos

Three nuggets of knowledge about Saturday's Lions-Saints playoff game:

The Graham Factor: You can make the case that New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham isn’t really a tight end. He might be more of a wide receiver in a tight end’s body and that’s going to create matchup problems for the Lions. Linebackers don’t have the speed to stay with Graham and defensive backs don’t have enough size to shut him down. Graham finished the regular season just one reception short of becoming the third tight end in history to have 100 catches in a season. Of Graham’s 11 touchdowns, nine came on passes outside the yardage numbers on the field, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That was a league high among all receivers and four more touchdowns than the next tight end.

The blitz is coming. It’s no secret that New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes to use the blitz. The Saints led the league by sending five or more pass-rushers on 51.1 percent of opponent dropbacks during the regular season. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford isn’t used to a lot of blitzing. Stafford was blitzed on 24.6 percent of his dropbacks, the lowest of any quarterback in the league. But Stafford struggled when he did see the blitz. He threw six interceptions in situations in which he faced five or more rushers. Only four quarterbacks threw more interceptions in those situations.

At home in the dome. Saints fans always have been a dedicated bunch. But in recent years, the crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome has made it one of the NFL’s most intimidating venues. With a Saturday night game, Saints fans will have all day to get ready and that’s only going to help New Orleans on the field. The Saints went 8-0 at home in the regular season. In those games, the Saints averaged 41.1 points and 492.6 yards per game.

Three things to know about next weekend's New Orleans Saints-Detroit Lions wild-card game.

1. Saints need to ride their momentum. New Orleans has not lost since an Oct. 30 game at St. Louis, and the Saints have looked dominant in that time. Their offense has been unstoppable and quarterback Drew Brees has taken his game to another level. Coach Sean Payton played his starters into the fourth quarter against Carolina on Sunday because he wanted to continue to build momentum. Mission accomplished. The Saints are playing as well as anyone in the league. Although they didn’t get a first-round bye, their mindset is that they can beat anyone.

2. Pressure Matthew Stafford. When the two teams met earlier in the season in New Orleans, the Saints won 31-17, but that game did not feature a stellar performance by the defense. Stafford threw for 408 yards, but only one touchdown. The Saints are a bend-but-don’t-break defense, but they’d be pushing their luck if they allowed Stafford to have another 400-yard game. The New Orleans pass rush hasn’t been a big factor this season. But the Saints did get decent pressure on Stafford in the previous meeting. They recorded three sacks in that game and only one of them came from a defensive lineman. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams needs to use the blitz often and try to force Stafford into a mistake or two in what should be a very loud and hostile Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints also should get a lift because middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma sat out Sunday's game to rest his knee, and should return at somewhere close to full strength.

3. Slow down Calvin Johnson. In the previous meeting, the Saints held Johnson to six catches for 69 yards, zero touchdowns and he didn’t have a catch go for more than 22 yards. Although the Saints don’t have a reputation for being a great defense, their secondary does have some big-time talent. Cornerback Jabari Greer and free safety Malcolm Jenkins are two of the league’s most underrated players at their positions. If they get a little help from the pass rush, they can control Johnson again.

Back in the preseason, Roddy White said the Falcons’ offense could be like the “Greatest Show on Turf," a reference to the high-powered St. Louis Rams of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Well, it has turned out that White might have had the right division, but the wrong team.

While the Falcons have been inconsistent on offense, the Saints have had one of the most prolific seasons in NFL history. The all-time record for yards in a season is 7,075, set by the 2000 Rams. The Saints need just 219 yards in Sunday’s regular-season finale to set a new record.

The Saints also can set a record for points scored at home this season. The Saints have scored 284 points in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this year. That puts them in a tie for third on the all-time list. The 2004 Colts (289 points) are No. 2. The 2000 Rams are No. 1 with 292 points.

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees broke a record Monday night. He also broke a rival.

In one massive swoop, Brees set an NFL passing record for yards in a season, won an NFC South title and sent a very clear message to the Atlanta Falcons, who had been surging lately, that they can’t compete with the Saints right now.

“It couldn’t have happened in any other way,’’ Brees said. “It was perfect.’’

It was perfect because everything was on Brees’ terms in a 45-16 victory against the Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on "Monday Night Football." It was perfect because Brees broke the record Dan Marino set in 1984 by throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Darren Sproles, a former teammate in San Diego and the running back Brees recruited to New Orleans as a free agent this past summer.

It was perfect because the Saints (12-3 and still in contention for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs) were so in control of the game that Brees didn’t have to worry about the distraction of chasing a record in a tight game. It was perfect because tight end Jimmy Graham, a former college basketball player, went leaping into action to grab the historic football after Sproles spiked it and it was high in the air and headed for the stands.

It was perfect because Brees couldn't even see Graham pulling off one of the more athletic moves of his career because a wall of offensive linemen descended upon the quarterback.

“The next thing I know, I’m getting bum rushed by all the (offensive linemen),’’ Brees said.

Brees entered the game needing 305 passing yards to break Marino’s record. He finished with 307.

“Drew is all about winning,’’ wide receiver Marques Colston said. “I’m just glad this came in a win.’’

That’s the way Brees felt the record had to come.

“He never mentioned (the record) one time,’’ said offensive guard Carl Nicks.

Nicks was one of those linemen who surrounded Brees as soon as Sproles crossed the goal line. They all took their turns hugging Brees, but Nicks picked up the quarterback and put him on his shoulder. Nicks and several teammates said they wanted the record for Brees more than the quarterback wanted it himself.

“If they made a movie about Drew, I don’t know if Tom Cruise could even play him,’’ Nicks said. “He’s just the best guy. We all love him, like literally love him.’’

That feeling was pretty obvious on the field and in the locker room after the game. Even Sean Payton, who often comes across as a gruff football coach, was borderline emotional as he addressed the media.

He began to read some biographical date on Marino that he had also read to the team in the locker room. Understandable because Brees was about to turn 5 years old when Marino set the record, Colston was a year old and some of the other Saints hadn’t even been born.

“I think it’s important to recognize the history of the league,’’ Payton said. “To understand how great (Marino) was helps us to understand how great Drew Brees is.’’

Brees was closing in on the record by the end of the third quarter. He had 258 yards and the Saints led 31-13 as the fourth quarter began. But the Saints and Brees hit a little bit of a lull early in the fourth quarter. Three drives stalled quickly and there undoubtedly was some speculation that Payton should have taken Brees out of the game to eliminate the possibility of injury.

But that wasn’t really a consideration, and, if you know Payton, you know his decision fit his character. While admitting he normally wouldn’t have had Brees throwing the ball late in a game with a big lead, he said this wasn’t an ordinary situation.

“I thought it was appropriate,’’ Payton said. “Just the right thing to do.’’

"I hope (Atlanta coach) Mike Smith knows that we weren't trying to run up the score at all,'' Brees said.

The Falcons, who have had a fierce rivalry with the Saints in recent years, might not view it the same way, but Payton did the right thing. There really wasn’t any sense in letting the record -- and all the attention that goes with it -- linger for another week.

“It seemed like the right thing,’’ Payton said. “As a coach, a lot of times, you have to trust your gut.’’

Everyone knows what is in Payton’s gut runs directly through the offense, specifically the quarterback.

“I wasn’t surprised,’’ receiver Robert Meachem said. “(Payton) is the quarterback too. That was a gusty call, but that’s the coach we have.’’

And Brees is the quarterback the Saints have. Records aside, what he did against the Falcons was about more than making history. The game was pretty much over at halftime, right after Brees threw a touchdown pass to Graham to give the Saints a 21-10 lead. Brees finished with four touchdown passes.

More importantly, he sent a strong late-season message to the 9-5 Falcons, who could be a playoff opponent, that they’re not capable of staying with the Saints, who have beaten Atlanta twice this season. Maybe more important than that, Brees might have sent a message to the rest of the league, particularly Green Bay and San Francisco, that the Saints are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. They’ve won seven straight games and are carrying plenty of momentum.

"This game couldn’t have been more important than it was,'' Brees said.

He wasn't talking about the record. He was talking about the Monday night venue and playing an opponent that still had a chance to steal the NFC South title.

They were all on the table. They were all taken care of methodically, and setting the record just sort of fell into place.

That’s precisely the way Brees wanted it. In 2008, he came just short of Marino’s record. But the Saints were ordinary and didn’t make the playoffs that season. This year, they’ve already clinched a playoff berth and the record seemed appropriate.

But Brees said he’s not ready to start savoring his spot in history. Winning a second Super Bowl is the goal that’s been on his mind all season and that hasn’t changed.

“I’m sure after the season I’ll spend time to reflect on (setting the record),’’ Brees said. “But, right now, there’s still so much to be done.’’

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 -- Usually, I’m a traditionalist and prefer football games outdoors over indoors.

But I’m very happy the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints will be playing their “Monday Night Football’’ game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Monday has not been a pretty day in New Orleans. It’s rainy and very foggy (my hotel room is pretty high up and I haven’t been able to see the ground). It’s also a little cold, but that opinion is coming from someone who is used to Florida weather.

Gee, you could make the case an outdoor game in these conditions could help the Saints and Falcons prepare for potential playoff trips to San Francisco.

Anyway, I’m about to brave the elements and I’ll have company. I ran into Dan Wolken, the fine national columnist for The Daily in the hotel workout room this morning and we’re going to share a cab into the dome.

Dan worked with me on the Carolina Panthers’ beat back in 2001 when I was with The Charlotte Observer. Dan was an intern and he got a true baptism by fire because that was George Seifert’s final season in Carolina. The Panthers won their opener and lost their next 15 games. Those were not pleasant days because coaches and players seldom were in good moods. But that season helped Dan get to where he is now. He spent five years living and working in Memphis before moving to New York to work for The Daily.

Fortunately, Dan and I should see a much better game between the Falcons and Saints than anything we saw back in 2001. By the way, I did sneak out in the rain earlier. I went to the record store and bought a CD of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis’’ and I’m going to have the cab driver play it the whole way in. I’m guessing Dan hasn’t heard that one too many times.

Anyway, I’ll be back in touch once I get settled into the dome. I’ll have inactives for both teams roughly 90 minutes before kickoff. Also, remember, we’ll be doing a live chat throughout the game. Just go to the NFC South blog anytime shortly before or during the game and you’ll be able to get in. I’ll have a Rapid Reaction as soon as the game ends and a full column a couple hours after the game.