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The NFC South may not have nearly as much of a vested interest in this as it did last year, but Gruden’s QB Camp is returning for a third season this spring.

Last year, Jon Gruden, the former Tampa Bay coach and current "Monday Night Football" analyst, had a fascinating session with Cam Newton. Their time in the film room gave us all plenty to talk about as we waited for the Carolina Panthers to select Newton at No. 1 overall.

This year, I don’t see any NFC South team taking a quarterback in the first round. But I do think you could see some NFC South quarterback moves later in the draft. Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson is similar to New Orleans’ Drew Brees in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if the Saints took Wilson in the middle rounds and try to groom him as the heir apparent to Brees. There even has been a bit of a buzz that the Panthers could look at Wilson as a guy to complement Newton.

The Falcons and Buccaneers also could be keeping an eye out for potential backups in the draft.

Wilson’s session with Gruden will air April 11 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

The show will debut with Andrew Luck on March 31 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The segment with Robert Griffin III will air at 9 p.m. ET on April 2 on ESPN. Kellen Moore will be featured April 12 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Kirk Cousins’ episode will be shown April 16 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Case Keenum will be featured at 5 p.m. ET on April 17 on ESPNU. The segment on Brandon Weeden will air April 18 at 8 p.m. on ESPNU. Brock Osweiler will be featured April 19 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

A segment on Nick Foles will air April 23 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU and Ryan Tannehill will be featured April 24 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

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 -- The Saints will be without several injured players for the “Monday Night Football’’ game with the Atlanta Falcons.

No big surprises since all three of these were pretty much expected. Running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Jonathan Casillas and defensive end Turk McBride have been declared inactive.

Also inactive for the Saints are cornerback Leigh Torrence, offensive tackle William Robinson, tight end Michael Higgins and receiver Adrian Arrington.

NEW ORLEANS — No big surprise here, but the Atlanta Falcons will be without two injured defenders in their “Monday Night Football’’ game with the New Orleans Saints.

Linebacker Stephen Nicholas (groin) and nickel back Kelvin Hayden have been declared inactive. Veteran Mike Peterson likely will start in Nicholas’ place. Dominique Franks likely will be Atlanta’s nickel back.

The other inactives for the Falcons are quarterback John Parker Wilson, center Brett Romberg, tackle Kirk Chambers, receiver Kerry Meier and defensive end Cliff Matthews.

I’ll be back with the inactives for the Saints as soon as I get them.

NEW ORLEANS — I’m in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and getting ready for the “Monday Night Football’’ game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

Not much going on here right now, other than rehearsals of the festivities surrounding the national anthem and about six players on the field either playing, catching or stretching out.

I’ll be back with the inactives about 90 minutes before kickoff. Also, please join us for the Monday Night Live chat that will start right when the game does, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Here’s the link to get you into Monday Night Live.

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.

As I start to get ready to head over to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the Monday night game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, I just wanted to pass along a reminder to check out our “Monday Night Football’’ page.

It’s got everything you could possibly want to prepare you for the game. Some of it, you may have already seen on the NFC South Blog.

But there are lots of other things on there that are well worth a look.

Also, check out our Stats & Info blog on New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and his quest for a spot in history.

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.

NEW ORLEANS -- I’ll be in and out throughout the morning and afternoon. But our main event of the day will be the “Monday Night Football’’ game between the Saints and Falcons.

I planning to get to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome about three hours before kickoff and will bring you pregame notes, inactives and analysis. Also, once the game gets rolling, we’ll be doing our Monday Night Live chat. Feel free to stop by for that. You’ll be able to find it on the NFC South Blog before the game.

I might be checking in before then if there’s anything of note out of the Buccaneers or Panthers. Meantime, I’m going to try to get a jump on our Stock Watch feature for Tuesday and my QB Watch for Wednesday, because I’ll be traveling Tuesday and will have to jump into Pro Bowl results when I get home Tuesday night.

Even if you had Drew Brees' cellphone number, there’s no way you could reach him right now.

You wouldn't even get a ring; you'd hear, “This mailbox is full.’’ It’s been that way for weeks now, and you can’t really blame the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints.

Contract talks? They can wait until after the season.

Dan Marino? He can wait, too.

“[Marino] actually reached out to me this week and wanted to do something, but I’d really like to just focus on the game,’’ Brees told the New Orleans media Thursday. “I respectfully just kind of said let’s wait here and just kind of let everything fall into place the way it is, and then we’ll definitely sit down. I would love to do that.’’

There’s no disrespect toward Marino intended, and we will get to how much respect Brees has for Marino’s record of 5,084 passing yards in a season in a minute. You also can bet Brees will be more than willing to resume the contract talks he tabled weeks ago.

Just, not right now!

The way Brees is approaching life these days is pretty much the same way he approaches a drop-back. He’s still looking at his first read.

A contract extension that could make him the highest-paid player in history and sitting down with a Hall of Famer are also in the playbook. But they’re down the list of progressions, and Brees isn’t ready to check off any time soon.

It may sound corny or clichéd, but Brees is focused entirely on one thing. He wants what he and the Saints got in the 2009 season. He wants a Super Bowl championship.

“Honestly, I’ve tried to just kind of numb my senses to the whole thing right now and just think about winning football games, executing this offense, being prepared as I can be, focusing on the process and just knowing that the result will take care of itself,’’ Brees said.

If you’ve spent much time around Brees, you’d know that what might seem corny and clichéd from others is simply Brees being himself. You can’t shake Brees on the field with an 11-man blitz, and it’s the same way off the field.

Brees is every bit as aware as the rest of us that he needs only 305 passing yards to break the record Marino set in 1984. He’s also very aware his contract expires the moment the season ends, and he’s smart enough to know he has as much market value as any other football player on the planet.

But Brees wants to talk about only one thing. He wants to talk about the “Monday Night Football’’ game with the Atlanta Falcons. If the Saints (11-3) win, they'll clinch the NFC South title. Brees has been locked on this progression for months.

“We all looked at the calendar prior to the season starting,’’ Brees said. “We all said, 'Hey, Monday night. The day after Christmas. Atlanta. Week 17. That’s going to be a meaningful game obviously within the division.' Then you add on some of the other stuff, and it just makes it more meaningful. I guess we can’t make this game any bigger than it already is.’’

Even though that’s precisely what Brees is trying to avoid, you can make Monday night much bigger than he describes it. Brees is on the verge of breaking a record that was set just before he celebrated his fifth birthday.

This is football’s version of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s record or Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire slugging it out. This is history, and Brees has been down this road before. In 2008, he spent much of the season on pace to break Marino’s record.

But he finished that season with 5,069 yards, which seemed appropriate at the time because that New Orleans team was mediocre and didn’t make the playoffs. At that point, Brees did sit down with Marino, who took his team to the Super Bowl in his record-setting season.

“We talked about it after the ’08 season,’’ Brees said. “At the time it was kind of just like, ‘OK, we made our run at it, and the chances of that happening again are probably really, really slim.'"

Well, it’s happening again. The Saints are winning, and in Brees’ eyes, it won’t be a shame if he breaks the record this time around, as long as some other things happen.

“Is that a significant record?’’ Brees said. “Yeah, I’d say that’s very significant. ... All those are significant records, but the most important thing is winning this game to win the division, to continue our win streak and also stay in line with our goals to continue to progress as we move towards the playoffs here.’’

Critics have said that breaking Marino’s record won’t mean a lot. They say the league has changed to make life easier for quarterbacks and much more difficult for defenses. They also point to the fact that New England’s Tom Brady also is on pace to break the record, and Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning aren’t far off.

There’s some validity to the argument about the game changing to favor offenses. But you can’t blame Brees for that.

The guy just happened to come along and hook up with coach Sean Payton, an offensive mastermind who probably could have taken Brees and exploited defenses in any era.

“Having Sean Payton has been everything for me,’’ Brees said. “Having the opportunity here to be with him, to be coached by him and mentored by him. I think he brought out a confidence in me that I didn’t have before. I’ve always been a really confident guy, but I think there were certain things that might not have ever come out unless I was with him. I think that that has showed. Each and every year I feel like I’ve gotten a little bit better and that’s always been my goal, was just to get a little bit better. And statistics don’t always show that. But in my heart, I know that that’s true, and he’s a huge part of that.’’

The statistics are showing that Brees is getting better. In his heart, the record and the new contract will mean a lot more if they come in tandem with another championship.

The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints just filed their final injury reports for their “Monday Night Football’’ game.

New Orleans running back Mark Ingram (toe) is doubtful. Don’t expect to see him Monday. The Saints also have Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Chris Ivory at running back. They’re better off resting Ingram and making sure he’s fully healthy for the playoffs. Linebackers Jonathan Casillas (knee) and Ramon Humber (knee) also are listed as doubtful. Receiver Lance Moore is questionable with a hamstring injury and was held out of Saturday’s practice.

The Falcons are listing cornerback Kelvin Hayden (toe), receiver Kerry Meier (groin) and linebacker Stephen Nicholas (toe) as doubtful. Cornerback Brent Grimes is questionable as he attempts to come back from knee surgery. But the Falcons seem optimistic Grimes will play. If Grimes plays and Hayden doesn’t, look for Dominique Franks to be used as the third cornerback. If Nicholas doesn’t play, veteran Mike Peterson likely will start in his place.

I’ll be watching Saturday afternoon’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Soon after it ends, I’ll post a wrap-up on the game.

On Sunday evening, I’ll be flying to New Orleans to cover the “Monday Night Football’’ game between the Saints and Falcons. You’ll also see my preview column on that game on the NFC South Blog by Sunday afternoon. It also will appear on our “Monday Night Football’’ page, which already has lots of stuff on the Falcons and Saints.

On Monday night, we’ll be doing a live chat throughout the game. Just check back on the blog Monday evening and you’ll see how to get into the chat.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16:

Ryan's on fire: The Falcons appear to be getting hot at the right time. In the past six quarters, against the Panthers and Jaguars, Atlanta has outscored opponents 65-14. Quarterback Matt Ryan has thrown seven touchdown passes and zero interceptions in those two games. Ryan also is playing for a spot in the record book. He is 42-18 in his career. Joe Flacco, who also entered the league in the 2008 draft, is 42-20. Each already has won more starts in his first four seasons than any quarterback since the Super Bowl era started in1966.

Monday Night Fever: The New Orleans Saints have all sorts of streaks going. They’ve clinched a playoff berth for the third straight season. They’ve won at least 11 games in each of the past three seasons. They’re on a six-game winning streak. That ties them with the Patriots for the longest active winning streak in the NFL. Finally, the Saints have the NFL’s longest active winning streak in “Monday Night Football’’ games. They’ve won six straight and haven’t lost since a 2008 game against Minnesota.

The “other’’ record: Understandably, most of the talk surrounding the Saints has to do with Drew Brees’ pursuit of Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season. But another member of the Saints is chasing history. That’s second-year tight end Jimmy Graham. He’s on pace for 99 catches and 1,338 receiving yards. The NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end is 1,290, set by San Diego’s Kellen Winslow in 1980. Graham also has had at least five catches in six straight games.

Making history: Even in a season that hasn’t been filled with wins, the Carolina Panthers have a chance to make some very positive history. Running back Jonathan Stewart needs to gain just 6 rushing yards to reach 600 for the season. Fellow running back DeAngelo Williams already has 717 yards and quarterback Cam Newton has 609 yards. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last two teams to have three 600-yard rushers in a season were the 2006 Falcons (Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood) and the 1978 Patriots (Sam Cunningham, Horace Ivory and Andy Johnson).

Losing at historic rate: Some unflattering notes on Tampa Bay’s eight-game losing streak: It’s the longest active streak in the NFL and the first time the Bucs have lost eight straight in a season since 1987. If the Bucs lose to the Panthers and make it nine straight, it will set off some more statistical bells. The Bucs haven’t lost nine straight in a season since starting 0-9 in 1985.

Our weekly look at which NFC South games will be televised in which markets isn’t going to take long.

The “Monday Night Football’’ game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints will be shown nationally (and internationally) on ESPN.

The other two NFC South teams play each other Saturday at 1 p.m. in a game that’s only going to be shown in a very few spots throughout the country. Let’s turn to the map on the506.com.

You’ll see there that the game between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be shown only in North Carolina, part of South Carolina and throughout Central Florida.

Part of the beauty of the rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints is that, even though the two teams don’t like each other, they generally save their talking for on the field.

Even Atlanta receiver Roddy White, so far, has been quiet as we get ready for Monday night’s NFC South showdown. These aren’t the Jets and Giants, trading verbal barbs long before the game is even played.

In fact, the Saints and Falcons have been doing nothing but complimenting each other.

In a Thursday call with the New Orleans media, Atlanta coach Mike Smith shared some thoughts about Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Smith’s words might cause a minor stir up in Green Bay, but they’re not going to appear on any bulletin boards around the Saints’ facility.

“Drew’s having, in my mind, an MVP season,’’ Smith said.

When asked if Brees has hit his full maturity level, Smith gave even more praise.

“Gosh, I hope he’s at his highest level because, gosh, if he plays any better, I don’t know if there’s any way to stop him," Smith said.

Gosh, even though it seems like every other opponent has been calling the Saints a “dirty’’ defense lately, the Falcons won’t even go near that.

In a conference call with the New Orleans media, Atlanta running back Michael Turner made it sound almost like the Saints’ defenders are his friends.

"Nah, typical football game," Turner said. "There's going to be some physicalness, some pushing, some shoving. It might get a little chippy out there with the rivalry and all the emotions that are going into this ballgame. But you've got to just stay focused and do your job and try to do what's best for your team."

I’m sure things will heat up Monday night when the game starts. But, for the moment, the Saints and Falcons are acting like they’re in the holiday spirit.