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Since he took over as NFL commissioner in 2006, Roger Goodell has been so consistent that he’s become predictable.

Cross the line on anything that involves player safety or his precious “integrity of the game’’ and you’re going to pay a steep price. Mess with anything that jeopardizes “the NFL shield’’ Goodell loves to talk about and you’re going to feel his wrath.

Oh, and be sure never to lie to the commissioner because that’s only going to make matters worse.

Any or all of the above have brought suspensions or hefty fines in Goodell’s era. Think Michael Vick, Donte' Stallworth and Plaxico Burress to name a few.

Now, it seems like Goodell’s becoming even more of a moral stickler. The punishments for the New Orleans Saints’ bounty program are severe and unprecedented. Goodell has suspended coach Sean Payton for a year, general manager Mickey Loomis for the first eight games of the 2012 season, assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six games and banned former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely. He’s also hit the Saints with a $500,000 fine and taken away their second-round draft picks for 2012 and 2013. The league also has said 22 to 27 players were involved and discipline for them will come soon.

No question this is severe, but has Goodell really intentionally destroyed the franchise, like so many New Orleans fans seem to think? No, he hasn’t and anyone that thinks that simply is shooting the messenger -- the guy who had the nerve to tell them that their beloved head coach and team weren’t quite as perfect as they had been made out to be.

If you really think about it, Goodell is just doing what New Orleans owner Tom Benson should have, but didn’t. Shouldn’t Benson have been the one to suspend or fire people once he found out his team was out of control? Or shouldn’t Benson have been the one who stepped in and stopped things before they got totally out of hand? After all, there were lots of warning signs and warnings from the league.

But they went unheeded by the Saints, who turned around and lied to Goodell. Lots of people are saying that the lies are the main reason Goodell is burying the Saints. Yeah, there’s no doubt the lies added to the severity of the punishments. But I disagree with anyone who says Goodell has crushed the Saints.

If he really wanted a franchise that’s been among the league’s most successful since 2006 to fade back into the type of mediocrity and obscurity that came with most of its earlier history, Goodell could have barred the door and sealed it up tight. Instead, he’s left more than enough cracks to help allow the Saints to still be very competitive in 2012.

He’s left it possible for them to perhaps get one of the best coaches in NFL history in Bill Parcells. No deal is done yet and it’s even possible the Saints could be talking to another former head coach or two. Stick Parcells or some other currently unemployed coach out there with quarterback Drew Brees and an offensive system that coordinator Pete Carmichael knows as well as Payton and the Saints aren’t going to fall straight to the bottom of the NFC South. Yeah, new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is going to face some major challenges, especially if multiple defensive players have to serve suspensions, but he would have faced some of those even if none of this happened. No matter how things shake out with the head-coaching spot, the Saints are going to be competitive.

Goodell didn’t have to allow that, but he did. If Goodell really wanted to make life impossible for the Saints, he would have made Payton’s suspension take hold immediately and not let Loomis continue to manage all the offseason moves when he announced the penalties last week.

Instead, Goodell made April 1 the date Payton’s suspension starts (it’s possible that date could be pushed back if Payton decides to appeal) and Loomis’ suspension doesn’t start until right before the opening game of the regular season. Loomis can keep on signing free agents, oversee a draft in which the Saints don’t have a lot of picks and sign those rookies.

Loomis also can sign more players if he finds out some of his own will miss time because of suspensions and he can make roster tweaks all through training camp and the preseason as injuries pile up. Most importantly of all, Loomis has time to work out a long-term contract with Brees, who is carrying the franchise tag for now and will have to carry the franchise through the season.

I also find it more than a little curious that Goodell has left enough time and wiggle room for Payton and Loomis, the two men in the center of the controversy (along with Williams), to appear to be the ones making the decision on the coaching situation. Goodell keeps saying that decision is ultimately up to Benson and there might be a few grains of truth in that because the owner is the one who will pay the new coach.

But Benson’s not the one who’s really running this show or putting in a plan for the season. With Goodell’s blessing, Benson is catching a huge break. Benson never has fancied himself a football guy or been a hands-on owner. Before hiring Payton in 2006, the last good football move Benson made was putting his team into the hands of coach Jim Mora and general manager Jim Finks back in the 1980s. Oh, and you could state pretty accurately that Benson didn’t really hire Payton. Loomis was the one who ran the coaching search and Benson simply signed off on what Loomis wanted.

Since then, Benson has left the franchise exclusively in the hands of his “football guys’’ -- Payton and Loomis. That brought a Super Bowl championship and a lot of victories. It also brought a lot of shame.

But when reports surfaced that Loomis and Payton were meeting with Parcells earlier this week, it become obvious that this franchise is still being run by the “football guys." All indications are Payton and Loomis will put Parcells or someone else in front of Benson and he’ll sign off on whatever they recommend. Anybody out there think that if Payton and Loomis weren’t allowed to handle this that Benson, a true non-football guy, could go out and get Parcells or any coach close to that level on his own? I don’t.

There’s more than a little irony in all this. In the scorching report that announced the Saints’ punishments and thoroughly detailed their violations, one of the things Goodell criticized Payton for was telling his assistants to “get their ducks in a row’’ as they attempted to cover up the bounty program.

That, no doubt, played a role in how harsh the punishments were. But the funny thing here is that Goodell now has allowed Payton and Loomis time to get their ducks (or their Parcellses) lined up. That’s not part of the punishment.

That’s what I would call showing the Saints some mercy.

The St. Louis Rams wanted their next general manager to work well with new head coach Jeff Fisher.

They found a candidate whose history suggests that will not be a problem.

Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead, who accepted the job Saturday, has worked with four head coaches and two interim coaches during a Falcons tenure dating to 1998. Dan Reeves, Bobby Petrino, Jim Mora and Mike Smith were the head coaches. Wade Phillips and Emmitt Thomas were the interim coaches.

Snead's ability to rise through the ranks with the Falcons across multiple regimes and an ownership change suggests he's adaptable. The Rams hired Fisher to remake the team. They wanted a GM to provide the personnel expertise to facilitate the transformation.

Snead worked under Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff most recently. He replaces former Rams general manager Billy Devaney, who had also come to St. Louis from the Falcons' front office.

Snead, listed by the Falcons as 37 years old entering the 2011 season, is about 15 years younger than Fisher. He was a tight end at Auburn from 1992-93, where he played with NFC West alums Chris Gray and Frank Sanders.

The Rams did not immediately announce the hiring. Snead interviewed over the phone for the San Francisco 49ers' GM job a year ago, but the team hired Trent Baalke instead.

Like you would expect from any proud franchise, the New Orleans Saints just sent out a massive media package moments after it was announced that offensive tackle Willie Roaf has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The packet included a long list of quotes on Roaf. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights.

Team owner Tom Benson: “We’re glad to congratulate William Roaf in his election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He meant a great deal to our team during his career with us. He was the best player on our team during his time with us, one of the top players in the history of our franchise and one of the NFL’s greatest at his position.”

Former coach Jim Mora: “Willie Roaf had an outstanding career and definitely belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He possessed exceptional physical talent and a great work ethic. He was blessed with high quality character and a team oriented attitude. He was a team leader, always positive, upbeat, and a fun guy to coach and have on the team. Without question Willie was one of my best and favorite players ever.”

Former Saints defensive lineman Wayne Martin: “I think Willie was Pro Bowl-ready when he got to the league. He had great feet and the other intangibles you look for. He was the best tackle I played against in the league period. The only guy that I played against that came close to him was Anthony Munoz.”

Former Saints offensive line coach John Matsko: “What separated William from the rest is his tremendous desire to be the best. His determination to make himself better was reflected in the way he prepared and the way he played. He practiced like it was game day and never let down. You take that desire, that motivation and then add the great physical skills he possesses – size, speed, quickness, strength and length – you have a Hall of Fame tackle. There was no defender he couldn’t handle. And, when he played the best, he played them better every time he faced them.”

Louisiana Tech offensive line coach Petey Perot, who coached Roaf in college: “When Willie got here, the thing that is the most unique is that he came to us from Pine Bluff as a 220 pound kid that was a raw athlete. We weren’t sure where he would play on the line or at d end. We kept him on the line. He worked, was persistent, continued to do the things that great players have aspirations do and grew to a 315-pounder and an unbelievable player.’’

Ronnie Lott witnessed one of the greatest coaching jobs in NFL history during the Bill Walsh years in San Francisco three decades ago.

The Hall of Famer thinks the 49ers' current coach, Jim Harbaugh, might be doing something more spectacular in leading the team to an 8-1 record against all expectations.

"This might be the greatest coaching that I've ever seen in the history of the game of professional football," Lott told Sirius NFL Radio recently. "It's his first [season as an NFL head coach] and not only is he hitting it out of the park but, man, he's hitting all the notes. Everything that you can think of, he's done."

Lott pointed to the 49ers' ability to play well and win under a first-time NFL head coach following a lockout-shortened offseason. The turnaround from eight consecutive non-winning seasons has been striking. Kenton Wong of ESPN Stats & Information put together a Harbaugh-related packet with the following key points:

• Stanford went from 1-11 the year before Harbaugh arrived as head coach to 4-8, 5-7, 8-5 and 12-1 over his four seasons at the university.
• The 49ers brought back most key players, notably Alex Smith, from a team that went 6-10 last season. Their eight victories this season match the rest of the NFC West combined. The 49ers have a .889 winning percentage, compared to .296 for the rest of the division. They are plus-95 in points. The rest of the NFC West is minus-198. The 49ers have one more road win (four) than the rest of the division combined.
• Smith is on pace for career bests in yards per attempt (7.2) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (3.7).
• Harbaugh's seven-game winning streak is tied for second longest by a rookie head coach since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Ted Marchibroda's Colts won nine in a row in 1975. Bobby Ross' Chargers won seven straight in 1992. Chuck Knox's Rams (1972) and Nick Saban's Dolphins (2005) each enjoyed six-game streaks. Update: Steve Mariucci won 11 in a row during the 1997 season, his first with the 49ers. We'll notify Elias on that one.

This is the best start for a rookie NFC West coach since Mariucci's 49ers opened the 1997 season with an 11-1 record. They finished 13-3.

Mike Martz's St. Louis Rams went 8-2 to open the 2000 season. Mike Holmgren's Seahawks opened the 1999 season with an 8-2 record.

I've put together a chart showing NFC West head coaches' first-year records since 1997, excluding interim coaches.
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» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

Stepping up in class. The 2011 49ers have faced two quarterbacks with Pro Bowls on their resumes. Those two quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Michael Vick, combined to complete 50 of 79 passes for 761 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Romo had an NFL passer rating of 116.4, a season high. His Total QBR against the 49ers (93.9 out of 100) was the highest in the NFL that week. Vick's NFL rating was 99.5 and his QBR was 89.6, fourth-highest in Week 4. The 49ers face another Pro Bowl quarterback when Eli Manning visits Candlestick Park, making this a measuring-stick game for their defense.

Harbaugh and history. Back in 2004, Jim Mora became the first rookie head coach since the 1970 merger to lead a five-game improvement in the standings through the first eight games of a season. His Atlanta Falcons opened 6-2 after going 1-7 the season before Mora's arrival. The 49ers' Jim Harbaugh has matched Mora's record for improvement through eight games. His team is 7-1 after opening 2-6 last season. Mora's Falcons won their next three games to reach 9-2.

Road worriers. The Arizona Cardinals have lost their last 11 road games, tied with Carolina for the longest active streak in the league. The Panthers are home against Tennessee this week, meaning a Cardinals defeat at Philadelphia would leave Arizona in sole possession of the distinction. This is already the Cardinals' longest road losing streak since the team dropped 17 in a row over the 2002-04 seasons. The game at Philadelphia is the first of three consecutive road games for the Cardinals before a three-game home stand.

Owning third down. The Seattle Seahawks' last three opponents have converted 24 of 52 chances on third down. That percentage would rank 30th in the NFL if applied to this season as a whole. The third-down trouble stands out as a primary concern against Baltimore. The Ravens made first downs 14 times on pass plays alone against Pittsburgh last week, the highest single-game total in the NFL over the last 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Time for Bradford to produce. St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford failed to produce a touchdown drive during the team's overtime defeat at Arizona. That was the first time a Cardinals opponent has gone without an offensive touchdown since Arizona defeated Seattle in Week 5 of the 2009 season. Bradford has not thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game all season. He's riding an 11-game streak of such games overall. Factors beyond Bradford's control have contributed to the streak, but at some point, a No. 1 overall draft choice should transcend such things.

SEATTLE -- This Week 3 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals was notable for the bad blood spilled throughout.

Play after play, and often after the play, these NFC West rivals went after one another until Seattle prevailed, 13-10, at CenturyLink Field. The scuffling carried well past the whistle, with Cardinals defensive end Darnell Dockett landing one last shot, this one verbal, from the visiting team's locker room.

"They were doing the traditional stuff they do here," Dockett said. "Then when they go to Arizona, they usually soft as cotton. Today, they wanted to play hard in front of they home crowd. We knew what to expect."

Seahawks center Max Unger in particular went after Cardinals nose tackle Dan Williams, who appeared to throw a punch in retaliation at one point. Two years ago, and much to the chagrin of then-Seahawks coach Jim Mora, Seattle's offensive line failed to retaliate after Dockett appeared to strike Matt Hasselbeck in the throat area with an elbow after the whistle.

The Seahawks had four new starting offensive linemen for this game. Unger was the lone holdover from 2009. He repeatedly downplayed the confrontations with Dockett and wouldn't elaborate beyond a "yeah" when asked whether Seattle needed to stand up to any bullying.

"We're trying to mature as a line," he said.

This is a story about the present and the future. So let’s get rid of the past right at the start.

“No, that’s not my house,’’ Michael Vick said on a conference call with the Atlanta media Wednesday. “That’s Matt Ryan’s house. I’m just a visitor.’’

When Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles come to face Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, the game will be about two teams mentioned as Super Bowl contenders playing a crucial early-season game. Yeah, there may be a few memories -- pleasant and unpleasant -- in the Georgia Dome, but they'll be off in the distance.

The past is gone now. We all know about Vick’s downfall in Atlanta. But in NFL years, that time now is ancient history. Vick went to prison for running a dog-fighting ring and came out and redeemed himself quite nicely in Philadelphia. That’s the glamorous story line, but there’s another one at play here as well.

The Falcons also moved forward quite nicely and quite quickly. With three consecutive winning seasons, they’re in better shape than the franchise ever has been. Forget an ugly season-opening loss in Chicago for just a second and it looks like there should be lots more good times in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

When Vick was going through his legal troubles and coach Bobby Petrino was walking out on the team in 2007, many predicted it would take years for the Falcons to recover. It didn’t.

That’s largely because an entire organization learned from its mistakes and went out and added multiple pieces that brought quick stability that should last for a long time. If you spend any time around the Falcons, you quickly get the sense they’re a grounded, well-balanced franchise with everyone in the building working toward a common goal.

It wasn’t that way in the Vick and Petrino days and it certainly wasn’t there when Vick was playing for Jim Mora, a coach whose up-and-down emotions had the franchise on a perpetual roller-coaster. It wasn’t even there in Vick’s early years when Dan Reeves was the coach and Vick was struggling with an extremely complicated offense and Reeves wasn't exactly sure how to use his uniquely-talented quarterback.

Throughout Vick’s tenure, there were moments of brilliance. But the Falcons were up and down that entire time. They never put together back-to-back winning seasons with Vick. In franchise history, they never put together back-to-back winning seasons until coach Mike Smith’s first two years.

That’s no coincidence because Smith epitomizes what the current Falcons are all about. In his first team meeting, Smith told his players, "We’re moving forward. We need to forget the past."

But it goes even deeper than Smith. In the aftermath of Petrino and Vick, team owner Arthur Blank did a lot of soul searching. One thing he realized was the Falcons put all their eggs in one basket with Vick. It was his face you saw on billboards all over town and his face you saw on television commercials. When the guy you made the sole face of your franchise crashes and burns, you’ve got no one else to pick up the pieces -- on or off the field.

That’s when Blank realized his franchise needed more of a team concept. He started by hiring general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who came from New England, the capitol of the team concept.

When Dimitroff began interviewing head coaches, he quickly became enamored with Smith, a low-profile assistant in Jacksonville. Smith kept talking about the importance of a team and having the right kind of chemistry. He also talked a lot about having a long-term plan for sustained success. It also didn’t hurt that Smith, who can get a little excited on the sidelines on game days, has as calm and balanced a demeanor as you’re going to find the rest of the time.

He quickly was hired.

The next thing Smith and Dimitroff did was go out and draft Ryan to play Vick’s old quarterback spot. Again, they were looking for balance in addition to physical skills.

On the day before the draft, the top prospects were doing a media session in New York. Dimitroff, already pretty sure he was going to take the quarterback from Boston College, called a team employee who was at the event and asked for a scouting report on Ryan. He didn't want to talk football. Instead, he asked what Ryan’s demeanor was like with the media.

“Now, I see why they call him “Matty Ice’’,’’ the team employee said.

With that, Dimitroff signed off because he knew he had the kind of calm quarterback he wanted. Ryan came in and won right away and displayed an uncommon work ethic. He has the team fax him the game plan each Tuesday because he wants to be ahead of the game when practices start on Wednesdays. Since he's been in Philadelphia, Vick has said multiple times that he regrets not working harder at the game in his Atlanta years.

But Ryan’s just a part of the reason the Falcons have assembled a team that looks like it should be good for the next decade or so. Dimitroff’s a former scout and he can assess physical skills with the best of them. But he’s built the Falcons around more than physical skills.

Dimitroff looks for certain personality traits when he’s drafting because he wants the right chemistry on his team. He looks for guys who put the team and winning above all else. That’s why draft picks like linebackers Curtis Lofton and Sean Weatherspoon, free-agent pickup Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez, who came in a trade, have fit in so nicely.

The Falcons saw the same thing in receiver Julio Jones, who they traded up 21 spots to get in this year’s draft and they saw it in linebacker Akeem Dent a third-round pick and they'll continue to look for it in the future. They’ll sprinkle in a free agent who fits that same profile here and there, but this team is made up mostly of guys drafted by Smith and Dimitroff and that’s a reason why the Falcons should stay good for a long time.

Sustained success is what Dimitroff and Smith want. It’s also what Blank wants. The Falcons lived on highs and lows during the Vick years and even in the franchise’s long history before that. That’s all in the past now.

The Falcons have changed for the better. They’re operating on a nice, even keel, which might be precisely the reason they’re winning and expect it to continue.

Three things to watch for in the Seattle Seahawks' preseason road game against the Denver Broncos at 9 p.m. ET:

1. First-team offense TD: The Seahawks have yet to score a preseason touchdown on offense with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. Shaky pass protection, dropped passes by Golden Tate and a failure at the Minnesota goal line have not helped. The first-team offense did sustain a 15-play drive against the Raiders, an improvement from the preseason opener. I'm interested in seeing who Jackson targets on third down. His 17-yard pass to Mike Williams on third-and-5 against Minnesota stands as his lone pass for a third-down conversion. He threw incomplete to Justin Forsett, Zach Miller and Doug Baldwin on three others. A 6-yard completion to Forsett came up short. This is not a huge deal. We're only in preseason. But it's something to watch.

2. Backup running backs. Starter Marshawn Lynch will not play. He's resting a sore ankle. That could leave additional opportunities for Forsett and Leon Washington. Both appear worthy of getting playing time this season. Washington's surgically repaired leg is closer to full strength now than it was last season. Rules changes on kickoffs will diminish Washington's impact in that part of the game. It seems to me the Seahawks should make an effort to get more from him on offense.

3. Draft choice on bubble. After two drafts with Pete Carroll as head coach, the Seahawks have more players selected under him (17) than they have remaining from the combined draft classes of Jim Mora (four) and Mike Holmgren (eight). Most 2011 draft choices appear quite likely to earn roster spots this season. One player, fifth-round choice Mark LeGree, faces stiff competition. Rookie free agent Jeron Johnson has had a strong camp and has done more during preseason games. The Seahawks have quite a few young prospects in the secondary. Will any of them catch our attention with big plays in this game?

Kevin Kolb's arrival from Philadelphia gives the Arizona Cardinals renewed hope at quarterback and clear direction following Kurt Warner's retirement.

It provides a fresh start after a forgettable 2010 transition season for Arizona.

So much has changed for the Cardinals since their Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season. Other rosters around the league have turned over since then, of course, but not every team was coming off a Super Bowl appearance.

Quite a few teams have sought change. For the Cardinals, it just happened.

Warner's departure, while easily the biggest change, was far from the only one. Between five and eight starters from that Super Bowl game project as starters in 2011, depending upon how many of the team's unrestricted free agents re-sign.

When Steve Breaston left the Cardinals for Kansas City this week, drawing attention to the cumulative effect of Arizona's roster upheaval, a Seahawks fan drew parallels between Seattle's post-Super Bowl decline and the Cardinals' plight last season.

"Don't misunderstand," Ricky Frey wrote on my Facebook wall, "I'm a Hawks fan, but it seems eerily familiar to watch this happen and know what happened to Holmgren/Mora. Writing on the wall?"

Not if Kolb has anything to say about it. Acquiring a relatively young, potentially ascending quarterback puts Arizona in position to avoid the decline Seattle experienced as a Matt Hasselbeck struggled with injuries while the roster around him withered away. The NFC West remains in transition overall, and the Cardinals know it.

"It’s obviously winnable, but it’s funny to think that everybody thinks you can just step in and win it," Kolb told reporters Friday. "You’re talking about NFL football teams here. I know last year 7-9 is what won it, but it doesn’t matter. ... The door is open, we know, and we’ll be ready to kick it in when it’s time, but it’s not going to be an easy task."

Larry Fitzgerald, Levi Brown, Darnell Dockett, Adrian Wilson and the recently re-signed Lyle Sendlein started for Arizona in the Super Bowl and remain starters in 2011. Another starter from that Super Bowl game, Gerald Hayes, was released this week. Three more are becoming unrestricted free agents: Deuce Lutui, Bryan Robinson and Gabe Watson.

Six Arizona starters from that game are retired or did not play last season: Mike Gandy, Warner, Edgerrin James, Terrelle Smith, Chike Okeafor and Monty Beisel. Seven more play for other teams: Reggie Wells, Leonard Pope, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Smith, Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and the recently traded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Some were role players. Others were tougher to replace.

Breaston was a backup on that team, but he played extensively as the third receiver and finished the season with more than 1,000 yards.

Kolb's addition headlined a flurry of transactions the Cardinals announced Thursday and Friday.

Sendlein, safety Hamza Abdullah, cornerback Michael Adams, tackle D'Anthony Batiste, center Ben Claxton, punter Ben Graham, fullback Reagan Maui'a and tight end Stephen Spach re-signed.

Five draft choices have signed. Guard Daryn Colledge, defensive end Nick Eason, tight end Jeff King, receiver Chansi Stuckey and linebacker Stewart Bradley have signed as free agents from other teams.

Re-signing Sendlein while adding Kolb, Colledge and Bradley suggests the 2011 team is still coming together, not necessarily falling apart.

Examining the most crucial event in the history of every team in the division.

The most important moment in the history of the New Orleans Saints, maybe even in the history of the entire NFC South, might have come when a coach and a quarterback went for a ride and got totally lost.

It came on a spring day in 2006 when Sean Payton, recently hired as the coach, took free-agent Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, for a ride that seemed misdirected at the time, but turned out to be a drive to destiny. While touring the area, Payton got off Interstate 10 at the wrong exit and started driving on streets he’d never seen before.

“I finally admitted to Drew, 'I have no idea where we are right now,'’’ Payton wrote in his book, “Home Team.’’

It’s worth a laugh now. But at the time, Payton, Brees, the Saints and the entire New Orleans region really had no idea where anything was. This was a few months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the Saints didn’t even know if they’d be able to stay in New Orleans for the long term.

Brees’ future was just as cloudy. He wasn’t being brought back by San Diego because he was coming off a major shoulder injury and the Chargers were handing things over to Philip Rivers. There was interest from Miami, but the Dolphins weren’t sure about Brees’ shoulder. Neither were the Saints.

But Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis decided to take a gamble. They offered Brees a big contract and a couple of days after being hopelessly lost, he accepted. The Brees signing was the big winner for the Saints in our Flash Points polls about the make-or-break moment in the history of each NFC South franchise.

Forty-six percent of more than 50,000 voters (the highest of all the NFC South precincts) chose the signing of Brees as the biggest moment in team history. Winning Super Bowl XLIV finished second at 36 percent and the hiring of Payton was third at 17 percent.

No argument here. Hiring Payton was significant, but signing Brees is the biggest reason why the Saints went on to win a Super Bowl and make themselves more a part of the New Orleans fabric than ever before.

Let’s turn to a couple of loyal readers for affirmation.

Richard in Ann Arbor, Mich., wrote: “Signing Drew Brees has to trump all. When you take into account everything that Drew has done off the field since his arrival, winning the Super Bowl may be the least important thing that he has done for the city of New Orleans.’’

Fred in New Orleans wrote: “As much as I would like to say our turning point was hiring Jim Finks or Jim Mora or maybe even Sean Payton, I think the Saints' turning point was actually made by another team -- when the Dolphins refused to make an offer to Drew Brees. If they make a hard push for him who knows what happens next?’’

PANTHERS: Jake Delhomme's arrival game

Appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII was the winner of the popular vote as the Flash Point for the Carolina Panthers. That loss to New England drew 42 percent of the vote, and advancing all the way to the NFC Championship Game in only the second season of an expansion franchise finished second at 28 percent.

But I’m going with a moment that wasn’t even on the ballot as my Flash Point for the Panthers -- the insertion of Jake Delhomme at quarterback at the start of the second half of the 2003 season opener against Jacksonville. An unknown career backup with the Saints, Delhomme replaced Rodney Peete and the Panthers just kept winning all the way to the Super Bowl. I was covering the Panthers on a daily basis as a beat writer at that time and as I think back, Delhomme’s emergence in that game was one of the most magical moments I’ve seen in sports.

Let me add that a vocal group of readers made a strong case that Delhomme’s debut should have been on the ballot because that was actually the moment that sparked the whole Super Bowl run. I thought about that for a couple of minutes and decided they were right. So let’s hear from a few convincing readers.

Brian in Charlotte wrote: “Jake Delhomme’s halftime entrance into the game versus Jacksonville seems to represent the best of Panthers history. The team marched to an appearance in the Super Bowl that year and, while we may not have had back-to-back winning seasons, provided the Panthers with both stability and leadership at the quarterback position for the next few years.’’

Evan in Charlotte wrote: “Carolina rode on that momentum to eventually go to the Super Bowl. That whole season was Carolina's defining moment, but it all began at that game. Everything about the Carolina Panthers changed at that moment.’’

Brian and Evan, you’re absolutely right.

BUCCANEERS: Dungy turned the tide

In the closest contest of all our polls, readers voted Tampa Bay’s victory against Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII as the defining moment in Buccaneers’ history. That got 39 percent of more than 31,000 votes. The hiring of coach Tony Dungy in 1996 finished a close second at 37 percent and the trade for Jon Gruden, the coach who actually won Tampa Bay’s lone Super Bowl, was third at 21 percent.

But I’m not going with the simple majority here. I’m going with the hiring of Dungy because I think this is a chicken-and-egg kind of thing. Much like the signing of Brees and the insertion of Delhomme led the Saints and Panthers to Super Bowls, I view the hiring of Dungy as the move that started Tampa Bay on a path to the Super Bowl.

Tampa Bay is a land of transplants and history sometimes gets lost. But I happened to be a beat writer covering the Buccaneers when Dungy was hired (heck, I was part of a media stakeout outside Bern’s Steakhouse as Dungy and ownership were inside sealing the deal).

You have to understand what the Bucs were like before Dungy arrived. They were the joke of the NFL for more than a decade. Former owner Hugh Culverhouse was despised by fans, players and the people who worked for him. The Bucs had gone for more than a decade without a winning season and good coaches such as Ray Perkins and Sam Wyche came to Tampa Bay and became horrible coaches.

Dungy (supported by new owner Malcolm Glazer) quietly changed the entire culture of the Bucs. They began winning and changed uniform colors and logos. Everything changed. Raymond James Stadium was built and filled up every week. The Bucs became consistent winners.

It’s true Dungy couldn't get Tampa Bay over the final hump. He was stubborn and conservative on offense and that got him fired. But he had the Bucs built into such a great defensive team that Gruden was able to come in, tweak the offense and win the Super Bowl in his first season. None of that would have been possible without Dungy’s contributions. He made the Bucs consistently relevant for the first time in their history.

Let’s turn to a couple comments from readers.

Darryl in Springfield, N.J., wrote: “The hiring of Dungy was huge as he helped to instill a culture of winning. However, I think another important step was drafting Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in 1995 (the moves were made by Wyche and former general manager Rich McKay). Beyond their contributions on the field, Brooks was the heart of the Bucs, and Sapp brought a public swagger to a downtrodden franchise. The history of Sapp and Brooks in Tampa might be different without Dungy, but I think you could also argue that the history of Dungy might be very different without Sapp and Brooks."

Tim in Clearwater, Fla., wrote: “Sam Wyche drafted two first-ballot Hall of Fame players in Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Without these players, Dungy’s tenure in Tampa Bay would likely not have been as long or as successful.’’

True, but Sapp and Brooks didn’t do much in their one season with Wyche. When Dungy and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin arrived, they put Sapp and Brooks into a defense that became dominant. In my eyes, it all started with Dungy.

FALCONS: Matt Ryan brought consistent winning

When it came time for Atlanta fans to weigh in on the Falcons' Flash Point, they went with the drafting of quarterback Michael Vick. That move won the vote at 39 percent, while the drafting of Ryan in 2008 came in second at 31 percent.

I’m going to dispute that one. Yes, Vick had a big impact and led the Falcons to some success. But they could never string good seasons together and Vick’s time in Atlanta came to a terrible end when he went to prison. That coupled with the disastrous tenure of coach Bobby Petrino put the Falcons as low as any NFC South team has ever been.

That was at the end of the 2007. A few months later, the Falcons drafted Ryan. Guess what? Since that moment, the Falcons have had three straight winning seasons. Before Ryan’s arrival, the franchise never even had back-to-back winning seasons. Atlanta went 13-3 last season before a disappointing playoff loss to Green Bay.

But the Falcons are built around Ryan and he’s not going anywhere for a long time. In fact, I think the Falcons are right on the cusp of huge success. Let’s turn to a reader for perspective.

Reid in Atlanta wrote: “The true 'defining moment' for the Falcons is not on your list of choices. It was when Arthur Blank purchased the team from the Smith family, who oversaw a comedy of errors and bad personnel choices for decades. Blank may be responsible for the Petrino fiasco, but otherwise his moves have been solid, and a welcome contrast to what preceded him.’’

No argument that Blank has done some great things and made the Falcons more competitive than they ever have been. But I think the best move Blank made was drafting Ryan. That’s when things really turned for the Falcons.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Saints -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we’ll give you our definitive moment on May 25.

These events could be positives or negatives. In the case of the Saints, I elected to just stick with the positives because there have been a lot recently. This long-suffering franchise has done all sorts of good things since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

There have been two trips to the NFC Championship Game, a Super Bowl title and a future that still looks very bright, and most of your choices are from the modern era. You can trace all that's right with the Saints these days back to 2006, when coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees, who supposedly had a shoulder injury so bad he might not play again, arrived. For those with longer memories, I even included the arrival of Jim Mora as coach in 1986. That move triggered the first real surge of competitiveness as the "Dome Patrol'' and Bobby Hebert showed it was possible to win in New Orleans.

Prior to that, the highlights I left out were Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard field goal and the days of Archie Manning running for his life, but also throwing some nice passes. Beyond that, there wasn’t much else.

If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

The Denver Post is reporting that Jim L. Mora has pulled out of the running to become the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator.

He also told Philadelphia that he had withdrawn for consideration to be their defensive coordinator. He was Denver’s top choice. It appears Mora’s decision may have been financially-related.

He would have been a nice fit for new Denver head coach John Fox’s staff. The Denver Post points out a logical candidate in Denver, who has had five defensive coordinators in the past five seasons. The newspaper said Green Bay defensive line coach Mike Trgovac could be a candidate. He was Fox’s defensive coordinator in Carolina for six seasons.

He can’t be hired until the Packers’ season is over. Green Bay plays at Chicago in the NFC championship game Sunday. If time passes without Denver filling the spot, it could be a sign Denver is waiting for Trgovac. That wouldn’t be a bad hire as Trgovac is well respected and he and Fox clearly have a good working relationship.

Let's play a game of addition.

1. The starting quarterback is the most important player on any football team.
2. The Chicago Bears finished the regular season 11-5, won the NFC North division title and will host the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Soldier Field.
3. Jay Cutler is the biggest reason why.

So, in this case, does 1+2=3? Did the Bears need Cutler as their quarterback to advance this far? Was he the key to their resurgence this season? Or could they have followed the same path without making the 2009 blockbuster trade that cost them three high draft choices? In today's Double Coverage, ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson and ESPN.com NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert discuss that very question.

Kevin Seifert: Jeff, you've been covering the Bears for years. You saw them go to Super Bowl XLI with Rex Grossman as their quarterback. You've lived through Kordell Stewart, Craig Krenzel, Chad Hutchinson, Brian Griese and Kyle Orton. You've seen a team win in spite of its quarterback, and you've seen quarterbacks single-handedly lose games. Let's start it off this way: How much credit do you think Cutler should get for the Bears sitting one step from the Super Bowl?

Jeff Dickerson: Cutler deserves plenty of credit, Kevin. As much as we want to hammer Cutler for his mistakes -- more on that later, I'm sure -- you can't overlook the fact his quarterback rating was above 100 six times in the regular season. And you guessed it: the Bears won all six of those games.

So if the most important player on the field was arguably the best player on the field nearly half the time, I find it impossible to minimize the positive impact Cutler had on the Bears' playoff run. Is he going to run for public office after he's finished playing football? No. Does he care that we're talking about him today, either good or bad? No. But to sit back and say Cutler was simply along for the ride wouldn't be doing his contributions much justice.

And by the way, thanks for bringing up Chad Hutchinson. I was trying to suppress that memory. What's next? Are we going to break down the NFL career of Jonathan Quinn? I could talk bad Bears quarterbacks all day.

KS: Any time. How about this: Cade McNown, Henry Burris, Shane Matthews and Steve Stenstrom. That pretty much covers it for our generation, I think.

Anyway, I agree it would be wrong to overlook some of Cutler's individual performances this season. He bounced back from some early hits in Week 2 to throw three touchdown passes against the Dallas Cowboys in a 27-20 victory. He forgot about the early interception against the New York Jets and went on to throw for another three touchdowns in a 38-34 victory. His performance against the Philadelphia Eagles -- four touchdown passes, 146.2 passer rating -- was superb. And don't forget his late-game drive against the Detroit Lions in Week 13, the one that locked up the division title.

But I think the question at hand is whether the Bears would have won 11 games with, say, Orton at quarterback. To me, Cutler was not among the top two reasons for the Bears' success this season.

More important was the defense, which limited opponents to 17.9 points per game, and the best special teams in the NFL. As a result of those two factors, Cutler and the rest of the Bears' offense had the best head start in the NFL. No offense had a better average start of its drive (33.7-yard line) than the Bears'.

Do you think the Bears win those games with Orton?

JD: I must first admit to being a card-carrying member of the Kyle Orton fan club. Is there a more underappreciated quarterback in the NFL? That being said, I think you could make the playoffs with a guy like Orton, but the Bears are in a better position to potentially win a Super Bowl with a guy like Cutler.

Let me explain.

I firmly believe if Orton quarterbacked the Bears in 2009 they probably would have won three more regular-season games (against the Packers, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers). They would have finished 10-6 and perhaps earned an NFC wild-card playoff berth. Cutler cost the Bears those games because of a barrage of turnovers and terrible decisions. But that's where the ride would've ended with Orton, in my opinion.

Could Orton have beaten the Cowboys, Eagles or Jets in 2010? Maybe. But with apologies to Jim Mora, we're talking playoffs, Kevin, playoffs!

Believe me, I know Cutler's only career postseason victory came against Seattle this past weekend, and he could easily go out Sunday and throw five interceptions against the Packers. But he could just as easily throw five touchdowns.

That's why the Bears are better off with Cutler -- because Orton hit his glass ceiling as an NFL quarterback. Cutler has not. Look at how Cutler tore up the Jets. The defense struggled, and it needed a lift from the quarterback position to beat a tough opponent. Cutler delivered. I'm not saying Orton is incapable of leading a team to victory over playoff-quality teams, but the chances Cutler can do it are greater.

Sorry, Kyle. I loved your neck beard. But I have to go with Cutler on this one.

KS: It's all fantasy talk, of course. We'll never know if Orton would have played well enough last year to compel the Bears to keep offensive coordinator Ron Turner this season. We also don't know if Mike Martz would have wanted Orton this season.

But the Bears gave up two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder for Cutler. Has he provided them enough value for those picks? Or could they have used those draft picks to improve themselves in other areas?

It would be wrong to say that Cutler hasn't had a positive impact on the Bears this season, but I'm not willing to say he was the key to the Bears' division title, either. But if the Bears go to the Super Bowl, no one is going to care about that distinction.

JD: And you know Cutler is happiest when nobody cares!

I guess it's possible Jerry Angelo would have turned those two first-round selections into starting-caliber players. But I've seen the Bears use high draft choices on the likes of Michael Haynes, Roosevelt Williams, Mark Bradley, Dusty Dvoracek, Dan Bazuin, Michael Okwo, Jarron Gilbert and Juaquin Iglesias. So to assume Angelo would've waved his magic draft wand and taken the right guys? Well, that would be misguided, to say the least. Despite all the warts, I'm happy with Cutler and feel the Bears are now in a better position to win their first Super Bowl since the 1985 season because of him.

I could talk bad Bears draft picks all day.

KS: Spoken like a longtime Bears follower. Basically what you're saying is that while Cutler has demonstrated some flaws, his acquisition nevertheless prevented the Bears from making another series of draft mistakes! Perfect. I love it.

On that note, Jeff, this has been fun. I think we can agree Cutler has made a positive impact on the Bears' run to the NFC Championship Game. Could they have done it without him? That's up for debate.

The Philadelphia Eagles want to talk to former Falcons and Seahawks head coach Jim Mora about their opening at defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Sean McDermott was fired by the Eagles this weekend, but he's quickly become the lead candidate for the same position with the Denver Broncos.

Mora's been working for the NFL Network after being fired by the Seahawks following the '09 season. The Eagles also had interest in Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, but he'll be joining Jason Garrett's staff with the Dallas Cowboys.

Mora and Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg are good friends from their days with the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles also fired defensive line coach Rory Segrest. McDermott and Segrest were both seen as up-and-coming coaches in the league, but it's tough to overcome giving up 31 touchdown passes. Reid said he wanted all his coaches back last Monday, but it only took him a few days to change his mind.

The Denver Broncos are keeping stability on offense.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Mike McCoy will remain the Broncos’ offensive coordinator. He was also getting interest in Kansas City and in Cleveland.

This move makes complete sense for Denver. McCoy worked for new Denver coach John Fox in Carolina prior to coming to Denver and working for former Denver head coach Josh McDaniels.

The biggest personnel question in Denver is the future of quarterback Tim Tebow. Fox is a defensive specialist, so he’ll need to have a coach who believes he can develop Tebow.

The fact that McCoy decided to stay in Denver rather than go to the Chiefs or the Browns is an indication that he believes he can make it work with Tebow. McCoy called plays after McDaniels was fired, and Tebow made strides when he started in the final three games of the season under McCoy’s guidance.

This continuity will only help Tebow moving forward.

Names that have surfaced for Denver’s defensive coordinator include Ron Meeks, Sal Sunseri and former Atlanta and Seattle coach Jim Mora.

Meanwhile, Kansas City will have to adjust its offensive coordinator search now that McCoy is staying in Denver. Other names that have been mentioned to replace Charlie Weis, who is now the offensive coordinator at the University of Florida, include Tampa Bay’s Greg Olson (who is under contract there and who could be difficult to hire), Arizona’s Mike Miller and Kansas City assistants Maurice Carthon and Nick Sirianni.