Oh wow. Wow. I don’t know about you, but I’m still catching my breath. What the Saints did on Monday night was not just what we fans wanted…it was what we needed. It was a sensation that was long overdue. Whew!!! Oh my…(hands running through my hair vigorously). I can only imagine this is the football equivalent of a weekend indoors with “The Rabbit.”

In the prime time match up versus the Packers, Lance Moore emerged as a lead contender for Nola Chick’s “Baby Daddy of the Year” award. On the Saints’ second offensive series, he caught a pass from Drew Brees and took it 70 yards to the end zone, beating Al Harris, one of the best corners in the league. That was just the beginning in what would turn out to be a statement game for the young receiver. Moore ended the day with 115 yards and 2 touchdowns..and that’s just on 5 receptions. Sweet. His first quarter antics set the mood, but the foreplay was yet to come.

The Saints touched all the right offensive buttons by getting back to basics: they established a running game. Pierre Thomas scored a TD on the team’s third offensive drive. It wouldn’t be his last time in the end zone. He scored again on a 31 yard run in the 4th. Around the same time, the announcers said something like, “Who knew anything about this Pierre Thomas kid before Deuce and Reggie got hurt?” The Chicks did beeyatches! We’ve even got the interview to prove it.

Deuce McAllister even got in on the action. He scored a TD in the third quarter, breaking Dalton Hilliard’s record for the most career touchdowns as a Saint. It was a small, yet emotional victory, as Deuce’s fate with the team remains unclear. He’s not only facing a suspension that could keep him off the field for the the rest of the season but there’s also speculation this is his last season in black and gold. This moment of raw emotion watching Deuce power his way into the end zone set the Superdome (and my insides) on fire. It was mini-gasm #1.

Drew Brees had all the right moves. He spread that ball all over the field. A pass up the middle to Shockey (ooh yeah), a touchdown to Billy Miller (that’s right), a bomb to Marques Colston (DON’T STOP!). Drew racked up 323 yards and 4 touchdowns, essentially picking apart the Packers’ much ballyhooed pass defense. (His perfect play even gave Tony Kornheiser a reason to stop finding ways to interject a Brett Favre reference.) Meanwhile, the offensive line gave Drew what seemed like an eternity in the pocket, proving you can still get a multi-mini-gasm when you use protection. But I’m a Saints fan. I’d been getting teased for weeks. I yearned for more.

Enter…the defense. After basically playing like..well…the Saints defense in the first half, they found their mojo in the 3rd quarter. Who knew Jason David would be the man to help close the deal in this lustful game of cat and mouse? David picked off Aaron Rodgers twice, nearly returning one for a score. Bobby McCray emerged as a sack machine. Sedrick Ellis got his hands on a pass at the line of scrimmage. Kevin Kaesviharn managed to be at the right place at the right time and snuck in an interception. Oh merciful mini-gasm…the Saints are playing like they have a secondary!!!!

I type this now with imaginary cigarette in hand, fully aware that this blissful feeling will soon be quelled by the cruel, cruel, hand of reality. The Saints’ win on Monday night, as big as it was, proved if nothing else that size doesn’t always matter. You see we didn’t really need to win big. We just needed to win.