If preseason were a precursor, I’d already be booking my plane ticket to Miami for Super Bowl 44. After all, my Saints now sit at 3-0 after putting a record breaking 45-7 butt kicking on the Raiders in Oakland. Saints QB Drew Brees looked like he could have completed a pass with both arms tied behind his back. And the way the Raiders’ defense looked, I’m surprised he didn’t give it a shot. Brees went 14 of 17, passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

The Saints’ running game once again impressed, with Lynell Hamilton and P.J. Hill combining for 178 yards in their rushing attack. And the defense, the Saints’ much maligned defense, generously allowed the Raiders to score one touchdown late in the game. In other words, the Saints looked like the well-balanced, high octane, unstoppable team I’ve always dreamed them to be.

But alas, it was only the Raiders and yes, it’s only preseason.

Still, one can’t help but be in awe of Drew Brees and his poise. He spread that ball around like Ron Mexico spread herpes. He did it without hesitation and likely with a tingling sensation in his special place. But beyond the predictability of Drew’s greatness, the Saints impressed in an area where they haven’t quite measured up in recent years. You know what I’m talking about; that dirty defense.

Could it be that new defensive coordinator Greg Williams has lit the much needed fire to turn our “D” from doormat to dominant? We won’t know for certain until the games on the schedule actually start mattering and the opponents aren’t quite as Pee Wee football as the Raiders. But I’m hopeful Saints fans. After witnessing what appears to be an increasingly aggressive defensive output, one can’t help but be.