FanHouse Jabari Greer

The New Orleans Saints entered the game undefeated and the toast of the NFC. The St. Louis Rams entered the game with a 1-7 record. The Saints were favored by 14 1/2 points. The Saints also came loaded with their top-ranked offense to face off against the Rams' 28th-ranked defense. Simply put, this one had all the makings of a bloodbath.

Instead, the Saints escaped with a 28-23 victory by the skin of their teeth -- as the game was never clinched until Marc Bulger's hail mary fell incomplete as the clock struck 0:00. The fact that the Saints couldn't put the hapless Rams away earlier in the game is sure to lead to a bunch of "the Saints are overrated" talk this week. They didn't play well, but let's not go overboard.

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Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Though 2006 was arguably the best season in New Orleans Saints history, the campaign was only the beginning of this streak of NFL competitive relevance in the Crescent City. Despite steps backwards in 2007 and 2008, the team has quietly been adding front-end talent and admirable depth since that NFC Championship appearance against the Bears. Now, as Drew Brees put it, "...we're at this stage in our careers where this is kind of our prime. ... So this is our window of opportunity. This is our chance to walk together forever, to go down in history together." After over 40 years and just two playoff wins, is this the year the Saints finally break through?

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With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

The Saints again attempted to shore up ailing aspects of their team in free agency. Some say this is to give them flexibility in the draft. This is true, but it also makes it hard for other teams to guess what they might do with their No. 14 overall pick. Don't overlook that benefit.

While the signings made were in an effort to improve the team, not every signee is considered the solution within the team's headquarters, so some positions could still benefit from a high draft choice. And with only four picks in this year's draft, New Orleans needs to make that first-rounder count in a big way.

The New Orleans Saints have bolstered their secondary, signing cornerback Jabari Greer to a four-year deal. Greer is coming off a two-year stint as a starter for the Buffalo Bills, and he was having a breakout season in 2008 before falling injured.

This deal is likely especially exciting for Saints fans, due to their almost palpable hatred of Jason David. Plus, Tracy Porter -- who was off to a great start to his rookie season before getting hurt himself -- will also be returning to the lineup. Having Greer and Porter as the starting corners in 2009 represents a huge upgrade from what we saw New Orleans cart out in the second half of last season.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

If anyone still cared about the NHL, the Sabres might make it three whole things that people love about Buffalo. As it is, there's wings -- and then there's the Bills. Sadly, Canada seems intent on stealing the NFL away from the city in the middle of the night. Relevancy (almost achieved following a 4-0 start last season) would greatly enhance the Bills' chance of hanging around Buffalo.

There are bigger problems at play, but "nice offseason additions" would greatly benefit the franchise and head coach Dick Jauron. And there are plenty of areas that will need to be addressed over the coming months.

When the Bills selected a Stanford quarterback in this April's draft the late Bill Walsh called Marv Levy to tell him that he'd made an excellent choice. Trent Edwards was a final apple in Walsh's eye and he showed why Walsh was an admirer in a 17-14 victory over the New York Jets.

The rookie was outstanding in his first NFL start, completing 22-of-28 passes for 234 yards and a crucial touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The Jets defense had stopped the Bills, clinging to a 10-7 lead with seven minutes to play, on three straight attempts inside the 10 when Dick Jauron put the game in Edwards' hands. They called a gutsy play-action rollout pass and Edwards, with pressure bearing down, found the tight end Michael Gaines for six points and a cushion that his team would need.

The cushion loomed large because a tired Bills defense almost let the Jets back into the game. On their next drive the Jets answered with a Leon Washington touchdown run and then forced a Bills punt just after the two-minute warning. Starting from their 26 the Jets moved the ball quickly through the air and were at the Buffalo 39 with 11 seconds to play when their luck ran out. Chad Pennington, trying to get into Mike Nugent's kicking range, was intercepted by Terrence McGee and the Bills had their first victory of the season.