Coming into this season, if you were told there would be five seven win football teams in the NFC alone through at least 9 games, you would've said Seattle, Green Bay maybe, and probably Dallas. None of those three teams are in that top 5. The teams that have at least 7 wins in the NFC:

Philadelphia

Minnesota

Carolina

L.A. Rams

And finally, the New Orleans Saints.

This unexpected run of dominance within the NFC has given the NFL a desperately needed jolt of change this season, and it's because of how these teams are winning. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff have evolved into two of the league's best young quarterbacks at very young ages. Cam has turned into Super-Cam again and Case Keenum is winning football games up north. But the biggest change this year has come within an entire organization, not just a player. Somehow, without any major personnel changes, the New Orleans Saints have completely and utterly revamped their identity. If I had known that there would be a team that is top 8 in pass defense and 1st in rush yards per game, the Saints would have been my 32nd pick.

For years, the Saints have been seen as the team that was always in shootouts. Drew Brees, who has embraced this change in the best way possible, would consistently throw for an insane amount of yards, but the defense would give up almost the same amount. A few years ago, the Saints even had the worst defense in NFL history. To put it in perspective, in 2016 the Saints were giving up about 274 yards through the air per game, good for worst in the NFL. Now, they have the 7th best mark in the league, only giving up a little over 201 yards per game. This kind of defensive revamp over one year is one that is nearly impossible in the NFL without a complete personnel shift. Of course, there is new personnel in New Orleans, but this is largely the same defense from last year. The most notable of this personnel would assuredly be Marshon Lattimore, who has arguably been a top-5 cornerback this year as a rookie. With major performances against exceptional wide receivers such as Mike Evans, his ability to shut down opposing stars cannot be understated. And even with the addition of Lattimore, this defensive pulling a complete 180 cannot be considered anything other than one of the biggest surprises of the season.

One side of the ball drastically improving and changing is one thing, but with this Saints team, the differences on both sides of the ball have been stunning. Like stated earlier, the Saints have constantly been labeled as a high-octane, throw-it-everywhere type of offense. The Saints have gone from the 16th ranked rushing team in the league to the 3rd in a span of one off-season. While this may not be completely unprecedented, it is for this type of team. Especially when you consider to the extent in which the Saints, Drew Brees included, have embraced this change. Against the Buffalo Bills, the Saints ran the ball on 24 consecutive plays. That is the first time that's happened since 1989. A team that averaged 317 yards per game passing not even a full year ago accomplished a rushing feat that hadn't happened since 1989, to go along with 47 points which featured 0 touchdowns through the air. In what was one of the most dominant performances of the year, the Saints did it all on the ground. Mark Ingram is 6th in the league in rushing and Alvin Kamara is an exceptional counter to Ingram's north-south rushing style. It all just works in New Orleans. And it's one of the most unexpected turnarounds this year.

With the ability of this rushing attack, what has happened with Drew Brees? He's molded in wonderfully, surprising enough. Brees has shown the world that he is a true professional that is willing to do anything to win. He has thrown 0 touchdowns in 2 of his last 4 games and only has 13 on the year. That's almost a third of what he had last year, through 9 games. This clearly hasn't fazed Brees in the slightest chance, as he is still able to dominate through the air. But, the Saints have tried that before and they know they're not going to win that way. The best chance to win was to completely revamp both sides of the ball and they pulled it off. From Sean Payton to Drew Brees, everyone has accepted their roles, and things are rolling in the Bayou.

At this point the biggest question facing the Saints is if they are able to contend at this point. While being a relatively young team in important spots, they're old and seasoned in the right spots. They have a Super Bowl winning quarterback at the helm and a fantastic coach who has been through playoff football numerous times. Also, the Saints are built for January. When the games are cold and the field is icy, you run the ball. If the Saints have a game in freezing Philadelphia, they have the perfect style in order to win. So, yes, the Saints have the ability to contend. With Drew Brees at quarterback and a game built for the playoffs, along with a terrific defense, the Saints are ready for the playoffs. And out of all the 7 win teams right now, the team most likely to stun the world, plays in the Bayou.