Saints Prove They’re for Real

It’s time to toss the brown paper bags in the trash can and put the “S” back on the front of the team name.

The New Orleans Saints are for real.

A 27-24 victory Sunday over the Eagles improved the Saints to 5-1, good for first place in the NFC South as they enter an off week.

Even as the Saints raced to a 4-1 start, there were doubters who viewed the team as a feel-good story that was fueled by the emotions stirred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and that would soon fade.

But Sunday, the Saints took out a team considered one of the NFL’s early-season elite and the victory ensured that this is not the team that was 3-13 last season, when it bounced around the country playing home games at different stadiums because the hurricane had rendered its own unusable.

“A lot of people are going to doubt us,” defensive end Charles Grant said. “But I think this football team is going above and beyond what a lot of people think we can.”

The fast start doesn’t mean much. In 2002, the Saints started 6-1 only to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

But a new coach, Sean Payton, a new quarterback, Drew Brees, and an exciting rookie, Reggie Bush, have helped transform a team that last year was the worst in the NFC.

“It’s a whole different team,” said Eagles defensive end Darren Howard, who played for New Orleans last season. “They’re doing it with a young set of guys who don’t remember what happened in years past.... It’s six games and they’re 5-1. It’s hard to say anything but they’re legitimate.”

The Saints had become accustomed to the bottom spot in the standings, finishing last in their division 14 times in 39 seasons since joining the league in 1967. That’s nearly three times as often as the times they’ve made the playoffs -- five.

A dismal beginning to the franchise -- it was 39-110 in its first 11 seasons -- led to fans’ wearing paper bags on their heads and writing “Aints” on them.

They have won five games or fewer 18 times but appear poised to zoom past that mark in this 40th season in franchise history.

“I think we’re kind of finding our identity as a team,” Bush said. “We’re finding out who we are and what kind of team we are. We are showing people how much fun we have and what these guys are all about on this team.”

The Saints last made the playoffs in 2000, the only time the team has won a playoff game. Houston is the only other team that has never played in a conference or league championship game.

Houston joined in 2002.

It’s a list the Saints would surely like to get off, but for now, they’ll take the victory over Philadelphia and the respect that comes with it.

“We want to prove that we’re a pretty good team,” running back Deuce McAllister said. “We want to prove that we belong as some of the top-tier teams in the league.”

And Then There Was One

With Detroit, Tampa Bay and Tennessee all winning Sunday, the Raiders are the only winless team in the NFL after a 13-3 loss to Denver.

The Raiders have lost 11 in a row dating to last season and have started 0-5 for the first time since 1964.

It’s not exactly the commitment to excellence that led to Super Bowl titles in 1977, ’81 and ’84.

Heck, even the penalties are down. A team notorious for leading the league in penalties had the eighth-fewest (24) before Sunday.

They seem to be intent on retaining that indignity, though. They were flagged 13 times Sunday, which should get them back near the top of the league.

Don’t Forget Us

Tiki Barber’s 185 yards rushing will get most of the headlines after the Giants defeated the Falcons, 27-14, but New York’s ability to contain Michael Vick should not be discounted.

The Giants, who began the game with only five sacks this season, had seven against the league’s best running quarterback.

The Giants gave up two big plays -- a 90-yard touchdown run by Warrick Dunn and a 22-yard touchdown run by Vick -- but otherwise contained Atlanta, which began the game averaging a league-best 234.2 yards rushing.

The Falcons got 223 Sunday, but considering 112 came on two plays, the Giants will take it.

“We didn’t totally shut them down,” said linebacker Brandon Short.

“I do recall a 90-yard run. But if it wasn’t for that one long run, we played very well today. Guys knew the Falcons had an explosive team, and we contained it.”

Good Guys Wear Black

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was among the NFL’s lowest-rated quarterbacks before Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he had two touchdown passes without an interception in a 45-7 victory.

“I tried throwing to the guys in the black shirts rather than the guys in the white shirts,” Roethlisberger said.

Abbott Without Costello

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme knows how important receiver Steve Smith is to his team.

The Panthers were 0-2 while Smith sat out with a leg injury, but are 4-0 since his return. Smith had eight catches for 189 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown, Sunday in a 23-21 victory over Baltimore.

“When Steve came back, certainly it helped. In my opinion, it’s like taking Michael Vick away from Atlanta, like taking Peyton [Manning] away from the Colts,” Delhomme said. “Other teams [have] to account for him on every play.”

Iced Out

Steelers offensive lineman Kendall Simmons is the leader in the clubhouse for injury of the year.

He fell asleep with an ice pack on his leg and suffered frostbite.

Bad Loss

Redskins defensive back Shawn Springs was not too happy about losing to Tennessee, which was winless before Sunday’s 25-22 victory over Washington.

“Losing to an 0-5 team, that’s disappointing,” Springs said. “And everybody says, ‘Oh yeah, it’s the NFL. Anything can happen.’ No, uh-uh. It ain’t supposed to be like that. We’re supposed to beat that team at home if we want to be the team we want to be.”

Record-Setters

Warrick Dunn set a Falcons record when he ran 90 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of a 27-14 loss to the Giants. The play broke Jerious Norwood’s 2-week-old team record of 78 yards, set in the Falcons’ last game.... LaDainian Tomlinson surpassed Lance Alworth’s Chargers record with his 84th career touchdown in the first quarter. He added three more.

Injury Report

Ravens quarterback Steve McNair left Sunday’s loss to Carolina because of a concussion and a neck sprain, though tests showed no structural damage.... Tennessee quarterback Vince Young played through an ankle sprain in leading the Titans to victory.... Washington’s Mark Brunell had his toenail ripped off early in the second half and was limping badly on the sideline, but never missed a down.... Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers broke his thumb.... The Houston Texans may have lost defensive tackle Seth Payne for the season after he tore a ligament in his right knee.... John Abraham of the Falcons, who sat out the last three games because of a groin injury, sat out the fourth quarter Sunday after aggravating the injury.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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peter.yoon@latimes.com