METAIRIE, La. – One of coach Sean Payton’s favorite expressions that he lifted from mentor Bill Parcells is, “You are what your record says you are.”
But the New Orleans Saints’ 8-8 mark probably deserves a half-dozen asterisks and a few chapters worth of footnotes to fully appreciate it. The Saints can make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season Sunday if they beat the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers.