"When Drew Brees ended up 15 yards short of Dan Marino's single-season passing yardage record in 2008, he figured he'd never get close again.

The Saints' offense was just too "lopsided" that year, Brees said, finishing first in the NFL in passing but 28th in rushing. And worst of all, New Orleans finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

This year might be the perfect storm, though.

This time, the wins are piling up along with the passing yards for the Saints (7-3). And they aren't quite as unbalanced, with a running game that has been inconsistent but showing signs of improvement.

The key is that the Saints are gaining a ton of yards. Not only is Brees on pace to shatter Marino's record, but the Saints' offense is threatening to break the NFL record for total yards in a season, set by the St. Louis Rams in 2000.

The Saints are on pace for 6,990 yards this season, and Brees is on pace for 5,322 passing yards. The Rams gained 7,075 yards in 2000, and Marino threw for 5,084 yards in 1984."