Brees: Saints 'still don't know how good we can be'

The New Orleans Saints looked down and close to out after an 0-2 start to the season.

However, thanks to a much-improved defense and Drew Brees continuing to defy Father Time, the Saints have won three straight - and the star quarterback believes his team is just scratching its potential.

"We want to continue to win. Winning feels good. Winning cures a lot of ills. But I don't think we ... we still don't know how good we can be," Brees said, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett. "But each week I feel like we get a better idea of what we're capable of, and we'd like to keep that going in the right direction."

The much-maligned defense has enjoyed a dramatic turnaround, allowing the fourth-fewest yards and sixth-fewest points since Week 3. Meanwhile, Brees' unit has averaged more than 35 points a game.

In Week 7, the Saints face the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers. If New Orleans can take advantage of Green Bay's misfortune and move to 4-2, it will be hard to dismiss them as a legitimate contender in the NFC.

"Obviously, we have some momentum. We like the direction that we're going. We understand the things that have happened these last three wins that have allowed us to win," Brees said. "And I think when you taste that success, the light bulb comes on a little bit and you are able to realize when we do this, it gives us a great chance to win. When we do this, this hinders our chances of winning. So we're just becoming a smarter team."