The New Orleans Saints have had the most success in franchise history under Sean Payton, winning the 2009 Super Bowl and being a true contender in the other seasons.

RealGM has been using a statistic called the Trench Counter to rank NFL teams since the 2007 season.

The Trench Counter accounts for average yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards, first downs and turnovers to determine how well teams control the game in the most meaningful ways.

The Saints rank 8th in Trench Counter from the 2007 season through 2011.

Below are their season-by-season rankings, Trench Counter totals and actual record in parentheses.

2007: 18th, -1.3 (7-9)
2008: 15th, +1.3 (8-8)
2009: 6th, +5.8 (13-3)
2010: 12th, +1.0 (11-5)
2011: 5th, +5.4 (13-3)