Payton said Tuesday the Saints would take their time and “talk to a lot of people” in their search for a replacement for Gregg Williams.

Obviously, that was just coachspeak. Payton zeroed in on Spagnuolo right away. He interviewed Spags on Wednesday and reached an agreement a day later today. So much for taking his time.

Spagnuolo brings a sterling reputation and a track record of success to New Orleans.

Spagnuolo comes to the Saints after a failed three-year tenure as head coach of the St. Louis Rams. His teams compiled a 10-38 record, including a 2-14 mark this past season.

But forget about Spagnuolo’s mark as a head coach. That’s irrelevant. His job with the Saints is to improve their defense and he earned a great reputation as a defensive mind during successful tenures with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

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The San Francisco 49ers stunned the New Orleans Saints 36-32 Saturday night at Candlestick Park behind an amazing performance from tight end Vernon Davis.

Davis scored the game-winning touchdown on a 14-yard reception from quarterback Alex Smith to give the 49ers a remarkable comeback over the Saints and advancing them to the NFC title game Jan. 22. Davis finished the game with seven receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

The fourth quarter was a crazy back-and-forth affair with each team seemingly securing the victory only to see the other comeback. It appeared the 49ers had the game under control with Smith scampered around left end for a 28-yard touchdown and a 29-24 lead with 2:11 left. But Drew Brees quickly led the Saints to a score as he connected with tight end Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion gave the Saints a 32-29 lead.

But with 1:32 to play Smith led the 49ers quickly down the field getting the bulk of the yards on a 47-yard completion to Davis, who was being covered by safety Malcolm Jenkins. Three plays later Smith and Davis connected for the game-winner.

Smith finished 24 of 42 for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Brees finished 40 of 63 for 461 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Turnovers were a huge problem for the Saints as they committed five in the game, four in the first half as they quickly fell behind 17-0 thanks to two fumbles and a Brees interception.

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The Saints (14-3) will play at the San Francisco 49ers (13-3) next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Saints capped a perfect 9-0 home campaign with the blowout win over the Lions (10-7), who were making their first playoff appearance since 1999.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who set the single-season yardage record this season with 5,476, was 33 of 43 for 466 yards and three touchdowns. He received strong support from his running backs who combined for 167 yards on 36 carries.

The Lions put up a good fight for three quarters behind the passing of Matthew Stafford (380 yards, two TDs) and the receiving of Calvin Johnson (12 receptions, 211 yards, two TDs).

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That different approach led to a dominant 45-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, which included a franchise-record 617 yards for the scorching-hot Saints offense.

Even though the Saints (13-3) still finished as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, meaning they’ll host the Detroit Lions (10-6) in the first round of the playoffs Saturday, Brees said the team still accomplished “everything that we hoped for” at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

The Saints won their eighth straight game, tied a franchise record for most wins in a season, finished a perfect 8-0 at home for the first time in franchise history, set several NFL records for team and individual accomplishments, stayed relatively healthy and actually won a game in Week 17 for the first time in the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era.

Most important, the Saints kept some serious momentum rolling as they head into the postseason.

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On the night after Christmas, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke an NFL record that had stood for nearly three decades, and New Orleans beat its archrival Atlanta 45-16 to clinch the fifth division crown in franchise history. The victory keeps the Saints (12-3) in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, and its convincing nature offered further evidence no team in football is more explosive than New Orleans.

The Saints, undefeated at home this season, have now won seven in a row.

All of those heartwarming holiday milestones the team reached paled, however, to Brees breaking Dan Marino’s record of 5,084 passing yards in a season. Brees threw for 307 yards in the game, but it was a 9-yard scoring pass to running back Darren Sproles with 2:51 remaining, and the Saints already holding a commanding lead, that gave him 5,087 for the season.

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A fumble, a dropped pass that led to a punt, a penalty that nullified a touchdown, a botched snap for another fumble.

Yet none of it seemed to matter for a Saints team that has become a runaway train with six consecutive victories.

They eventually routed the Vikings 42-20 behind one of the best performances of quarterback Drew Brees’ career. Brees became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 80 percent of his passes (32 of 40) while throwing for 412 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.

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Coupled with the Chicago Bears loss to Denver and the Saints have clinched a playoff berth.

It was a classic Titans kind of game tough defense and forcing the opposition out of what they want to do. Still, though, Drew Brees threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns, but it was some tough passing yards.

The game wasn’t decided until Jo-Lonn Dunbar sacked Jake Locker t the 8-yard line on the final play of the game.

It was a big win for the Saints, on the road and outdoors, and they win their 10th game for the third straight year, which is a record for the franchise. At 10-3, the Saints have a chance to clinch the division next week with a win at Minnesota.

It was a big game for receiver Marques Colston who had seven catches for 105 yards.

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Six times they’ve played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this season. Six times they’ve won going away.

These affairs are starting to feel like “Groundhog Day.” The opponents, times and dates change, but the outcomes remain the same: a blowout victory for the home team.

The victims Sunday night were the Detroit Lions, a gritty and undermanned bunch that waged a good fight but ultimately succumbed 31-17 before a giddy sellout crowd of 73,048.

The game followed a familiar script for Saints fans. Drew Brees staked the Saints to an early lead. The defense bent, but it didn’t completely break. Brees threw more touchdown passes. The PA system nearly short-circuited on “Stand Up and Get Crunk.” Rinse. Wash. Repeat. Same as it ever was. This could have been Monday night against the Giants or Sunday afternoon against the Bears.

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The NFC is not just a two-team race. The Packers and 49ers have company in the battle for conference supremacy.

Green Bay and San Francisco might be the front-runners, but there’s a black-and-gold car drafting on their bumpers. And its gas tank is full.

One thing was abundantly clear after the Saints’ 49-24 rout of the Giants on Monday night. There are teams with better records and glitzier resumes than the Saints, but no one wants to play the Saints in this city in this building right now.

Not the Packers.

Not the 49ers.

And certainly not the New York Football Giants, who have now been outscored 97-51 in their last two trips to New Orleans.

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The Saints’ defense stuffed 247-pound tailback Michael Turner for no gain on the play. And four plays later, Saints kicker John Kasay nailed a 26-yard field goal for a 26-23 victory that allowed New Orleans to make an even bigger statement in the NFC South standings.

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