Michael Lewis, return specialist for the newly crowned kings of the NFC South (despite a 16-10 loss to Washington at the Dome, the Saints secured the division because of Carolina’s 37-3 to Pittsburgh) has made a habit of achieving career benchmarks against the Redskins.

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The last time Lewis faced the Washington Redskins in 2002, he had a career day in a vastly different football universe.

Coach Jim Haslett marshaled the Saints sidelines; Aaron Brooks took the snaps from center; and the Saints’ home venue was three years away from its darkest hour.

With the Saints facing a 20-0 deficit in Washington’s RFK Stadium, Lewis (previously a New Orleans beer truck driver) put his team’s wilting resolve on his shoulders and generated an improbable comeback.

He became the first NFL player since 1977 and the seventh all-time to return both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns – the Saints, meanwhile, stormed back to life and collected a 43-27 victory that October afternoon in Washington.

The kickoff score went for 90 yards and the punt return for 83. Then quarterback Aaron Brooks struck Lewis for 70 yards on two passes.

“That was a career year, period,” Lewis said. “You look at the whole year, and that was the starting point of everything I accomplished.”

He went from NFL novelty, a feel-good story in the mold of Eagles special teams ace Vince Papale, to a bona fide league player – one that not only returned kicks, but caught passes reliably in the slot.

The Saints, however, petered their rhythm down at the end of that season and somehow managed to miss the playoffs – they squandered an advantageous 8-3 record and lost four of their last five games.

On Sunday, the fabrics of both the black-and-gold football world and of the city of New Orleans had undergone a dramatic turnover despite a sluggish losing performance.

Sean Payton marshaled the rejuvenated Saints sidelines to an NFC South title with two games left in the season; Drew Brees operated behind center, notching himself a season meriting MVP considerations; and millions of lives, their courses irreversibly altered after the happenings of Hurricane Katrina, had a reason to get through from Sunday to Sunday.

“It was a career goal of mine, and it was accomplished by everybody,” Lewis said about winning the division. “But it still doesn’t come out the way you want it to feel.”

Sunday’s outing against the Redskins for Lewis wasn’t the nationwide sensation that his two touchdowns he recorded that October afternoon four years ago was, solidifying his name as a special teams ace on highlight reels and radio talk shows.

Lewis returned four kicks for 83 yards and a punt for seven yards. On what could have been a huge factor in the battle for field position, Lewis wheeled downfield and downed a Steve Weatherford punt on Washington’s 3-yard line.

But on a day of offensive futility, marred by passes that were either dropped by receivers or hurried by Redskins rushers, his performance was largely inconsequential.

He did, however, secure the division and accomplish a career goal on a day he played those same old ‘Skins.

“It just wasn’t as sweet because we didn’t get it with a win.”

Ramon Vargas can be reached at [email protected].