AP

Very early Sunday morning, Twitter was abuzz with accounts of fans showing up after 1:00 a.m. CT to greet the Saints as they returned from a divisional-round loss to the Seahawks in Seattle.

The Saints have posted a gallery of photos at the team’s official website, and quarterback Drew Brees acknowledged the showing.

“Greatest fans in the world,” Brees said on Twitter. “The Who Dat Nation was waiting for us as we arrived back from Seattle.”

Via Kathleen Flynn of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “hundreds” of Saints fans showed up to welcome the team. Photos at Nola.com include images of coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan extending a hand to fans as they drove by in their cars.

It was, all things considered, an unexpectedly strong season for the Saints, who overcame various types and kinds of adversity to make it to the final eight. On Saturday, they also nearly overcame second-half deficits of 16-0 and 23-8 in one of the toughest places to play.