2016 Season Preview: New Orleans Saints
2015 in New Orleans can only be classified as a mess. If any of the other 31 teams scraped 7-9 with that level of defensive talent (or lack there of), it wouldn’t be so bad. But when you have Drew Brees as your quarterback and offensive wizard Sean Payton turning the gears from the sideline, 7-9 is always a bad year. With Drew Brees at 37 years old and entering the final year of his contract, there is a little bit of a now or never feeling going around Louisiana this year. Can they deliver?
2015 Season
It didn’t matter how many bombs Drew Brees dropped in 2015, he couldn’t outscore his own defense. The New Orleans defense was a square peg in a round hole, with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan inexplicably continuing to try to jam that square peg into the round hole. He insisted on a blitzing when the team did not have the personnel to blitz. It left them way too open at the back, and opposing quarterbacks had field days in the air against them.
Still despite this the potent offense managed to salvage seven wins, including two on the road in the division. They underachieved given the franchise, but probably overachieved given the talent on the roster.
Personnel Changes
The Saints, desperate to try anything to fix that defense, signed Nick Fairley to a one-year deal in free agency. To add to that they picked up a trio of linebackers from Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Cleveland in Nate Stupar, James Laurinaitis, and Craig Robertson. On the other side of the line of scrimmage Drew Brees has another weapon in Coby Fleener. Kicker Josh Scobee also joined the ranks.
Three notable players that will not be donning black and gold next season are Brandon Browner, Marques Colston, and David Hawthorne. All three players were released from the team. The Saints will hope the three linebackers will help to cancel out the loss of Hawthorne, and Fleener can provide enough going down the field to negate what Marques Colston brought to the Drew Brees offense.
Team Strengths
I don’t think there is a set of strengths and weaknesses for any team in the NFL that is more clear-cut than for the New Orleans Saints. The strength of this team is the offense. Drew Brees is still a top five quarterback in the NFL, and he proved that last year as he led the league with 4,870 passing yards. It doesn’t matter what the offensive line in front of him is or who he is throwing the ball to. As long as Drew Brees is under center and Sean Payton is on the sideline, the offense will always be the strength of the New Orleans Saints.
Team Weaknesses
The weakness of this team is the defense. Whenever they didn’t allow a touchdown, the city broke into Mardi Gras style celebrations. It was that bad. They’ve made some acquisitions this offseason that should make them better, but with Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, and Jameis Winston in the division, it is still a major area of concern.
Best Case
The defense figures it out enough to keep opposing offenses in check. Drew Brees does Drew Brees things. Coby Fleener turns out to be a huge addition and becomes one of most productive tight ends in the NFL. The new linebackers help to clog up the holes of 2015, and the Saints have a huge rebound season, going 10-6, coming 2nd in the NFC South and getting a wild card.
Worst Case
The defense shows the same worrying signs that it did last season, and teams pass all over them. Drew Brees shows signs of father time beginning to set in, and the new players on both sides of the ball fail to hit the ground running. A gauntlet of mid-season opponents featuring Carolina twice, Kansas City, Seattle, and Denver from weeks six to 11 wipe out any chance of a postseason return. They finish 5-11, last in the NFC South
Prediction
The Saints defense improves a little bit, giving the Saints better chances to win more games. Drew Brees finishes out strong in a contract year, finishing on top of the NFL in passing yards again. The middle of the schedule does take its toll, but Sean Payton’s team win enough games against weaker opponents to reach 9-7, good enough for 2nd in the NFC South, but just missing a wild card.