New Orleans Saints Review

Predicted Order of Finish:

1. New Orleans Saints – Ok, was there ever any doubt who I’d pick?    But in all honesty I have a very good feeling about this season for the black & gold.

I truly like the move of bringing in Gregg Williams to coach up the defense.  He, Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis made smart moves by bringing in cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Malcolm Jenkins, safety Darren Sharper and defensive end Anthony Hargrove.  All of these guys look like they will be real contributors.

On offense, it’s hard to imagine the Saints struggling as long as Drew Brees is healthy.  The big question is – can they run the ball?  Or, to put it a different way – are they willing to run the ball?  Sean Payton is notorious for abandoning the running game until he gets desperate.  That can’t happen this year.  He’ll need to stick with the run more consistently than in the past.  Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush will share the load and Mike Bell is going to make a contribution.

I also feel like keeping Bush on the field for a full 16 games will be very important.  Payton overused him last season and I have no doubt it led to a second consecutive season in which he missed a number of games.  He’s an exciting punt returner, but I would use him sparingly in that role.  Bring him out for the big situations, but make sure he’s an offensive player first.

Special teams is a bit of a concern, if only because veteran kicker John Carney has missed a few close field goal attempts in the preseason.  Hopefully he can regain his 2008 form, when he made the Pro Bowl for the Giants.

As I’ve said in the past, the defense doesn’t need to be a top 10 unit.  Just get up in the top half of the league and generate some turnovers.  If they give the Saints offense a short field, this team can win a lot of games.

The window of opportunity is only open for so long.  This team seems to know that if they’re going to get it done, this has to be the year.
Record: 10-6

2. Atlanta Falcons - Much like the Saints did in 2006, the Falcons came out of nowhere in 2008 to make the playoffs.  Rookie QB Matt Ryan was fabulous and the running tandem of Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood makes them a dangerous offensive team.  Adding tight end Tony Gonzalez is only going to make them harder to defend.  But, like the Saints, this team struggled on defense.  My bet is that the Falcons take a half-step back this year as the league will have a better idea of how to get to Matt Ryan.  Not that he won’t be very good at times, but it seems to happen to virtually every young quarterback that has early success.  I’m also betting that the Saints defense will have improved more than Atlanta’s, leaving the dirty birds to finish in second place.
Record: 9-7

3. Carolina Panthers - Call me crazy, but I see the Panthers as a franchise on a bit of a downturn.  It sure isn’t because of the dynamic running back duo of DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart.  Those guys are studs and it wouldn’t be a shock if they combine for more than 2,300 yards on the ground once again in 2009.  The problem seems to be quarterback Jake Delhomme, who is prone to turnovers and a defense that got the doors blown off against Arizona in the playoffs last year.  Defensive end Julius Peppers is a great one, but he has also tried to leave Carolina.  Without the franchise tag, he probably would have left already.  Not that the Panthers will be a bad team, I just see them more as a middle-of-the-road team in 2009.
Record: 7-9

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs are a team in transition.  Jon Gruden is out and Raheem Morris is in at head coach.  The quarterback?  Well, Byron Leftwich, to start the season.  Don’t be surprised if rookie Josh Freeman gets some game action as the season moves along.  With Cadillac Williams and Earnest Graham, Tampa will have a solid running attack.  The defense doesn’t seem to have much star power left, especially after they let go of longtime linebacker Derrick Brooks.  My guess (and that’s all these predictions are) is that the Bucs will hang close in a lot of games but I think the lack of a big-play offense will keep them in last place in 2009.
Record: 6-10

Rating:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 2:42 pm and is filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.