NFL 32 in 32: New Orleans Saints

By Ryan O'Halloran on July 8, 2009 into Redskins 360

22. New Orleans Saints

Coach: Sean Payton (fourth year)

Last year: 8-8 (allowed 29 or more points in six losses).

NFL rankings: Offense – first in yards and first in points; Defense – 23rd in yards and 26th in points.

Additions: CB Jabari Greer, FB Heath Evans, DE Paul Spicer, S Darren Sharper, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and rookie CB Malcolm Jenkins.

Substractions: RB Deuce McAllister, CB Josh Bullocks, FB Mike Karney, CB Mike McKenzie.

Fantasy pick: QB Drew Brees. The numbers last year were eye-popping (5,069 yards, 34 TDs). Even if he comes close to meeting those marks, he’s worth a high draft pick.

Outlook: There’s nothing wrong with New Orleans passing game because Drew Brees back and Marques Colston is healthy. But the question is whether the Saints can run the ball and can the defense stop anybody? They were 28th last year in rushing and that was with McAllister as part of the equation. The top two backs are now Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. Defensively, Williams has a tall task. The Saints allowed 393 points last year but Williams has added a couple new pieces – chiefly Sharper and Jenkins – to go with Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith.

Projected starters

Offense: QB Drew Brees, FB Heath Evans, RB Pierre Thomas, WR Marques Colston, WR Devery Henderson, TE Jeremy Shockey, LT Jammal Brown, LG Carl Nicks, C Jonathan Goodwin, RG Jahri Evans, RT Jon Stinchcomb.

Defense: LE Will Smith, DT Sedrick Ellis, DT Kendrick Clancy, RE Charles Grant, SLB Scott Fujita, MLB Jonathan Vilma, WLB Scott Shanle, CB Jabari Greer, SS Roman Harper, FS Darren Sharper, CB Malcolm Jenkins.

Specialists: K Garrett Hartley, P Glenn Pakulak, KR Pierre Thomas, PR Reggie Bush.

Projected record: 6-10 (third in NFC South). The Saints can score 30 points on anybody. Too bad that it might not be good enough in a few games. They face a difficult schedule (the entire AFC East and NFC East) along with two games apiece against Atlanta and Carolina. Half of their games are against 2008 playoff teams.

Ryan O’Halloran

Comment

There are 12 Comments

realheavyd

The Saints have added improvements almost across the board on the defensive side of the ball and their offense is fully healthy for the first time in the past 3 years and you predict them to end this season worse than they ended last season based solely on their schedule strength. "Half of their games are against 2008 playoff teams." but what percentage of those teams do you REALLY think will be returning to the playoffs again this year? Just wait until the Saints pound the Redskins this season and then maybe you'll change your attitude about them (or maybe not)! 6-10, please! Give me a break! It will be more like 10-6; watch! WHO-DAT!?!?!?

Mark as offensive

realheavyd

The Saints should be ranked more like #12 in the league since exactly 12 teams will make the playoffs. Wait and see!

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realheavyd

If 30+ points "might not be good enough in a few games", how exactly does potentially losing "a few (close) games" suddenly turn into losing a total of 10 games on the season anyway? I am not quite following the math logic here. Please help me understand your logic!

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neworleansalgiershus

See,this is why the saints like being the underdogs.Because everytime some idiot predicts stupid predictions like 6-10,the saints always eat the reporters predictions alive,and dominate the season.Who gives a damn about the falcons,and the panthers?pffft!And the AFC east,Pfft!What...the patriots?thats who you talkin about,please.Saints will go hard this year,jus watch!either,10,11 or even 12 wins this year.

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VdoggJ

You have to be kidding me. 6 and 10, this dude must be smoking. The Defense will NOT allow 30 points and the Offence will put up 21 to 28 points. 13 and 3 or 12 and 4 easy. Any other time I would say "Don't Sleep On Us'' but this year I'm saying "Please Sleep On Us''.

Mark as offensive

jimrip

Hmmm. the Saints finish first in points and yards and upgrade the main weakness.. the defense, and yet they finish 2 games worse than last year. I guess the big reason is because they play the mighty NFC East! Let's guess your final rankings for them! Redskins 16-0, Giants 14-2, Cowboys 14-2, and Eagles 14-2. (This makes no sense since they all have to play each other, but why let logic enter into this). In an unprecedented move, the NFL allows all 4 into the playoffs and disqualifies the NFC West champ. No NFC bias here.. nosirree!

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skinssuckskin

There is no way the Saints finish 6-10. Any NFL fan that is halfway paying attention knows that. They have done an excellent job upgrading problems from 2008. They lost 6 games by a combined 18 points last year and they had more then their fair of significant injuries (bush, colston, grant, mckenzie). Here's a prediction Ryan O'Hail to the Skins is out of a job in December!

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whodat

Where do I go to mark this article as offensive?

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lazyeyeh

If you're going to post for a news publication, maybe you should edit for grammar before posting to avoid looking like a high school student with a summer job.

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ohallornisanidiot

Hey Ryan, you f**king dumb*ss are you going to post the rest of your stupid a** 32 teams in 32 days blog or did you give up ? Maybe your stupid a** was fired, for not doing any research on any of the teams you have listed so far. Jesus, you start a 32 team, 32 day blog and give up after 10 teams. i hope you were fired for this crap you have posted so far or maybe you're hot on a story about Jason Campell's jock strap odor and are attempting to figure out if it's coming from the BJ you gave him when you start this crap you call a blog. So is your lazy*ss going to finish this or have you just changed it to 32 teams in 180 days? You know since it started on June 28th and showed you did no research when you started it and then stopped after 11 teams. Anyway good luck with that sports writer career you're HOPING to have, I see it's already something no one wants to read. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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tibbadoe

There is no way the Saints go 6-10. Their defense has improved tremendously and their offense should be just as good if not better than last year. I'm not worried about the running game because Pierre Thomas will break out this year and they've also added a guy named Heath Evans who can pound in the ball in 3rd and short situations. So what if they play a tough schedule? Their 2006 schedule was just as tough if not tougher, and they went 10-6. This team will be even better than that 2006 team. As long as they stay relatively healthy and their defense improves (even just to average), they will be in the playoffs. The only way they go 6-10 is if Drew Brees goes down early and they have to play most of their season with Mark Brunell or Joey Harrington -- God forbid!

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haha70

Well 7-0 ... already broke that prediction. 6-10.. that's laughable.

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NFL 32 in 32: New Orleans Saints

There are 12 Comments

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