NFL
By: Greg Rector
Who Dat Nation went through a difficult 2021 season which also proved to be the end of the Sean Payton era in “The Big Easy.” New head coach Dennis Allen gets his second opportunity as a head coach after being the team’s defensive coordinator since 2015.
New Orleans Saints 2021 (9-8) Failed to make the playoffs
Offense
Question marks indeed surround the Saints offense as training camp begins. Can Jameis Winston bounce back from his injury? Will Alvin Kamara be suspended after his offseason battery arrest during the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas? Can Michael Thomas return from his 2020 ankle injury given he has started the 2022 season on the PUP list? Can veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry be the mentor to highly touted 1st round draft pick Chris Olave and be a contributor? The Saints also drafted a big nasty future left tackle in Trevor Penning, who is raw but has the potential to become the swing tackle at least as a rookie. The questions are very hard to answer at this point of course. For me having a healthy Winston is an absolute must so there aren’t any Andy Dalton or Ian Book sightings at quarterback. Last year before his injury Winston was playing at a very good level, having thrown for 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His QB rating of 102.8 was the highest of his career. The Saints have also moved former jack of all trades (including QB) Taysom Hill to the tight end slot. It will be interesting to see what unfolds for this offense and who will play behind an offensive line that will be tested. Cesar Ruiz at right guard is the one player most Saints fans are looking to see improvement after his first two seasons weren’t very impressive.
Defense
This unit has been the team’s strength and will continue in 2022. Tyrann Mathieu has come home to Louisiana and joins another newcomer in fellow free agent safety Marcus Maye. That’s a pretty strong pairing and they are joined by corners Marshon Lattimore ( 4 Pro Bowls in 5 seasons) and Paulson Adebo who was a pleasant surprise as a rookie in 2021. The front seven is led by Cam Jordan and is just a very solid group. I was laughed at for two years in a row when I said that the Tom Brady Buccaneers would not beat the Saints and they indeed have gone 4-0 vs Tampa Bay in that time span. It was based on the defense that I made the prediction and while I am not going there this season it was a matchup I felt confident in. With the additions of two top safeties, the Saints will be a hard defense to play against both rushing and passing.
Outlook
Since the Saints are in a division with Atlanta and Carolina, two franchises expected to compete for top ten draft picks in 2023, it seems logical that New Orleans be favored to be at least the 2nd place team in the NFC South. The unknown status of both Kamara and Thomas makes predicting the record for 2022 no easy task. However if Winston can return to the form he was showing before his knee injury, this team can win plenty of games. After all the ridicule from his Tampa Bay days, it would be great to see Winston prove his detractors wrong once and for all. The schedule has done New Orleans no favors as they will host both Super Bowl teams the Rams and Bengals, and they also have the rest of the AFC North teams to deal with as their non-conference opponents. Because of the unknowns with Kamara and Thomas, I will say the Saints finish with a 10-7 record and make the playoffs. Show who you cheer for by grabbing some fresh gear here.
