New Orleans Saints Fan Blog

After winning the Super Bowl in 2009, the New Orleans Saints took a step backward in 2010, finishing 11-5 and being upset at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs. The defense that made so many huge plays was unable to duplicate that performance. Even though Drew Brees threw 33 touchdowns, he had a tough year throwing 22 interceptions and fumbling 9 times. A poor running game was the main reason for the turnovers. The Saints suffered several injuries to their running backs. Already a heavy passing team, opponents barely had to respect the run and were able to sit back and put more people into coverage.

To aid the struggling running game, the Saints took Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram in the first round. Although he lacks top-end speed, Ingram is a very complete back and should be able to contribute in all facets of the game for the team. Returning from injury is starter Pierre Thomas. Thomas injured his ankle early in the season, and did very little when he returned to the team in December before ending up on IR. Receiving threat Reggie Bush was lost to free agency, but was replaced by the diminutive Darren Sproles. Like Bush, Sproles has been an excellent receiver and punt returner, and will fulfill that role. All-pro center Olin Kreutz was signed and will bolster a solid offensive line. An increased emphasis on the running game should open things up downfield for Drew Brees and his receivers. Brees will look to extend his streak of 4,000 yards passing to 6 consecutive seasons. He will be working with the same group of receivers as last year. Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, and Devery Henderson all return to New Orleans in the same roles. The wild card on the offense is tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham has not been playing organized football very long, but the team was high enough on him to cut Jeremy Shockey to free up playing time. Graham came on towards the end of the season and could see a bigger role this year.

Blitz-happy defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be back ratcheting up the pressure for the Saints again in 2011. He may be working with his weakest defense yet so far. Will Smith and Sedrick Ellis anchor the defensive line, but Smith is suspended for using an illegal diuretic in part of the Starcaps case. Aubrayo Franklin and Turk McBride were signed to start at defensive tackle and end respectively, although neither has produced much as of yet in their careers. Ends Cameron Jordan and Greg Romeus were drafted by the team and offer intriguing depth and potential at the position. They may be called upon to contribute this season. Jonathon Vilma leads an unimpressive group of linebackers. Scott Shanle and Will Herring will be flanking him on either side. Malcolm Jenkins heads the secondary, most likely the best unit of this defense, but that isn’t saying much. Roman Harper will be the other safety and Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter man the corner spots. Porter made a great play to intercept Peyton Manning for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, however, he struggled in coverage a lot last year. Overall the defense does not look very impressive at all, and Gregg Williams will have a very tall task ahead of him to slow down opposing offenses.

The Saints will most likely be involved in a lot of shootouts this upcoming year, and that’s just the way they like it. Coach Payton believes there aren’t many teams that can keep up with his high octane offense. An improved running attack could go a long way for New Orleans. Not only will it open up down-field throws for Brees, it will give their lacking defense a chance to get more rest on the sideline. If the Saints are able to establish a legitimate ground attack, look for them to take back the NFC South crown. If Brees is forced to throw 50 times a game, the Saints could struggle and potentially miss the playoffs altogether.