Today we’re coming to a team that didn’t really impress last season. A team that is about to start afresh.
The New Orleans Saints went into the past season quite optimistically. While most pundits expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division, second place and possibly a playoff spot seemed realistic for the Louisiana team.
And it started well. They didn’t play particularly well against arch-rivals Atlanta in week one, but a late comeback saw them start off by defeating their arch-nemesis. This was followed by three bankruptcies in a row. The main problem in the first few weeks: the offensive didn’t really get going. In Week 2 against Tampa Bay only 10 points in Week 3 against Carolina only 14 points.
In week 5, things suddenly got better and they defeated Seattle 39 to 32. It was noticeable that the offensive got a little better now, but the defense had problems. They conceded 30 points in the loss to Cincinnati and 42 points in the Arizona defeat. After week 7 it was only two and five. Against the Raiders, they worked offensively and defensively for the first time and won 24 to 0.
However, that remained a flash in the pan, because there were defeats again against Baltimore and in Pittsburgh. Here it was wrong again on the offensive, against the Ravens there were only 13 points, with the Steelers only 10 points. A home win over the Rams yielded little as the Saints lost in San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
So it was clear even before Bye Week that there would be a negative balance. But because the NFC South was so bad, there was still a glimmer of hope. And it actually got better after the break. The second derby against Atlanta was also won, followed by victories in Cleveland and even in Philadelphia. However, these came too late. The season then ended with another poor offensive performance and loss to Carolina.
Surprise: the offensive did have a ray of hope. WR Chris Olave delivered in his first season. It wasn’t his fault. If he has good chemistry with Derek Carr, it could liven up the weak offense. I would also like to give a positive mention to linebacker Kaden Eliss. After having just one sack the year before, it’s seven this season.
Disappointment: DE Marcus Davenport went the other way. In 2021 he had 9 sacks in just 11 games, compared to a ridiculous 0.5 in 15 games last season.
How were the rookies? Aside from Chris Olave, who rushed for 1042 yards and 4 TD, there are few positives. OT Trevor Penning only had six games to play while CB Alontae Taylor had 38 tackles. LB D’Maŕco Jackson couldn’t play and DE Jordan Jackson has transferred to Denver.
That was good: Definitely not the fault of the defensive. 2nd in yards allowed by passing and 5th in total yards. Only four teams have surpassed 48 sacks.
That was bad: whether it was Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton: quality was lacking in the most important position in football. Another problem: the turnover balance is a disaster! The Saints won the ball from their opponents 14 times and lost it 25 times.
A -11 record is the second-worst in the NFL. Only Indianapolis is even worse. 14 conquered balls are far too few, only Las Vegas has even less.
What should you do?
It’s not going to be an easy offseason in Louisiana. They rank last in cap space and only the New England Patriots rank older than the New Orleans Saints.
Contracts will have to be restructured, for example with Alvin Kamara, Andrus Peat or Marshon Lattimore. Jameis Winston is likely to be fired in the summer.
