2007 NewOrleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints were not the 2006 Super Bowl Champs, but they were the story of the league last season going from worst to first in just one year bringing hope to a battered region.

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The Saints’ run had nothing to do with luck. This team assembled a winner in a hurry. Picking up Drew Brees from the San Diego Chargers proved to be the best offseason acquisition of any team as he, along with established power house back Deuce McAllister and top draft choice Reggie Bush , catapulted the Chargers offense to tops in the league. Several no-namers like Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, Jeff Fainer, and Scott Shanle are now household names. Add Jammal Brown, Scott Fujita, and Will Smith to the crew I’ve already mentioned and you have a team ready to make another run at an NFC title.

Head coach Sean Payton has the most dangerous offense in the league because of its balance. The Saints can beat you through the air with Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees who led the league in passing yards last season and finished second to his former teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson, in the MVP voting. WR Marques Colston was on the receiving end of plenty of Brees’ bombs and as a result finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Vince Young. This offense can bust it up the gut with RB Deuce McAllister and they can finesse you outside with speedster Reggie Bush who has caught so many comparisons to the great Gale Sayers. The offensive line only has one big name, Jammal Brown, but these boys block. The only loss on the offense is hot dog Joe Horn who the Saints will have no problem doing without with Colston stepping into a bigger role instantly. Rookie wide out Robert Meachem will get a chance to star right away as well.

The defense was a huge surprise. I guess first-year defensive coordinator Garry Gibbs earned his stripes. But this is still the side of the ball where the Saints are lacking as we saw in the NFC title game against the Bears. The Saints ranked next to last in takeaways in 2006 so it is obvious that this unit needs to make more plays to help out the offense that much more. Will Smith and Charles Grant are two of the game’s top defensive lineman. If these boys will bring the heat, a very solid secondary will get the chance to come up with a few more picks in 2007. Nobody is touching the Saints in the NFC South, but because their defense is a little weaker than the Eagles and the Bears, they may come up short of that NFC title yet again.

By Jeff Alexander – 7/24/2007

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