New Orleans Saints 2020 Season Preview
The New Orleans Saints enter 2020 as a legitimate Super Bowl contender but have to shrug off and exorcise some playoff demons that have essentially haunted them for the past three seasons. After three straight 7-9 campaigns from 2014-2016, the Saints have gone 37-11 and have won the NFC South. However, in each of the postseasons since 2017, they've managed to lose in every round in heartbreaking fashion.
First, it was the Minneapolis Miracle against the Vikings in the Divisional Round. Second, it was the infamous no-call in the NFC Championship game against the Rams. Lastly and most recently, the team suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of the Vikings again after a 13-3 campaign. As good as the turnaround and three-year run has been for Sean Payton's team, the dramatic postseason exits have left many feeling what could have been.
On paper, the Saints have one of the best rosters in the league, and they have an extremely talented and underrated coaching staff on their hands. New Orleans is facing a crucial season, as they may be in the final window to help Drew Brees get another Lombardi Trophy. It's definitely going to be the last year to make a run with their stellar 2017 draft class.
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Offense
The Saints possess one of the NFL's most prolific offenses. Despite losing Drew Brees for five games last year, the team rallied and rattled off five straight wins with Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. They only gave the ball away a league-low eight times, while finishing behind the Patriots with a +15 turnover differential. Michael Thomas, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, had a season to remember after becoming the NFL's single-season leader in receptions. Despite not looking himself and later learning of a painful injury he played through, Alvin Kamara still turned in a respectable year. New Orleans got answers offensively from players like Latavius Murray and Taysom Hill while having others like Jared Cook heat up at the right time of the year.
The black and gold only improved offensively during the offseason, landing Emmanuel Sanders through free agency to give them a legitimate No. 2 option opposite of Michael Thomas. The Saints are also leaning on another rookie offensive lineman for the third straight season, drafting Michigan's Cesar Ruiz at 24th overall in the past NFL draft. The team expects a big leap from wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith, who could benefit from teams potentially focusing on the largest targets in the passing game.
Drew Brees returns for his 20th NFL season, joining just a handful of quarterbacks who have actually played that long. Down the stretch last season, Brees was practically on fire, posting 15 passing touchdowns (16 total) in the final four games of the year with no interceptions. In front of him, helping to keep him upright include some of the game's best tackles in Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramcyzk. All things considered, there are so many ways the Saints can be you, and No. 9 will find it.
Defense
New Orleans possesses a defense anchored by a ton of players that aren't exactly household names but has increasingly become one of the better units in the league. Cam Jordan, Marshon Lattimore, and Demario Davis are all the key cogs for Dennis Allen's squad, who is coming off 51 sacks last season, their highest output in the Sean Payton era and the largest total since 2001 (53). They've also gone 43 straight games, which encompasses both the regular season and postseason) without allowing a 100-yard rusher. To see them actually ranked as a top fantasy football option for DST leagues is something when you actually think about it.
Health is the biggest factor to consider whether this can become a Top 5 or Top 10 unit. Several big players are coming back from season-ending injuries that can give them a boost. Along the defensive line, Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins return to the fold and could be in line for dominant years. With the linebacker group, Kiko Alonso, Alex Anzalone, and Kaden Elliss are all being counted on to help Demario Davis and rookie Zack Baun. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but the Saints have positioned themselves with strong depth to keep up the pace.
The small details of the game are where the Saints' defense has increased. In 2019, the Saints finished out with the sixth-best third-down defense in the league at 34.8 percent, which was their best finish since coming in fifth in 2011 (33.2 percent). While it seems like a lot, the Saints finished out 11th in the league, surrendering 333.1 yards per game. The significance of that stat is that it was an improvement year over year (14th in 2018 at 349.1 yards per game). They'll have their hands full with the likes of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan, and a host of other talented quarterbacks on the schedule in 2020, and will be tested in almost every contest.
Predicted Record
The Saints have an interesting schedule on their hands, and it doesn't appear that they'll have fans in attendance for at least their first four contests in 2020. They have five primetime games this season, which includes a special Christmas Day matchup against the Vikings. They'll be tested right out of the gate against the new-look Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1 while being in the national spotlight three out of their first five games.
In mid-May, I did a 'way-too-early' game-by-game prediction for the Saints and how things would play out this season, giving them a 12-4 record prediction. Factoring in how COVID-19 has changed football's landscape this season and the total unknowns of not having fans, I still feel good about 12-4 being a good prediction for New Orleans. I believe the floor is 10-6 and the ceiling is 13-3. The NFC South is expected to be a lot tougher, but the Saints still hold all the cards as a three-straight division title winner. The love fest of the Buccaneers and a talented Falcons squad will absolutely challenge New Orleans this season, but they still have the most talented roster of them all.
Expected Depth Chart
When you pan across the Saints roster, it's pretty easy to pick out at least 40 players that will be on the 53-man squad. The same could be said about putting together their depth chart. However, with training camp going on, players like Ty Montgomery and Bennie Fowler are some of the many veterans who look to make things interesting for the final roster spots. You also can't put things past Sean Payton to be strategic when considering the elevated 16-man practice squad with several spots available for veterans.
On offense, Taysom Hill should go in as the primary backup to Drew Brees, with Jameis Winston serving as an extremely talented and interesting insurance policy. There are few surprises on offense, but worth monitoring where Cesar Ruiz ends up on the offensive line. In all likelihood, Ruiz will go to right guard alongside Erik McCoy, but has been getting work at center. While we mentioned that Ruiz won't be the only new face to the offense, Emmanuel Sanders and Adam Trautman are both new weapons for Drew Brees. Aside from those few players, the Saints offense will have the usual suspects from last season. Some of the reserve/depth roles need to be figured out, but the roster turnover is minimal.
Defensively, the Saints lost Vonn Bell and A.J. Klein in free agency but replaced them with second-round pick Zack Baun and a familiar face in Malcolm Jenkins. Second-year safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, or Ceedy Duce now, looks to hold down slot duties for Dennis Allen's defense, but could also rotate with P.J. Williams. 15.5-sack artist Cam Jordan looks to follow up the best season of his career and team's fourth-best single-season sack performance and should have adequate help terrorizing opposing quarterbacks with Marcus Davenport. Also in the secondary, Janoris Jenkins looks to be the real deal opposite of Marshon Lattimore, giving the Saints their best cornerback tandem since Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter.
We can't overlook the special teams either, as New Orleans has some of the best in the game right now. Kicker Wil Lutz, punter Thomas Morstead, and electrifying kick/punt returner Deonte Harris are coming off of strong seasons and should only repeat success in 2020. Long snappers aren't talked about much either, but the team locked theirs up for the next four years when they re-signed Zach Wood in the offseason.
The New Orleans Saints have all the ingredients needed to cook up fourth-straight successful regular season campaign this year, and as you'll always hear from the players, it comes one game at a time. No matter how this team finishes out, the postseason is where they'll be judged the hardest. Here's to hoping they can come out on top and send Drew Brees riding off into the sunset.
