New Orleans Saints Season Preview History
2012 NEW ORLEANS PREVIEW:
The New Orleans Saints have had a tumultuous offseason that has cost them linebacker Jonathan Vilma and head coach Sean Payton for the entirety of the 2012 season, but they’ll still have Drew Brees and many would argue that’s all they’ll need.
The Saints have a lot to look forward to as they try to put the past behind them, and with the unexpected breakthrough of Jimmy Graham, they have weapons at every position. Graham broke into the NFL after playing only one unremarkable season of college football at Miami, but has already broke the NFL record for receiving yards for a tight end (which was also broken by Rob Gronkowski). Add in the explosiveness of Darren Sproles and the Saints once again have the recipe to be one of the most potent offenses in the league.
On defense, the Saints will have a tough time replacing who they lost whether it be to suspensions or free agency, but with the offense moving at such a quick scoring pace they won’t have to be the iron curtain to win games.
New Orleans will travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers in Week 4 of the season before coming home the next week to host the Chargers. They’ll see familiar foe Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Week 8 and will meet rival Atlanta twice in the month of November.
2011 NEW ORLEANS PREVIEW:
One year after their Super Bowl victory, the New Orleans Saints made it back to the playoffs, but suffered an embarrassing loss to the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks in the first round. The Saints are back with much the same team and are looking to get back to the postseason for the third straight year. The heart of the Saints is undoubtedly in quarterback Drew Brees. He has been one of the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL ever since entering the league, and will certainly be that way once again in 2011.
Although the Saints lost Reggie Bush to the Miami Dolphins, they acquired Darren Sproles, who will complement a passing attack led by Marques Colston and Robert Meacham very nicely. The Saints defense was soft at time last season, and will need to shore up considerably if they would like to make another Super Bowl run. Up front, they are led by defensive end Will Smith and veteran lineback Johnathan Vilma. The secondary has a pair of standout playmakers in Roman Harper and Fabian Washington who will be playing alongside Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter.
2011 Playoff Preview: New Orleans Saints
Regular Season Record: 11-5
Seed: 5, NFC
2010 Team Leaders: Passing: Drew Brees (4620 YDS, 1st NFC); Rushing: Chris Ivory (716 YDS, 14th NFC); Receiving: Marques Colston (1023 YDS, 9th NFC)
Repeating as Super Bowl champs is a very hard endeavor, but jet getting back to the big game in recent history has been spotty at best. So we have to give props to the Saints for making it back, overcoming a resurgent NFC South division that had the number one NFC seed Atlanta Falcons and 10-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers nipping at their heels. Of course, having Drew Brees is always a big plus. His work through the air helped the Saints overcome a ground game that lost both Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, but found diamond-in-the-rough Chris Ivory. While their pass-rush is lacking, the Saints defense was bolstered by the break-out of safety Malcolm Jenkins, who took over when Darren Sharper had to skip the first half of the season due to knee surgery. For the Saints to repeat, or even get out of the NFC, they’re going to have to find the right balance that players like Brees and Jenkins can offer on both sides of the ball.
2010 New Orleans Saints Football Preview:
One of the biggest reasons for the Saints success last season was their potent offense. Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees had an outstanding season and is poised to do the same this year. Brees has a number of reliable targets to throw to including Marques Colson, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and tight end Jeremy Shockey. Reggie Bush adds a versatile option for the offense, and running back Pierre Thomas is solid out of the backfield. Barring any injuries, there's no reason why this squad won't put up big numbers once again.
While the offense got much of the acclaim, it was the defense that won the Saints their first championship. Cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter when it looked like the Colts were driving to tie the score last February. Porter is back this year, and along with Darren Sharper and Roman Harper, New Orleans' secondary is one of the best. Veteran middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma provides a strong sense of leadership on the defensive side of the ball as well.
2009 New Orleans Saints Football Preview:
Hope springs eternal for the 2009 New Orleans Saints and their fans. Sure the 2008 Saints team finished at 8-8, but they played hard in a tough NFC South division. The good news for Saints fans in 2009 is that their team returns almost entirely intact. Record setting quarterback Drew Brees is back to lead a loaded offense that features playmakers like Reggie Bush and Marques Colston. The New Orleans defense is a solid crew that features Will Smith, Scott Fujita and Charles Grant. If Head Coach Sean Payton can get his offense revved up again and his defense playing lights out, then the Saints might go marching all the way down Bourbon Street to Miami, Florida.
2008 New Orleans Saints Football Preview:
Last season was a rollercoaster for the Saints, as they would lose four straight, then subsequently win three, then repeat. Last year's Saints team was packed with an All-Star lineup, but the boys couldn't get rid of the preseason jitters all year long. Not this season, though. The New Orleans Saints are one of the NFL's toughest teams this season and are very likely to knock the NFC favorites out of the playoffs. The Saints will need to run the ball plenty this season to relieve QB Drew Brees of the 18 interceptions he threw last season. This year, the bets are all on Sean Payton and Reggie Bush - two performers who failed to move the ball up the field. You can bet that Bush and Payton are fiery for another chance to wreak havoc on the NFC. The 2008 New Orleans Saints are going to dazzle, and are sure to secure the playoff berth if they just take a deep breath, and do what they do best - play some football. Look for these Saints in the Super Bowl this season, because it is highly likely you will be watching them dominate come February.
By the way, make sure to grab some tickets to the Saints vs. Chargers game in London, England this season. The two teams will be playing at Wembley Stadium, continuing the tradition of American football played at Wembley. If you are in Europe this season, you should not miss the opportunity to see two of the best teams in NFL football play at the home of the English national football team.