2014 Saints NFL Handicapping
Saints Ready To Contend With The Best In The NFC In 2014
The New Orleans Saints have been perennial contenders under head coach Sean Payton. That was the case again a year ago when the Saints followed up Bountygate with a run to the NFC Divisional round in Payton’s return from a one-year suspension.
New Orleans lost a close playoff game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks but there are plenty of positives to take from 2013.
An offense led by Drew Brees was once again among the best in the NFL with Payton calling the plays and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan conducted a major transformation on defense where the Saints ranked second against the pass and fourth in scoring.
A tricky salary cap situation forced general manager Mickey Loomis to get creative throughout an impressive offseason and the results should be enough to make New Orleans a strong contender to win the NFC.
2014 New Orleans Saints Team Preview/Predictions
- 2013 Record: 11-5
- ATS Record: 8-7-1
2014 Saints Futures
- Super Bowl Odds: +1400
- Conference Odds: +800
- NFC South Odds: +125
- 2014 NFL Regular Season Wins: 10
The Saints were forced to part ways with wide receiver Lance Moore and running back Darren Sproles but they signed top target tight end Jimmy Graham and upgraded the receiver position in the draft.
Drew Brees is the first player to throw for more than 5,000 yards in three-straight seasons and he has shown no signs of wearing down despite a noted disparity between his numbers at home and on the road.
The offense will have to do a better job in opposing team stadiums this coming year and nobody understands that better than Brees.
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Signing Graham was key after he led the Saints with 86 catches for 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns and he will once again rank among the league’s elite tight ends despite lining up as a receiver 67-percent of the time.
Tight end Benjamin Watson didn’t have outstanding numbers a year ago but he was an excellent blocker and gave the offense flexibility when moving Graham out wide.
Marques Colston is back as the team’s No. 1 receiver but will be pushed by second-year pro Kenny Stills after the latter showed off his ability as a burner last season.
Robert Meachem, Nick Toon, and Joe Morgan will all compete for snaps while rookie first-round pick Brandin Cooks will move all over the field to take advantage of his explosiveness.
Cooks can line up at both receiver and in the backfield in the same way that Sproles did and he could have a major impact in his first year on offense and in the return game.
Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram, and second-year pro Khiry Robinson will once again compete for snaps in the Saints’ running back rotation. Thomas led all NFL running backs in receptions last season, which also helped the team move on from Sproles.
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Robinson impressed in last year’s playoffs and could push to be the No. 2 with Ingram entering a contract year. Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans are both coming off Pro Bowl seasons at guard while Terron Armstead has impressed in limited snaps at left tackle.
Right tackle Zach Strief was signed to a five-year deal in the offseason but Brian De La Puente wasn’t brought back at center where the position has been downgraded with Jonathan Goodwin set to start.
Ryan proved in his first season in New Orleans that he deserves credit as one of the best coordinators in the NFL and his defense could take another step forward after offseason upgrades.
The biggest addition comes in the form of top free agent safety Jairus Byrd, who will team with second-year pro Kenny Vaccaro to give the Saints one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Vaccaro was a monster in his rookie season and should be even better with another year of experience and next to another star in Byrd.
Keenan Allen is underrated as the team’s No. 1 corner.
New Orleans signed veteran Champ Bailey and then drafted rookie Stanley Jean-Baptiste in the second round. Patrick Robinson is still the leading candidate to start opposite Lewis but Bailey provides depth and a veteran presence while Jean-Baptiste is expected to develop in to a starter.
A big part of the improvement on defense was thanks to a switch to the 3-4 up front where All-Pro defensive end Cameron Jordan led an impressive line.
Jordan had an incredible 12.5 sacks and set the tone against the run as well. Brodrick Bunkley is a big body that will help anchor the middle while Akiem Hicks and John Jenkins will also push for time on the line with Hicks set to start opposite Jordan at defensive end.
David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton aren’t elite at the inside linebacker spots but both understand the defense and will start again in 2014.
Junior Galette showed off his pass rush ability with 12 sacks at the outside linebacker spot and the Saints hope that Victor Butler can recover from a torn ACL and take advantage of the matchups opposite of Galette at the other outside spot.
An already improved defense has been upgraded with Byrd, Bailey, and Baptiste added to the secondary while the offense should be just as dominant with Brees, Graham, and a deep receiving core capable of putting up elite numbers.
The Carolina Panthers are primed to take a step back and neither the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Atlanta Falcons will be able to beat out New Orleans for top spot in the NFC South.
The Saints will once again battle the Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Green Bay Packers for NFC supremacy and should post more than 10 wins as long as they can stay healthy.
2014 Saints Predictions
- Place they’ll finish in NFC South: 1st
- Place they’ll finish in NFC Conference: 2nd
- Over/Under Wins Prediction: OVER
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