Are the New Orleans Saints finally living up to the preseason hype?
After weeks of ugly wins and disappointing games, it finally seems like the New Orleans Saints are playing like the juggernaut they are. Last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the ultimate example of that.
To put it plainly, the Saints absolutely dominated the Bucs and gave Tom Brady the worst loss of his career. That’s certainly something to brag about and not something any team can pull off.
It took a while for the team to finally get to this point so it’s reasonable. In particular, the team has dealt with a lot of injuries and it pushed them back a few steps. However, things seem to be going back to normal for now. Before they face off against the San Fransisco 49ers, there are still a few lingering questions about the team and their future.
With such an impressive game though, it does bring up a question about the rest of the season and if the Saints can keep up the momentum. The New Orleans Saints have been far from reliable this season, so it’s not going to be easy to answer that question.
Here’s how the New Orleans Saints can best their rough upcoming schedule.
Including the San Fransisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints have an incredibly tough schedule until the end of the season. In that time, the Saints also have to face off against the Broncos, Chiefs, and Vikings in addition multiple division games. Oddly enough, their games against the Panthers and Falcons could prove to be more difficult than facing off against the former Super Bowl champions.
All hope isn’t lost for the Saints, though. Their first plan of action might be obvious but it’s to ensure the team can stay healthy.
The Saints have been plagued with injuries thus far this season and taken a major hit to their depth chart. Coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the team needs to make sure they’re being cautious. Thankfully, it seems like the Saints are being safe and aren’t dealing with as many injuries as before.
Secondly, Drew Brees needs to continue playing at a high level. Brees did have a rough patch at the start of this year and it’s time for him to leave that behind him. Against the Buccaneers, Brees finished the game with four touchdowns, over 80 percent completion rate and over 200 passing yards.
If Brees can continue to play as impressively these next few weeks, the team should be sitting pretty. Brees holds one key to the Saints having an impressive streak before the season comes to an end, though.
Defensively, the team needs to keep the same energy as they had against the Bucs. The team didn’t even allow 200 yards to the Bucs, intercepted Brady three times and sacked him three times in their best performance of the season.
Despite it being late in the year, the defense has a chance to become one of the best in the league. If they can continue to work together, shut down offenses, and not allow teams to get an early lead, then the Saints defense shouldn’t have problems.
Most importantly for the Saints is for the team not to get too comfortable. This season, the team tried to ride on the wave of previous years. They soon discovered things weren’t going to come easy for them and changed their tune.
After Week 9, it feels like the Saints are finally forging a new path. The offense is in sync as well as the defense and even, special teams. Coupled with the team finally utilizing Taysom Hill in a new way, all the pieces are falling into place.
After a shaky season, it seems like the New Orleans Saints are finally getting hot and hopefully, it won’t stop. Considering how unpredictable 2020 has been, the Saints are turning into exactly who we thought they were. It’s not going to be an easy ride for the Saints but they’ve proven they can win in the face of adversity. We can only hope they stamp their ticket to the Super Bowl along the way.