2009 NFL Preview: New Orleans Saints

Here are our previous installments.

By JFein:

I have good news and bad news to report. The good news is is that 49er16 is currently on an airplane flying to Philadelphia. The bad news is is that 49er16 is currently on an airplane flying to Philadelphia (wow, that joke is so much more funnier with voice and tone involved). Anyway, I'm therefore doing the NFL preview for today.

Today is the New Orleans Saints day to get looked at. They come in this season after falling short of the playoffs last year. Passing yard wise, Drew Brees had one of the best seasons that a QB ever had, but as mentioned above they failed to make the playoffs that year. Brees is good, hell, he's very good, but the Saints as a whole are not and that is going to drag this team down.

Breesy Like Sunday Afternoon Let's face facts: Drew Brees is a beast. Drew Brees was 15 yards away from breaking Dan Marino's all time record for passing yards in a season, a record that for the longest time no one thought would ever be close to being touched. And to be 15 yards away from it definitley says something about the talent of Drew Brees. If this team does not make the playoffs, chances are it's not Brees' fault. This guy can throw and play quarterback.

Reggie "Oh Please Dear God Don't Call Me George" Bush: I'll say it here and to some it's obvious and to some it might be utter blasphemy. Reggie Bush is not a starting running back. As a change of pace to someone like now ex-Saint Deuce McAllister, yeah, he's really good, but not as an every down starting running back. It just does not seem to work, and really for reasons that I can't explain. Maybe it's the fact that there was so much hype surrounding him out of college that he was the next huge name running back and now it turns out he only transitioned to the pros as an average back that there is disppointment and we are seeing disappointment in hype than anything else, but Reggie Bush, to me, at least, does not work as a starting back in the NFL. It also does not help him and the Saints that he is injured a lot.

Who Are The Saints' Receivers Again?: Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Lance More, Adrian Arrington, D'Juan Woods. Yeah. Further proof of the talent of Drew Brees.

Shock Value: Jeremy Shockey is a New Orleans Saint. Wait, what's that you say? When did that happen? Well, it happened last year. Only injuries caused him to have career lows in several statistics and his memory was greatly erased from the minds of several people. Shockey is going to have to become a bigtime threat if the Saints are going to accomphish anything this year.

Defense: One of the big off-season moves for the Saints this year was the signing of Jonathan Vilma. While I don't watch too many Jets games, from what I've seen, Vilma's got the right tools and his being in New Orleans will only improve that defense, a defense that is by no means a bad defense. They have some very credible names on that roster and Vilma should improve that as well.

Video: I still get jacked up and scream "YEAH!" after watching this hit.



Prediction: 9-7, 2nd NFC South. The Saints, I believe, could make a legit run at the playoffs this year. But just like last year, there is a chance that it could fizzle into nothing. Do they have what it takes to be a playoff team? Absolutely. Will they be able to put those pieces together? Well, we'll just have to see.