Oh When the Saints Go….. 8-8?
The New Orleans Saints have been a Super Bowl contender every single year for the past decade. They are coming off a 13-3 season where they once again, fell short in the Postseason. The Saints have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL with one of the more tenured coaches in the league. That is indeed a recipe for success. I believe 2020 will look a lot different for the Saints in several areas, and the most important change being in the win column. The window of opportunity for the Saints has closed. It’s just about sealed tight when it comes to Brees and Peyton raising another Lombardi Trophy together. The NFC is just too strong for them to get back to the Super Bowl before Brees has to hang it up when his two year extension is over. Drew Brees is already into his early 40’s. I expect to see a significant regression in his numbers this year.
Divisional Challenges
It is evident in the NFL how important division games are. On top of winning these hard fought division match ups, the talent of your division can also have a direct impact on the successes of your season. The 2019 Saints were able to go 5-1 in their division. That essentially helped them seal the division title and host a playoff game. The Vikings went into the Super Dome and beat the Saints 26-20 as well as stomped on their chances of another Super Bowl run. Expect a lot to change in the NFC South this season. Atlanta will definitely improve in all areas after bringing back Head Coach Dan Quinn. The birds closed the 2019 campaign winning four straight games and I expect that momentum to carry into 2020 . Tampa Bay is in store for a complete culture shock when Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are in their locker room pursuing a Championship culture. The Carolina Panthers will likely finish their division in last place. But, I do see them being able to win six or seven games. The New Orleans Saints will certainly not go 13-3 this upcoming season and may even miss the playoffs. I have the Saints going 9-7 or 8-8 in the 2020 season.
So Long Super Bowl
The window has closed on the Saints shot at a Super Bowl. The Saints extended Brees and are loaded with talent. However, the NFC is just too strong for this team to have another shot at the Lombardi. Brees now has to play Tom Brady twice a year which changes the whole dynamic of the division. The 49ers are here to stay. Russell Wilson is still in Seattle. Aaron Rodgers will be more motivated than ever to get Packers back to the NFC Championship to prove himself after the organization drafted a Quarterback in the first round. For as good as the Saints have been over the last decade, a strong slide in the NFL standings is set to become a reality this season. New Orleans was knocking on the door of another title the last few years. Unfortunately, they were unable to overcome these challenges/obstacles that they went up against in the postseason.
All good things eventually come to an end and this season the Saints will miss the playoffs. Even with the spectacular fan base and the extreme home field advantage at the Super Dome, the upgrade of both the division and the conference will be too much for Brees and Payton to overcome!
-Fred O’Brien (@FOBCGSports)