Drew Brees’ illustrious 15-year career in New Orleans came to a close in disappointing fashion in the 2020-21 postseason, with the Saints falling to the eventual Super Bowl LV Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in the divisional round. Despite an impressive 12-4 season and an NFC South championship, New Orleans once again failed to get to the Super Bowl and fell short of their lofty expectations. With Brees now retired and the Buccaneers the clear favorites in the division, the Saints find themselves in an unfamiliar and vulnerable position moving forward.
The biggest question mark for the Saints entering the 2021 season is obviously the quarterback position. Jameis Winston won the starting quarterback job, but one can’t get the feeling that Taysom Hill could end up taking over under center if the former doesn’t perform well. While Hill has been cited as head coach Sean Payton’s “guy” throughout the offseason, Winston looked excellent this preseason and has far greater experience as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Whichever quarterback Payton sticks with going forward, they will be without star wide receiver Michael Thomas for at least the first four weeks of the season, which is not an encouraging development with a question mark at the quarterback position. Even when Thomas returns to full health, the Saints offseason is going to need multiple pass catchers out of their young receiving core to step up and take on more significant roles. Otherwise, New Orleans will be at risk of becoming too one-dimensional in relying on All-Pro running back and excellent pass catcher Alvin Kamara, who thrives in a well-balanced offense.
Defensively, the Saints return a strong unit led by an elite front seven that specializes in defending the run. New Orleans ranked in the top five in both run and pass defense in 2020, which was crucial in supporting an inconsistent offense. Further bolstering the defense was clearly a priority this past offseason, as the team drafted defensive players in each of their first three picks in the draft, including first-round pick defensive end Payton Turner. The Saints will once again rely on their defense to manage the game and allow the offense to run the ball and control possession.
The Saints will have their work cut out for them in defending their NFC South title for a fifth consecutive season. While the rest of their division outside of Tampa Bay is relatively weak, it is difficult to see New Orleans challenging the reigning Super Bowl champions with so many uncertainties. However, if all goes to plan, it is well within the realm of possibility that the Saints can put things together and be firmly in the fix for one of the three wild card spots.
2021 Record Prediction: 9-8