The New Orleans Saints are on the verge of ushering in a brand new era of football. The new era starts this Sunday in a matchup versus the Green Bay Packers. The opener against Green Bay will not feature one of the greatest signal-callers of all time, Drew Brees. Brees decided to retire from football after 15 years of excellence with the New Orleans Saints in March.
Outside Brees retiring, the Saints witnessed significant turnover in numerous positions. There will be new faces in cornerback, wide receiver, and along the defensive line. Today, Saints Discussions on Strike 7 Sports preview and predict the 2021 regular season.
Previewing the Saints Offense
In 2020, the Saints finished the regular season with a 12-4 record. They ranked 12th in the league in total yards (6,023) and sixth in rushing (141.6), and fifth in points per game (30.1). In previous years, the Saints were ranked in the top five regarding total yards on offense. Despite not being as potent as they usually are on offense, the Saints could still put up 30 points or more on their opponents. New Orleans offensive production was orchestrated with a version of Drew Brees that was unhealthy for most of the season. In 2021, the offense is going to look entirely different.
Jameis Winston beat out Taysom Hill to become the starting QB. Head Coach Sean Payton will tailor his system to the skillset to the present QB under center. While Winston’s abilities may be suited for a passing attack that can get the ball deep down the field, the receiving core is depleted at the moment. All-pro wideout Michael Thomas was recently placed on the PUP list to recover from the ankle surgery conducted in June.
Fellow teammate Deonte Harris could face suspension for an off-the-field incident that occurred in July. The guy who was supposed to line up opposite Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, is questionable on his return to the lineup because of his injury during training camp. Even with the uncertainty at the receiver position, the Saints’ offense can still be effective this season. Marquez Callaway is now the Saints’ number one option in the passing game until Thomas can return to the lineup.
Juwan Johnson has switched from a wide receiver to a tight end and has emerged as a potential weapon in the Saints’ passing attack. The running game will be explosive as always, led by all-pro rusher Alvin Kamara. Tony Jones Jr. is a name to look out for once the season kicks off. Jones secured a spot on the roster after having a few successful outings in the preseason.
Previewing the Saints Defense
From the years 2017 thru 2020, the Saints have had some of the best defenses in the Sean Payton era. The group witness drastic turnover in areas such as cornerback and along the defensive line. The suspension of DT David Onyamata made things no better for the group as they head into the regular season. Starting now, Onyamata will serve a six-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Also, there is still no word on if cornerback Marshon Lattimore will be suspended for a gun-charge arrest in March. On the bright side, it is becoming more imminent that Lattimore will be on the field for the Saints home-opener versus the Green Bay Packers. However, the opposite side of Lattimore is where the concerns could arise. Ken Crawley suffered an injury during the preseason game against Jacksonville.
New Orleans. Football lead writer Nick Underhill was the first to report the transaction. In Underhill’s report, he stated that Crawley was “going to be out a couple of weeks.” It has been two weeks since the injury took place. If he is not up to speed by kickoff versus Green Bay, you can expect to see rookie Paulson Adebo on the opposite side of Lattimore.
Adebo has impressed many with his style of play in both preseason games so far. He never backed down when the Baltimore Ravens would constantly throw to his direction of the field. However, we all know that the intensity level going from the preseason to regular season is a whole different ball game. The matchup versus Green Bay will give us a true glimpse of what the Saints have in Adebo.
Must-See Games
1. Green Bay: September 12
2. Seahawks: October 25
3. Buccaneers: October 31 and December 19
4. Titans: November 14
5. Bills: November 25
6. Cowboys: December 2
Overall Record for 2021: 9-8
The significant turnover that occurred with the Saints will affect them on the field in 2021. It is going to take some time for new players to get settled into playing live regular-season games. However, the Saints coaching staff and veteran leadership on the field will weather the storm. New Orleans has enough personnel on the roster to qualify for the playoffs this season. However, their quest for a postseason berth could depend on how things turn out with the highly competitive NFC West. There’s a strong chance that the division could have all four teams qualify for the playoffs this season.
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