The Sports Rumors

NFC South Preview: Team 1 of 4

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Preview and Prediction

2006 Record: 10-6

Division Ranking: First

2006 Result: Lost in Conference Championship to Chicago 14-39

What a great season the Saints had last year. One of the most memorable and electric home season openers took place in New Orleans when the Superdome opened back up to the delight of a city who couldn’t have needed a football team any more than they did at that point in time. The Saints brought joy to the lives of those who had lost everything due to the devastation of Katrina.

But did anyone really see a 10-6 season en route to a Championship Game coming? I certainly didn’t. I remember when they started off 3-0. I was happy for them but skeptical in analyzing them because I thought, “Well, one win came in the first game back in New Orleans so that was all emotion. The other two were against juggernauts…if we were talking about the 1950s: Cleveland and Green Bay.”

But then six weeks later, their record was 6-2 and half the season was done. “Okay so maybe they have a chance at making a run at the playoffs; a chance.”

Then they improved to 9-4 in a complete trashing of Parcells’ Cowboys IN Dallas and I became a believer. We all know the rest. The Saints went on to finish 10-6, defeating the Eagles 27-24 in the Divisional round (after earning a first round bye), then eventually getting throttled by the NFC Champion Chicago Bears.

I, for the second straight year, will be somewhat skeptic about how far I think the Saints can go. Not because I am not a believer of Drew Brees or Reggie Bush or Sean Payton’s coaching. I am a believer of them. But have you looked at the Saints’ schedule? Let me give you a quick run down of teams they face this year, not including their division games.

At Indianapolis (Defending Champions)

Tennessee (Up and coming team with a guy named Vince something)

At Seattle (Perennial Playoff team)

At San Francisco (Beat Seattle twice last year, great young core, up and coming)

St.Louis (Not a cakewalk)

Arizona (On the verge of breaking out, for the 17^th year in a row)

Philly (Only lost to the Saints by 3 in the playoffs last year)

At Chicago (Waxed Saints last year en route to becoming NFC Champions)

(I just realized that the Saints play both teams from last years Superbowl in the same season!)

Throw two games against the Panthers, Jeff Garcia’s Buccaneers, and the…Falcons. That’s not an easy schedule folks, even though the Saints are a very talented team. They let Joe Horn go this year but replaced him with a good young talent from the University of Tennessee with the 27^th overall pick, Robert Meachem. He should fit in well with Peyton’s pass-first style offense. They picked up Antonio Pittman, running back from Ohio State, which really didn’t make much sense to me considering they have Deuce Macalister and Reggie Bush in the backfield. Anyway, given their additions, subtractions, strength of schedule, and a bunch of other factors that I don’t feel like listing, here is my prediction for them.

(I’m not going to just be like everyone else and give you a final season prediction. I’m going to give you predictions for each quarter of the season so you can keep up and bash me 4 times a season instead of just once when I’m wrong.)

First Quarter: 2-2

@ Indy – Loss

@ Tampa – Loss

Tennessee – Win

Carolina – Win

Second Quarter: 2-2

@ Seattle – Loss

Atlanta – Win

@ S.F. – Loss

Jacksonville – Win

Midseason: 4-4

Third Quarter: 3-1

St.Louis – Win

@ Houston – Win

@ Carolina – Loss

Tampa Bay – Win

 

Fourth Quarter: 2-2

@ Atlanta - Win

Arizona - Win

Philadelphia - Loss

@ Chicago – Loss

Final Record: 9-7

(The Saints will have to tightrope their way into the playoffs this year)