NFL PREVIEW: 2020 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

BY ADAM GREENE

Key Additions: WR Emmanuel Sanders (free agent), S Malcolm Jenkins (free agent), QB Jameis Winston (free agent), DE Margus Hunt (free agent), RT James Hurst (free agent), OLB Anthony Chickillo (free agent), RB Ty Montgomery (free agent), FB Michael Burton (free agent)

2020 NFL Draft: C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (round 1), LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin (round 3), TE Adam Trautman, Dayton (round 3), QB Tommy Stevens, Mississippi State (round 7)

Projected Offensive Starters: QB Drew Brees, RB Alvin Kamara, WR Michael Thomas, WR Emmanuel Sanders, WR Tre’Quan Smith, TE Jared Cook, LT Terron Armstead, LG Andrus Peat, C Erik McCoy, RG Cesar Ruiz, RT Ryan Ramczyk

Projected Defensive Starters: LDE Cameron Jordon, LDT Sheldon Rankins, RDT Malcolm Brown, RDE Marcus Davenport, WLB Damario Davis, MLB Kiki Alonso, SLB Alex Anzalone, LCB Janoris Jenkins, RCB Marshon Lattimore, SS Malcolm Jenkins, FS Marcus Williams

K: Will Lutz

P: Thomas Morstead

Head Coach: Sean Payton

2019 Record: 13-3, 1^st place, NFC South

A Look Back: This was supposed to be the year of vengeance for the Saints as they were knocked out going to Super Bowl LIII thanks to a missed pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. The NFL stepped in and made PI reviewable and nothing was going to stop the Saints from marching into Miami and make it right.

Except for the fact that they never got past their first playoff game. Yep, a 26-20 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings ended the dream of revenge and squandered a 13-3 regular season campaign that saw the team go 6-0 with quarterback Drew Brees sidelined with a hand injury. Teddy Bridgewater played exceptionally well in his place and is now the starting QB for the Carolina Panthers. Something that might cause some issues for the Saints in 2020.

In fact, the only games the Saints lost last season were with Brees getting the starting nod, first to the Rams in Week 2 (the game Brees left with the injury), the next a 26-9 dismantling at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons at home and lastly a 48-46 thriller with the 49ers, also at the Superdome.

2020 Projection: With Brees signed for another two seasons before he rides of into the sunset, the Saints had every reason to pick up right where they left off. Brees, though, had another plan up his sleeve as he decided to sink New Orleans’ season before training camp even started by saying out loud where everyone could hear that the kneeling protests during the United States National Anthem in the NFL disrespected the flag and the military.

Considering those protests started as a response to police brutality and the state sanctioned murder of people of color, and the nation at that moment was embroiled in protests of the police murder of George Floyd (along with Breonna Taylor and many more I could list here), that didn’t go over too well with his teammates.

Brees has since apologized multiple times and I think there’s a good chance he’ll take a knee during the anthem this season, at least during Week 1, but it might still be a thing.

And that’s not even looking at the Saints schedule this year, which is a monster.

2020 Projected Record: 8-8. Yep. That’s right. Right now the Saints at under 10.5 wins pays at -115, but 5-9 victories delivers at +110. The NFC South will be a significantly different beast with an improved Falcons team and Tom Brady with the Bucs. But more than that, New Orleans has to face off against the AFC West, play the Bears in Chicago, the Eagles in Philadelphia while hosting the 49ers and the Vikings, who have spoiled many a weekend for the Saints in Januarys. And if the Brees “knee” comments remain a problem, it could be worse than this.

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