New Orleans Saints 2014 Offensive Grades
Dec 15, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Josh Hill (89) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears inside linebacker Christian Jones (59), Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (26) and Chicago Bears free safety Brock Vereen (45) in the first half of their game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
If it weren’t for Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham would be the biggest name on the Saints offense and possibly the entire team itself. Because of this, a lot is expected from the TE position. Jimmy Graham a down year, statistically, and while he still finished in the upper echelon of tight ends there are some who are disappointed.
Offensively, the Saints struggled to score points at the rate that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from teams led by Sean Payton. They still managed to produce high volume yardage statistics, but the points simply weren’t there. In the red zone, where it matters, the TE position must stand strong.
Starters:
TE. New Orleans Saints. JIMMY GRAHAM. B-. First off, hear me out on the grade. This was Graham’s first season to not record a pass of 30 yards or more, and it was also the first time he played at least 10 games and didn’t record over 1,000 yards receiving. Graham doubled his career fumble stats by having 2 in 2014. Finally, Jimmy 10.5 average in receptions is the lowest of his career. What he did improve on this year was his blocking. He became a more rounded out TE. Yes, offensively, he dropped off in terms of receptions. But, even with that he still put up 889 yards, 10 TDs and 85 receptions. Those numbers are nothing to scoff at for a TE. Sure, it is Jimmy Graham and we expect more. I simply encourage you to give him credit for improving and become more of a complete player. He saw more snaps this season than ever before in his career, and according to Pro Football Focus he graded out higher as a blocking TE than Gronk in New England. A “B” season for Graham is a disappointment by his own standards, but Saints fans can’t be too upset.
Reserves: (Players who saw limited snaps/playing time)
D+. Where was Watson all season? Yes, his stats are on par with his first season with New Orleans in terms of receptions, but with Graham having such a down year you would expect Watson to have stepped up and filled in the gap. He wasn’t there to do that, and another TE ended up raising quite a few eyebrows with his play this year.. TE. New Orleans Saints. BENJAMIN WATSON
B. In his second season with the Saints (and in the league) Josh Hill caught 5 touchdown passes. Hill emerged as a legitimate red zone threat for a team that struggled in the end zone and he only caught 14 passes. Benjamin Watson is aging, and the door could be swinging wide open for a young TE to emerge opposite the All-Pro Jimmy Graham. TE. New Orleans Saints. JOSH HILL
These are the offensive grades for the 2014 season as we see them here at the Big Easy Believer. Got a different opinion on someone? Feel free to comment below. Thanks for reading, and as always, I welcome your comments, critiques and all around banter. Who Dat and God Bless.