Saints Take a Gamble On Success By Hitting the “Re-Set” Button
Depending on your source, the current betting odds for the New Orleans Saints to make it to Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California (outside of San Francisco) this coming February are between 40-1 and 45-1.
While certainly not the worst bet a man or woman could make (that distinct honor would go to the Jacksonville Jaguars), not many will be picking the Saints to go all the way.
However, there is always hope for any team approaching the regular season.
Aug 2, 2015; White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton during training camp at The Greenbrier. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots are one of the few teams who have a success story from a drastic roster turnover. From 1999 to 2001, the Patriots retained only 14 players.
That leaves 39 players on the 53 man roster who were new. From this aspect alone, this puts New Orleans and New England in special company.
Where the comparison differs slightly is that the Patriots also had a regime change in both the coaching staff and front office. Bill Belichick saw his first season in 2000 and history will recognize him as one of the most successful coaches in NFL history.
Yet, there was more to this change as well. Talent was brought in from many sources.
Trades, the draft, waiver pick ups and UDFAs were all tools the club used effectively to build a team that worked well together.
While I do not mean to imply the Saints were trying to copy this mold, it is interesting to see similarities in methods that have work in football’s past. The key to the Patriots success, and what the Saints will also have to rely on, is building a team that works well together.
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Yet, there is no denying that in a position-by-position, side-by-side aspect; the team this year is weaker overall compared to last year in terms of pure talent.
Losing players like Junior Galette, Kenny Stills and Jimmy Graham left obvious voids at their respective positions.
Leadership was lost in fan favorites such as Pierre Thomas. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
It is not always the most talented team that wins the Super Bowl. Sometimes you simply need to be the better team.
What I mean by this is how players work together. The Eagles’ “Dream Team” of 2011 is a perfect example of how pure talent doesn’t equate to a championship.
Spock of Star Trek had a famous line that fits here: “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.”
The Saints need a team that operates as a collective force, and not as solo players have a good game while the rest of the team flounders. One way to build this is by starting fresh.
Cleansing the air of all things both good and bad. It’s a huge gamble.
Aug 30, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis before a preseason game against the Houston Texans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Last pre-season, I predicted that the Saints would most certainly fail to reach Super Bowl XLIX, and most likely would have little chance of making the playoffs, if they did not rush the ball for at least 420 times.
While the actual number does have some statistical backing, the importance behind it was the team finding a balanced attack.
Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and C.J. Spiller will attempt to do what no Saints team has done for many years: force teams to respect the Saints rushing attack.
This year’s club might have the best offensive line it’s had in years, and for the first time in recent memory, the roster holds more running backs than wide receivers. That’s a statement you don’t expect to be said of a Sean Payton led offense.
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On the defensive side of the ball, there are still more questions than answers.
Jairus Byrd isn’t expected back until Week 3 now after his status remained a mystery throughout Training Camp and the Pre-Season (ESPN’s Ed Werder just reported as I wrote this that Byrd sat out because of swelling in that injured knee that he had surgery on last year).
#Saints not expecting FS @jairusbyrd in lineup until Week 2 or 3. Knee injury wiped out 2014. No training camp snaps b/c of swelling.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 9, 2015
Meanwhile, Cam Jordan finally looks to be the leader we’ve been missing for the last year and a half, but that’s off-set by the reality that the linebacking corp and secondary are suspect.
Dennis Allen and Rob Ryan have their work cut out for them.
In recent years, the Saints have gambled with contracts and free agency signings and lost. This season however, they’ve gambled on something completely different.
They’re throwing all their chips on the table by hitting the “re-set” button and hoping to fill the holes that have been made apparent for a couple of years.
Let’s be honest: The NFL doesn’t fear New Orleans anymore.
Sep 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) talks to head coach Sean Payton during the second quarter of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Vikings 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
It’s quite possible that Sean Payton’s tenure in New Orleans is coming to a close if he can’t return the team to their previous winning ways.
All good things must come to an end — although I’d like to think that we’d all prefer if that were actually still a couple of years down the road from happening.
Either way, this year, we’ll see which way the team can push the table.
“May the odds be ever in your favor”…………………..