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TIGER’S READY TO ROAR: LSU Eyeing a Comfortable Season
August 2024
by Matt Dye
This is a make-or-break season for the Saints, who have been floundering since Drew Brees and Sean Payton left the team in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The Saints made the playoffs four straight seasons, but have now missed out the past three, unable to find a spark.
Head Coach Dennis Allen was promoted from the defensive coordinator position, and while the defense has maintained consistency, Allen has yet to find it on offense. Last year, the Saints brought in Derek Carr in hopes he could accelerate the passing attack, with marginal success.
This year, the Saints are doing addition by substitution. Pete Carmichael, offensive coordinator under Payton and with the team for 15 years, has been traded for the up-and-coming Klint Kubiak, quarterback coach for Brock Purdy and the 49ers last season and son of Super Bowl winning coach Gary Kubiak. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, this change might be what gets otherwise competent Saints playmakers to start clicking again.
While Alvin Kamara is getting up there in age, he still showed flashes of greatness last season, and the Saints still have both Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller backing him up. That, and the Saints have finally moved on from Michael Thomas after years of waiting for him to get healthy and will allow Chris Olave to showcase his talents, alongside breakthrough wideout Rashid Shaheed. Juwan Johnson and Tayson Hill at tight end show more than enough diversity, so if Kubiak can bring together everything he’s been exposed to, it’ll all come down to how well Derek Carr can play. Last year Carr came out talking a good game, but when it came to making clutch throws, he showed why he’s only made the playoffs twice in his career.
On defense, the biggest issues are aging, with defensive captain Cam Jordan now in his 14th season. The Saints did bring in former 2020 No. 2 draft pick Chase Young to try to help alleviate some of that burden, but it’s still unknown what kind of player Young is since tearing his ACL in 2021. Prior to that, Young was considered a franchise player.
Demario Davis and Willie Gay will head up a stout linebacking core, and the Honey Badger and Marshon Lattimore in the secondary should limit big passing plays, keeping the Saints in most games even if the offense can’t get going. Last season, the Saints were Top 10 in scoring defense.
The biggest hurdle for the Saints will be the first five games of their schedule. After opening the season against what should be a feckless Carolina team, the Saints then go to Dallas to face the good-in-the-regular-season Cowboys, followed by the Eagles at home, then on the road against the new look Falcons followed by a road game against the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs.
The Saints could easily be 1-4 and in complete disarray heading into week 6 at home against the Bucs, before facing Sean Payton and the Broncos on prime-time Thursday Night Football. After that, the Saints have perhaps the easiest schedule in football, but it may not matter if they’re too far down the hole. The upside is that the NFC South is only marginally competitive. The Saints tied the Buccaneers last season at 9-8, but lost the chance to go to the playoffs due to records against common opponents. This season should be a three-way race between those same Bucs, the Falcons now with Kirk Cousins at quarterback, and these Saints looking to re-find the glory of three seasons ago.
Predicition: 10-7, missing playoffs.
SAINTS SCHEDULE 2024
Pre-season
Week 1 Aug. 10 @ Arizona
Week 2 Aug. 18 @ San Francisco
Week 3 Aug. 25 vs. Tennessee
Regular Season
Week 1 Sept. 8 vs. Carolina
Week 2 Sept. 15 @ Dallas
Week 3 Sept. 22 vs. Philadelphia
Week 4 Sept. 29 @ Atlanta
Week 5 Oct. 7 @ Kansas City
Week 6 Oct. 13 vs. Tampa Bay
Week 7 Oct. 17 vs. Denver
Week 8 Oct. 27 @ L.A. Chargers
Week 9 Nov. 3 @ Carolina
Week 10 Nov. 10 vs. Atlanta
Week 11 Nov. 17 vs. Cleveland
Week 12 BYE
Week 13 Dec. 1 vs. L.A. Rams
Week 14 Dec. 8 @ N.Y. Giants
Week 15 Dec. 15 vs. Washington
Week 16 Dec. 23 @ Green Bay
Week 17 Dec. 29 vs. Las Vegas
Week 18 Jan. 5 @ Tampa Bay
