New Orleans Saints Emerging As NFC Contenders Despite Slow Start
By Will Gellman
@Will_Gellman
Getty Images
Heading into the 2014 season, the New Orleans Saints and their fans expected nothing short of greatness. After all, they have a superior head coach in Sean Payton, a Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees and they drafted yet another offensive weapon for Brees in Brandin Cooks. Unfortunately, early on in the season the Saints looked anything but special.
After starting the season a dismal 1-3, the Saints looked defeated, especially Brees, who in the first three losses threw for just five touchdowns and three interceptions. The defense, meanwhile, gave up a whopping 101 points without an interception in those three defeats. All was looking lost for the Saints. However, they have made dramatic improvements in recent weeks and it is clearly paying off for them.
The Saints have now won three of their last four games, allowing 84 total points in those four contests. Brees has thrown six touchdowns and two interceptions in his last three games — one off the hands of his receiver — and Jimmy Graham is slowly starting to regain his form after a shoulder injury has limited his effectiveness. Not only that, but Mark Ingram is starting to show why he was the first running back chosen in the 2011 draft, running with authority since returning from injury.
New Orleans continued their hot stretch against the Carolina Panthers Thursday night as well. On the road, the Saints held the Panthers and Cam Newton to just 10 points and 240 total yards on offense, winning the game convincingly 28-10 and putting them atop the NFC South in the process.
The Saints are back and the rest of the NFL had better start taking notice. While it may be too early to declare them Super Bowl contenders, they are certainly still a part of the discussion.
Will Gellman is a New England Patriots writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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