While the defense in New Orleans received much of the bad publicity throughout the 2015 season, the offense did not turn heads in a positive manner either. While Drew Brees is aging, he still has the potential to throw and amass yards at a pace unheard of in the modern era. They crumbled on the offensive side last year, however, this being under the weight of a host of injuries more than one underperforming player. Combine that with the miserable defense that consistently left the Saints scrambling to catch up, and the season was really a wash before the team got out of the starting gate. This leads us to the conclusion that offensive stats simply must improve in 2016 for the Saints to have any chance at becoming legitimate contenders once again.
Offensive Outlook
Let’s start at the top with the Saints star quarterback. Drew Brees might be 37, but he remains the bright spot in New Orleans. In fact, he had one of his best seasons on paper last year, which speaks volumes. He has been tops in the NFL in passing yards 3 out of the last 4 seasons for the Saints. The offensive line continues to be a bit shaky in the interior, so they will need to work hard to give him the time he needs to work the pocket. Moving into the 2016 season, Brees looks to have his best receiver corps since 2011. That was the year that, as a club, the Saints broke multiple NFL records.
The receiving corps begins with Brandin Cooks. He might be small for his position, but he is fast and can elude defenders. He will be joined by rookie Michael Thomas and, at tight end, Coby Fleener. There continues to be an issue, however, with the running game. Mark Ingram took top rushing honors for the Saints last year with 769 total yards. That simply will not cut it. True, it is tough to have a comprehensive rushing game when your quarterback throws for over 4,800 yards on the season, but how much longer can they keep that up? From there, the rushing game becomes abysmal, with a club total for the season of only 1,491 yards.
Stats
On the receiving end of things, look for Cooks to continue to light it up. This will only be his third season, and he continues to blossom. In 2015, he had 84 receptions for 1,138 yards and 9 TD’s. Cooks has quickly become a favorite target of Brees, so look for that to continue in 2016. Losing Benjamin Watson to the Ravens will be a hit. He brought experience to a young group of receivers, in addition to his 825 receiving yards. Others will need to step it up to continue to give Brees the support he needs in light of a weak offensive line and rushing game.
The outlook for the Saints is bright if they can rectify their issues on the defensive side of the field, in addition to upping their rushing game. Continuing to rely on the arm of 37-year-old quarterback is a dicey strategy. Look for Brees to continue to lead the team in marvelous fashion, and perhaps even the league in passing yards once again. He must get more support, however, in order for them to get back to the postseason.
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