We’ve waited a long time for this moment and it’s finally here, the start of the Saints’ 2014 regular season. We’re in for a great ride as always, I’m sure, and I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to unfold. The Saints are being thrown in the fire this year with a road game against the bitter divisional rival Falcons. You’ll remember the Saints opened the season against the Falcons in New Orleans last year with a game that came down to the last play. Here are the five things I’ll be looking for in this game and now that the preseason is over you can enjoy the fact that I’ll worry less about injuries. Sure they’ll still happen and some can be devastating, but accepting an injury that happens in the field of duty in a meaningful game just feels easier.
1. Do the Saints level the playing field with mistakes?
I firmly believe this is one of the best rosters the Saints have had in team history. Maybe the best, maybe better than 2009 depending on how some things play out. If the Saints play their best game and the Falcons play their best game, regardless of the fact that this game is in Atlanta, the Saints will win. They are a better team with more talent, better coaching, larger potential. So how can things go wrong? Well that’s easy, actually. Good NFL teams shoot themselves in the foot all the time with penalties, mental mistakes, turnovers etc etc… I’m looking to see how clean of a game the Saints will play, particularly on the road in a hostile environment. Penalties were a major problem in the preseason, and if it carries over it will allow the Falcons to “play up” to their competition.
2. Is Drew Brees business as usual?
Brees played one half in preseason. That’s it. The oblique injury really limited the amount of reps and timing he stood to gain, and that’s a concern. I’m curious to see if he comes out firing on all cylinders or if he’s “off”. In the one half he played he did direct two touchdown scoring drives, but I felt he wasn’t quite as sharp with the location of his throws as he normally is. My gut tells me he may start slow and develop a rhythm as the game progresses.
3. Getting a look at the new offensive direction.
Darren Sproles is gone and he was such an integral part of the offense that we’re in store for serious change without him in the lineup. How does that all shake out exactly? Lance Moore is gone, too, and Brandin Cooks is new. How does the back rotation and ball distribution go? Is Travaris Cadet in the mix at all? Is Pierre Thomas an afterthought or even more heavily involved in the passing game? Is Cooks a huge focal point getting numerous touches? Are the Saints going to rely on Jimmy Graham more than ever? What does the receiver rotation look like? Is Morgan ahead of Meachem? Is Meachem ahead of Toon? Is it the Ingram show now? Does Khiry get enough reps? So many questions about this offense are going through my head. I sense the Saints are still looking to fully understand the direction and identity themselves and we’ll learn more as the season progresses. The lack of predictability and questions is exciting, though, because if someone like me who follows the Saints as closely as I do has a hard time knowing what to expect, that means game planning against them will be hard. I think Atlanta is in for a lot of surprises.
4. Is “the other guy not named Keenan Lewis” going to be a problem?
If there’s one thing that stands out with Atlanta, it’s an elite wide receiver tandem. Roddy White and Julio Jones are special. I anticipate Jones will be shadowed by Lewis for much of the game. Unfortunately, if there’s one thing that scares me about the Saints it’s the depth at cover corner. Patrick Robinson starting, in particular, I find terrifying. And if the #2 corner is going to be a real issue for the Saints this season we’re going to find out really fast because Atlanta will give P-Rob as big of a test as anyone. I’m curious to see how he holds up and how his replacement does if he gets benched.
5. Was Shayne Graham a mistake?
Still not loving how the kicker situation played out and my confidence in Graham isn’t as high as I’d like it to be. Graham is supposed to be automatic inside of 40 yards. If there’s any advantage of having him on the team it’s the idea that “he’ll never blow the easy ones”. So I’m curious to see just how reliable he’ll be if he’s called on. If kicker becomes a big area of concern in week 1 of the season, then this continues to be THE consistent problem area of the Sean Payton era. The Saints could really use some peace of mind at that position for a change.
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