Mission: New Orleans Saints

I can’t believe it’s that time again. 7 months and change have gone by since the last football game was played. Every team starts anew, either hoping to relive the 2007 season, or hoping to put it behind them. The Bucs are hoping to relive their 2007 season, and the Saints are hoping to put their season behind them.

The Saints are returning most of their starters, several held over from the 2006 team. Last year made 2006 look like a fluke, but the Saints are no joke. Despite all the troubles the team had last season, they still had the 4th overall offense in the league, boasted largely by the 3rd best passing game. If anything, their downfall came on defense. They were ranked 26th in the league, and 30th against the pass. The Saints picked up some new players on the defense, hoping to balance out their team.

Key Matchup:
Saints offense who wants to play like it’s 2006 vs. Bucs defense who wants to play like it’s 2007
In 2006, the Saints offense was the best in the league. Their passing game was the best in the league. What happened? Nobody is quite sure. One thing is for sure though; the Saints still have the same weapons to repeat their dominance. Drew Brees is one of the best in the game, and threw for a franchise record 4,423 yards last season, one season after he broke the previous franchise record. It’s scary to think that Brees can break a franchise record even during a losing season. Marques Colston is back, and in his first two seasons, he has caught 168 passes, the most by any player in his first two years in the league. The Saints have since added Jeremy Shockey, another receiving threat.
The Bucs defense returned to its championship form last season. Ranked 2nd in the league, the defense boasted several players who recorded more than 100 tackles. They have an amazing trio of linebackers, and a phenomenal secondary. Their defensive line is young and talented. It appears that there is nothing wrong with this defense. They even added Aqib Talib, a top corner from Kansas. In 2007, they gave up just 278.4 yards per game, the best in the NFC.

The Bucs are banged up, with injuries to Jeff Garcia, Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Jovan Haye, Ryan Sims, and even Antonio Bryant. While all are expected to play, we don’t know how limited they will be. The Bucs hope their running game will be just as good, if not better than last season. Earnest Graham has his new contract, and Warrick Dunn is back in Tampa. With Michael Bennett on the depth chart as well, the Bucs have three viable runners who could rack up big yards behind a young offensive line.

Both teams want to return to top form. Only one team can be division champ. It appears that these will be the two teams fighting for that title, so this game matters. It might be tough for the Bucs to emulate their 2007 form, but they have the talent and the potential to do so. Here’s to a good season boys!