I think Oakland wins SU vs my Saints.
Drew Brees will be thinking about that contract looming next year. The offensive line has 2 holes to fill before that game in the G positions. The same positions we had Carl Nicks and Jhari Evans in who were the best at the time.during our best days. We drafted Andrus Peat last year and from what I have read they plan to stick him at RG. The guy is a natural Tackle. He came in over weight last year but from all reports he is in football shape this year. Does it mean he looks like a football? We will see but Zack Strief is 32 and was a turnstile last year. If he mans the RT position again, I dont see improvement.
The WRs wont be a problem but RBs might. Mark Ingram cant stay healthy an entire season so Tim Hightower will be our running back at some point. Payton likes to use a joker like Bush/Sproles and Spiller hasnt lived up to the bill so far. If he goes down I dont know if our 7th rd pick Lasco can do it.
Brees hasnt had the consistency in the Oline for awhile so I see Brees once again running for his life. He missed a game last year and being a year older doesnt help.
Dennis Allen is not the answer at DC. He hasnt stuck on a team long enough so my confidence in him isnt high at all.
Kikaha is done for the year and Jordan had 10 sacks last year. We only had 31 on the entire defense which is below average. I think Jordan goes back to average and gets around 8 so where will the other 30 sacks come from? We got Fairley and Rankins and decent depth behind the DTs. There should be a push in the middle The rush defense could improve up the middle but to the outside Im not sure.
We got James Laurinitis and moved Anthony to the Sam. The LBs on paper are the best we have ever had under Payton but it doesnt necessarily mean it will transfer to the field. Anthony had over 100 tackles as a rookie though and we havent seen that since Rickey Jackson in the late 80s. Covering the TEs wilbe something we have to wait and see.
The secondary has 2 weaknesses. Keenan Lewis' health and Jarius Byrd. Byrd is a non factor. A complete waste of money at the FS position. We will never see the Buffalo version of him. We drafted Vonn Bell and should start him in place instead of next year.
Kennan Lewis is a very good corner but he is already taking things slow from last year. We need him to stay healthy otherwise we have to put a young guy in place. Delvin Breaux is a very CB on this team but we cant have only one at a time playing. the depth we have is not bad. Alot of unproven guys with tons of potential.
Vaccaro in the SS position is where he needs to stay. We cant have him covering WRs like last year or the defense will just allow TD after TD.
Derrick Carr can play as well as any Qb and he has what we dont. Consistency on the offensive line.He had a passer rating of 96.4 and could improve on that. Having A.Cooper to throw to helps alot. The Saints dont have a true No.1 WR unless M.Thomas becomes that guy. Crabtree is in his 8th year but he is a vet and knows how to get open.
Latavius Murray is a great RB. Health is a concern with him but he will be fresh in this game and running behind the same line he did last year is an advantage.
On the defensive side, Jack Del Rio isnt the best HC material but he knows defense and Khalil Mack is a wrecking machine. A player like that instantly makes the defense around him better.
I dont know Oakland like I do the Saints to talk about every aspect of the defense but I know that Jack Del Rio has a defense going against a subpar offensive line. If games are won in the trenches then the game is over before it started.
I see the Saints going no better than 6-11. the team looks to be on a downward trend. Having Brees alone has shown doesnt translate to wins with 2 back to back losing seasons.
The HFA is long gone so opening game week 1 in the Dome is meaningless in terms of that. Oakland travels well across time zones and will be prepared to start the season right.
I would take Oakland over the Saints. The line is +1.5 to PK at most place but the points wont matter.
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