The New Orleans Saints showed their true colors in 2018, going from Super Bowl contender to one of the worst teams ever. After years of success with Drew Brees under center, it was clear that Sean Payton’s experiment would not be a long-term one. The future for the franchise looks bleak without its masterful quarterback at the helm.,
The New Orleans Saints’ Nightmarish First Season Without Drew Brees Just Went From Bad to Historically Bad for Sean Payton. The Saints offense in 2021 will be much different than the one that was so successful with Drew Brees at the helm.
The New Orleans Saints don’t have what it takes to win the Super Bowl in 2021, despite Sean Payton’s denials. Drew Brees, who now earns money by analyzing games rather than playing them, is doomed to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
In fact, by losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football, the Saints accomplished a milestone that represents how badly they’ve played this season for the first time under Payton.
The Saints have had a lot of setbacks in the first year of their post-Drew Brees era.
Jameis Winston has been ruled out for the season. Wil Lutz is on sabbatical for the rest of the year. Michael Thomas is on sabbatical for the rest of the year. Andrus Peat is on sabbatical for the year.
Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, and Taysom Hill are all out with injuries right now.
Injuries have destroyed the Saints’ offensive. Simply brutal.
November 18, 2021 — Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport)
The Saints started the season as Super Bowl hopefuls, but they gradually faded from contention for the Lombardi Trophy. The defending NFC South champs haven’t been good enough on either side of the ball in the first year of the post-Drew Brees era, ranking 18th in scoring offense and 15th in scoring defense.
Of course, a large part of the Saints’ problems originate from personnel concerns.
They’ve faced a variety of problems in year 16 of Sean Payton’s stint as head coach, from losing their starting quarterback, kicker, and left guard to not having Michael Thomas available for a single play to missing important offensive studs like Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, and Ryan Ramczyk.
The Saints have struggled to establish any form of continuity on the pitch after being forced to reshuffle their starting lineup on a weekly basis. For a brand that is now on the decline, the year 2022 could not arrive fast enough.
After all, New Orleans’ season came to an end with a home loss to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
Sean Payton’s nightmare season in New Orleans has just gone from terrible to historically poor.
During the Saints’ up-and-down 2021 season, Sean Payton hasn’t had much to smile about. | Getty Images/Jonathan Bachman
Since 2017, Saints supporters have become used to watching their favorite club enter the playoffs every year. And, with a regular-season record of 148-88, there’s little question Payton deserves a lot of credit for all he’s accomplished since taking over in 2006.
However, it is clear that New Orleans will have significant challenges in the future. After all, by the time the final whistle sounded on Thursday, the team’s disastrous season had progressed from terrible to historically poor.
The Saints have lost five consecutive games for the first time in a single season under Payton, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The offensive mastermind had gone 235 games without dropping a game – the fifth-longest stretch ever by an NFL head coach.
Unfortunately for Payton, his team has swiftly gone from dominating the division to battling for the last NFC Wild Card berth in a congested race. Winston’s ACL injury has forced the Saints to rely on Trevor Siemian (who has only completed 57.2 percent of his 173 pass attempts) and overhyped gadget man Taysom Hill (who threw four interceptions against the Cowboys).
By losing to the Cowboys, the Saints created history in the worst manner conceivable, and it’s reasonable to ask whether Payton’s team will complete the season with a losing record.
Ironically, they seem to be following in the footsteps of the New England Patriots, who finished 7-9 in their first season without Tom Brady.
The future is bleak for a team that lacks a long-term solution for the most crucial position in sports.
I believe we’re witnessing why Jameis Winston was named the Saints’ starting quarterback after the preseason. So, when, if ever, is it time to put Ian Book out there and see what he’s got? There’s no way Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian could be any worse.
December 3, 2021 — Stan Caldwell (@StanMan1717)
Unlike Bill Belichick, though, Payton has no notion who will be his long-term starting quarterback. While promising youngster Mac Jones has lived up to the pre-draft buzz about his intellect, accuracy, and tenacity, cementing his place as a viable successor to TB12, the Saints don’t have a single signal-caller on their roster that can offer fans hope for the future.
And it’s because of this that it’s impossible to be enthused about New Orleans’ future.
Winston is in the midst of a lengthy rehabilitation procedure and need a new contract. Sieman is certainly a fallback option. Hill’s chances of maturing into a starting quarterback (he’ll be 32 next season) are dwindling by the week. Despite the team’s quarterback woes, fourth-round rookie Ian Book has yet to play a single snap, which does not bode well for his long-term prospects.
Overall, this is a team that has had several chances to win a title. Sean Payton and Drew Brees, on the other hand, were unable to complete the task.
The Saints will not be able to win the Lombardi Trophy unless they identify a successor to the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Pro Football Reference provided all statistics.
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The New Orleans Saints’ first season without Drew Brees is going from bad to historically bad. Sean Payton’s team has gone 0-5, and they have the worst record in NFL history for a coach with at least 50 games. Reference: drew brees height.
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