Drew Brees warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. (Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE)
The Denver Broncos have Sunday off, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t look ahead a little bit.
It seems that whenever we hear the words, ‘New Orleans Saints,’ the names Rodger Goodell, Sean Payton, and Jonathan Vilma are always attached. The Saints’ bounty scandal may take center stage, but there’s a team behind the headlines, and that team takes on the Broncos next Sunday night on a national stage.
First though, the Saints take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) at a curious time. The Saints lost their first four games of the season by an average of five points. They got their first win against the San Diego Chargers before heading into their bye week. So what kind of team are they? They’re far from the 13-3 team we saw in 2011 that rolled off eight straight wins to close the regular season.
A 1-4 record may scream trouble, but the Saints are still the Saints. They still have Drew Brees at the helm. They still put up 28.2 points per game. Their run game struggles, but through the air, they’re as smooth as a French Quarter whiskey.
Defensively, the Saints look defeated. They’re giving up 30.8 points per game which is 30th in the league. They’re 31st in rush defense and 26th in pass defense.
The Saints look like a team missing their head coach. They lack a certain discipline, or simply forget about fundamentals.
If you have time, try to catch the Saints v. Bucs this week. Do some scouting, get in-the-know, watch a game without screaming at the TV. Next week will be different.
After Sunday’s game, interim head coach Joe Vitt will meet up with his team after serving a six game suspension. A defensive mind in charge of this Saints team looks to only spell good things for the future. The Broncos are the next team in that future.
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