Saints in position to make another Super Bowl run

If you’ve been paying attention to my writing these past 19 months, then we’ve already established that I’m not a Saints fan.

I admit it. I’m a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan.

As I cover my head to avoid sharp objects thrown my way, let me save face and say that I think this coming season will be one of triumph for the Black and Gold and I think the team is one on a short list of contenders that could win the Super Bowl.

There, is that better?

Am I on your good side again?

Probably not, but either way, hear me out and read on (so I can find some time to hide).

Offensively, the Saints will be fine and will score a bunch of points.

When you have Drew Brees at quarterback and Sean Payton calling the plays, there’s really not much more that one can ask for.

That duo truly is a well-oiled machine and no coach in the league knows his quarterback better than Payton knows Brees, which usually means nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators.

But I really do think the team’s offense will be better in 2011, as scary as that might sound.

The first reason lies on the right arm of Brees. For as much credit as Louisianans love to give the guy (and rightfully so), he really and truly only had a mediocre season last year for a guy of his talents.

Don’t believe me? I’ll let the stats do the talking.

Brees threw 22 interceptions and fumbled nine times in 2010, both numbers rank among the worst in the NFL.

Building upon that, Brees turned over the football at least once in 13 of the team’s 16 regular season games.

Mark me down as someone who doesn’t expect to see that happen again and I believe Brees will have a huge season.

That expected success rubs shoulder to shoulder with the second reason why I think the offense could be more explosive, the running game.

Last year, the Saints couldn’t run the football. Heck, most games, they didn’t even really try.

But this year, the emphasis seems to be back on ground and pound, as the team drafted Alabama bruiser Mark Ingram in the first round of the draft.

He, Pierre Thomas and Christopher Ivory will give the team the ability to move the chains on the ground, or at the very least, set up short-yardage situations for the Saints’ short passing attack.

That will make Drew Brees much more efficient than he already is, if that’s even possible for a quarterback who completes close to 70 percent of his passes.

On defense, it’s hard to predict what the Black and Gold will do because the lockout has wiped out free agency and the team is sure to be a player on the open market.

Sure, the team has holes to fill on that side of the football, but statistically they were one of the best units in the NFL a year ago.

The biggest difference between that defense and the Super Bowl-winning defense was turnovers. In 2009, the Saints had tons and tons of takeaways, all coming at the most opportune times.

The Vikings game with the NFC Championship hanging in the balance? A game saving interception kept the team afloat.

The Super Bowl hanging in the air and the Colts driving for a game-tying score? A title-clinching interception put the game on ice.

This past year, those big plays never came and the Saints suffered because of it.

There’s no way one can ever predict the number of turnovers a team will get in a game or even a season. Truthfully, 80 percent of it is fate to be at the right place at the right time when the football pops loose and lands on the turf.

But if I had to guess, I’d say the team’s takeaway rate will be better than last year’s , but worse than 2009’s, which would still amount to a very, very good number.

So now that we’ve established that the team has the talent to win the Super Bowl, what else needs to happen for this wish to become a reality?

Luck, in the way of health.

Last year, the Saints weren’t healthy and that’s putting it mildly.

By season’s end, the team had a fullback playing halfback and pretty much every skill position player on the team was nicked with some sort of nagging injury.

Heck, even Brees had it and battled knee problems throughout the duration of the season. Some like to say that’s the reason for all of the interceptions, he had problems planting his feet to drive into the ball.

I don’t buy that argument, but however you slice the pie, the Saints need to be healthy to hang with the likes of the Falcons and Packers, and whether or not that actually happens is more about luck and fate than anything else.

It’s often said you need four things to win the Super Bowl: talent, coaching, health and fate.

I’m here to tell you that the Saints have the first two things in that equation. Whether or not the final two fall into place, stay tuned.

As the old adage always has said, that’s why they play the game.

But all I know is that if I were a Saints fan, I’d like my chances, because everything is in place to make another deep playoff run.

You may now ridicule me for being a Cowboys fan.