NFL season offers promise, hope for all franchises
September 5, 2013
Mission Accomplished: Cameron passes test for LSU
September 5, 2013
After a long offseason, minicamp, training camp and four preseason games, it’s finally time for the New Orleans Saints to play some real football.
The Black and Gold will open their 2013-14 campaign on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
On the other sideline will be the hated Atlanta Falcons – one of the favorites to win both the NFC South and the Super Bowl.
Kickoff will be at noon, and the game will be televised locally on Fox. The season opener marks the beginning of a journey that the Saints’ players hope ends in a second Super Bowl title.
“You’re glad preseason is over and now we’re ready to get down to what matters,” backup quarterback Luke McCown said. “I’m really excited about where the team is headed.”
For New Orleans, the preseason was a success.
The Black and Gold finished the four-game exhibition slate with a 3-1 record. The team’s only loss came on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins – a loss probably insignificant in the big picture of the season because a lot of the team’s starters didn’t play in the game. More important than the wins and losses was the way that some of the Saints’ top players looked on the field.
Quarterback Drew Brees has been crisp in his limited action in the exhibition slate. The New Orleans All-Pro completed 25-of-34 passes in the preseason with 371 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Aiding his cause has been a more balanced approach with a renewed emphasis on the running game. Halfback Mark Ingram averaged 4.6 yards per rush in the preseason with two touchdowns. His partners in crime, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas, struggled, but each saw very limited action, receiving just seven and six carries respectively.
Ingram said he hopes 2013 is the year that he can break out and have a 1,000-yard season.
“Of course you want to be No. 1 wherever you go,” Ingram said. “But like I’ve said many times, it’s about the team. I do whatever I can. I just go out there every day and try to get better every single day. I try to take a step forward every single day and never take a step back.”
Having a strong offensive line obviously helps, too.
Ingram said New Orleans’ beef is controlling the trenches in practice and preseason games.
“The line is looking great,” Ingram said. “They’re learning the blocking scheme and they’re getting it down. They’re getting a hat on a hat. They’re pushing off the line of scrimmage. They’re making seams for us to run through.”
But no one is questioning New Orleans’ offensive prowess. It’s the team’s defense that will likely determine how far the Saints can go this year.
The Black and Gold’s defense was an absolute anchor last season – the worst statistical unit in NFL history. To combat those struggles, head coach Sean Payton brought in veteran coordinator Rob Ryan to coach the unit. Ryan immediately shifted the team’s scheme from a 4-3 to a 3-4 alignment.
In the preseason, the move has had mixed success. New Orleans generated a pass rush in some of its preseason games, but still struggled at times to contain opponents through the air.
“It’s getting better a little bit every day,” safety Roman Harper said. “We’re making progress and I think everyone in our room knows that things are going to be different.”
The Saints will learn right away how they stack up amongst the elites of the NFC.
Against Atlanta, New Orleans will be taking on the defending NFC South Champions – a team that was one win away from reaching the Super Bowl last season.
Offensively, Atlanta returns virtually all of its weapons from a group that stretched the field vertically last season.
Quarterback Matt Ryan is back and is entering the season healthy after completing 25-of-43 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.
He will be surrounded by big-play threats in both the running game and the passing game. Halfback Steven Jackson will join the team for the first year in 2013 after a long run with the St. Louis Rams. He will be joined by explosive scatback Jacquizz Rodgers, who is also a threat in special teams.
On the edges, the Falcons have back dynamite wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White.
Venerable tight end Tony Gonzales is also back after contemplating retirement in the offseason. Gonzales didn’t play in the preseason, but has reported to the team and will likely be one of Ryan’s top targets in the passing game.
All of those players will combine to make Sunday’s game a bear to win for the Saints.
The team said it understands the challenge at hand. They are just ready to take the field in meaningful action.
“We just want to play football,” Brees said. “Our mindset is forget what you did the year before – whether it was good or bad. You have to prove it again this year. There is always another challenge.”
New Orleans Saints halfback Travaris Cadet fights to break tackles during the team’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Saints are anxious to play “games that count” after a long and grueling offseason. The team begins its quest for the postseason on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
