New Orleans Saints 2021 season preview: 3 bold predictions ahead of the new campaign
The New Orleans Saints come into the 2021 NFL season with several questions to answer. After the retirement of the legendary Drew Brees and the end of the Superbowl window, the Saints are a mystery right now.
The Saints have plenty of clouds hovering over them. New quarterbacks, no home advantage in the early part of the year, and their star wideout is injured. After four years of chasing the Lombardi Trophy, 2021 may force Saints fans to readjust.
Coming off the back of a 13-win season, the Saints won't trouble that mark in 2021. Nevertheless, Sean Payton is no fool, and his teams are always brilliantly coached. The Saints will still play at a competitive level.
Predictions for the New Orleans Saints
#1. Winston and Hill will both start at quarterback for the Saints
Replacing Drew Brees is impossible for the New Orleans Saints. The retired quarterback is headed straight to the Hall of Fame once he is eligible. The same cannot be said about Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.
Taysom Hill replaced Brees in November last year. Hill stepped into the breach and played adequately. The Saints went 3-1, and Hill looked fine. On the other hand, Winston is a former first-round pick with tons of NFL experience.
Winston won the starting job in the preseason, but that is no guarantee for the rest of the season. Yes, Winston's arm is a cannon. However, he is liable to make mistakes. Winston's NFL career is famous for the number of turnovers he committed when he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That is why the Bucs gave up on Winston. A year spent studying on the sidelines should've helped him. But Winston will always embrace the gunslinger mentality, which is a dangerous game without elite wideouts.
Winston will always have games where he throws multiple turnovers. It is a cardinal sin for a team that will rely on its defense to control games. Moreover, Sean Payton loves Taysom Hill. If Winston throws interceptions, Hill will get starts at quarterback. That's inevitable, and the quarterback controversy for the Saints won't stop.
#2. The Saints don't play a home game in New Orleans
Due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida, the Saints play their 'home' opener in Jacksonville. Relief efforts are already underway in New Orleans, and the city faces a long road to recovery.
Due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida, the Saints play their 'home' opener in Jacksonville. Relief efforts are already underway in New Orleans, and the city faces a long road to recovery.
Football is necessary, although it is not the most important thing. The city of New Orleans needs to get back on its feet before anyone can think about playing games in the city. With houses underwater, no electricity, and significant infrastructure out, the Saints can't come home.
After Hurricane Katrina, the Saints spent all season in Houston. The wreckage of Ida might mean that the New Orleans Saints spend another year away from their adoring public.
#3. Michael Thomas' last season for the Saints
The relationship between Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints is fractured. The superstar Saints wideout spent most of last year on the sidelines due to a niggling ankle injury.
Thomas knew about the issue all offseason, and he opted to undergo surgery in June. Thomas then opted to have surgery in June. It doesn't add up. Something is brewing behind the scenes.
Thomas is a spiky individual. Typically, Sean Payton loves players with that personality. Payton embraces the confrontation and grit that challenging players bring to his locker room. However, when a franchise leader retires, other senior players must step up. Thomas is the star receiver; his paycheck confirms that, and he opted to hurt his team.
If Thomas doesn't step up and play at an elite level, his time in New Orleans might end. Sean Payton is the leading man in the Saints building, not Michael Thomas. If these two abrasive characters clash, only one man is winning.