Here’s some New Orleans Saints positivity for you: ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters released their preseason power rankings, with the black and gold continuing to climb the standings. The Saints now clock in at No. 19 (having previously been ranked a bit further down at No. 21, putting them head-and-shoulders above their competition in the weak NFC South.
What about the other teams in the division? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have stalled out all the way down at No. 30 (repeating from their last placement), with the trendy preseason pick Atlanta Falcons slotted in above them at No. 28 (falling a couple of spots from No. 26). The Carolina Panthers were right there with the Saints at No. 22 last time, but they’re jogging in place while New Orleans advances.
So that’s encouraging, even if the Saints are still ranked in the bottom half of the league. Derek Carr has a lot of work to do in elevating their offense and proving he can guide this team to the playoffs. That’s something he only did once in nine years with the Las Vegas Raiders, so some skepticism is warranted.
But these power rankings are ultimately nothing more than vibe checks to see how each team is perceived by those on the outside looking in. We’ll know who the Saints are and where they can go this year when the regular season kicks off Sept. 10.
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