Category: NFL power rankings

Saints clock in at No. 4 in ESPN’s future NFL power rankings

Thanks to careful roster construction, the New Orleans Saints have set themselves up well for the future in ESPN’s latest NFL power rankings

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While the Drew Brees era might be drawing to a close for the New Orleans Saints, the team is well-positioned for whatever comes next. That’s the thesis statement from their placement in the latest future NFL power rankings from ESPN, in which a panel of experts rated every team’s roster composition, quarterback situation, draft success, as well as the coaching staff and front office structures.

The Saints have strung together three years of double-digit win seasons, picking up help along the way with free agents like Demario Davis, Jared Cook, Malcolm Jenkins, and Emmanuel Sanders. The only thing holding them back is their hit rate on draft picks, which ESPN ranked 23rd in the league. Still, even that wart couldn’t keep the Saints from ranking lower than No. 4 overall.

Here’s what ESPN’s Field Yates had to say about why the Saints were put on such a high pedestal:

There’s a case to be made for the Saints as the most complete roster in football right now, and the team is coached by the brilliant Sean Payton. While New Orleans has a year-to-year approach surrounding Drew Brees‘ future, the team has already invested in a developmental player in Taysom Hill that it hopes can be their “guy” going forward.

However, there is skepticism that Hill might be “the guy” the Saints have talked him up to be. After all, he’s completed fewer passes to his teammates than Jameis Winston did while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Winston is now in line to compete with Hill a year or two down the road. If Winston can clean up his mistakes, Hill must show serious growth as a passer to hold onto his heir-apparent status.

And while the Saints were rated with the NFL’s best roster, it does have a few weak points that could come into play in the years ahead. All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis is a free agent after the 2020 season and already over 30, with few healthy, young options around him (co-starters Kiko Alonso and Alex Anzalone each suffered season-ending injuries last year, while aging backup Craig Robertson is also a soon-to-be free agent). The Saints are putting a lot of faith in rookie draft pick Zack Baun to solidify the position.

But let’s circle back to the good news. The Saints have carefully assembled one of the strongest rosters you’ll see around the NFL, including a young, talented offensive line and a quarterback’s best friend in superstar wideout Michael Thomas. With Payton calling the shots, fans should have confidence that the Saints are ready for whatever comes next whether Hill, Winston, or someone else is under center once Brees has moved on.

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2020 NFL power rankings: Saints remain the best in the NFC

Cam Newton signing with the New England Patriots might shake up the AFC in NFL power rankings, but the New Orleans Saints still rule the NFC

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Few teams have enjoyed as much success than the New Orleans Saints in recent years — at least in the regular season. The Saints have won 13 games in back-to-back campaigns for the first time in franchise history, setting up 2020 to be the year when they finally carry over their winning ways into the playoffs (hopefully).

While the team does have some flaws, For The Win’s Steven Ruiz fully expects them to make a deep push this year. He ranked New Orleans third-best in his updated NFL power rankings:

The Saints have the deepest roster in the NFL. There isn’t really a weakness on the depth chart. Drew Brees is older and his arm isn’t as strong as it once was, but until that precision starts to go, he’ll continue to be one of the better quarterbacks in the league. The defense looks better on paper after the Malcolm Jenkins signing tied the secondary together. Injuries and a reversal of turnover luck are the only way this team isn’t at the top of the NFC standings come December.

Ruiz used a few key stats to inform his analysis — pointing out that the Saints ranked second-best in turnover margin while leading the NFL in fumbles recovered last year, which aren’t sure things to repeat in 2020. Turnovers are a high-variance stat, especially on defense, so it’s possible the Saints won’t have as many breaks go their way (or as many interceptions from Jameis Winston, who was picked off four times in one game by Saints defenders).

Additionally, the Saints largely enjoyed good health last year. While starters like Drew Brees, Andrus Peat, Marcus Davenport, Sheldon Rankins, Kiko Alonso, and Alex Anzalone were in and out of the lineup with injuries, the depth chart wasn’t struck hard from top to bottom, or at least to the extent of some teams. Pro Football Outsiders gauged the Saints as having had the eighth-fewest adjusted games lost to injuries in 2019. That’s a trend that could definitely swing the other way at a moment’s notice.

But for now, the Saints are in a great spot to set the pace for the NFC. They’re ranked ahead of the San Francisco 49ers (who Ruiz noted experienced even more lucky breaks than the Saints, and many other teams around the league) and every other contender in the conference, trailing only two other squads — and they both play in the AFC. While the Saints will host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs late down the stretch, the only way they’ll see Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens is if both teams reach the Supr Bowl. That just might be in the cards.

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Saints clock in at No. 3 in Peter King’s updated NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints were ranked highly by Peter King for NBC Sports, who chose them as the best team in the NFC in his NFL power rankings

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No team has won more games than the New Orleans Saints since the start of the 2017 season, with the black and gold bringing home 37 victories over the last three years. That’s one more than the New England Patriots (36) and the reigning-Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs (34), as well as the next-best team in the NFC (the Los Angeles Rams, tied to the Baltimore Ravens with 33 wins).

And according to Peter King of NBC Sports, that’s a strong enough resume to earn a top-three spot in his latest NFL power rankings. However, King expects the Saints to face some trouble from Tom Brady and the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

King pointed out that while the Saints have gone 23-5 against the rest of league (going back to their Week 17 loss at Tampa Bay in 2017), New Orleans has seen too many coin flips against the Buccaneers, notching a 3-2 record in that span. And now Brady will be under center instead of Saints third-stringer Jameis Winston.

Here’s some of what King wrote on his concerns for the Saints in 2020:

This is mostly the same team that stalled in the Superdome against the Vikings in the wild-card game, except for Jameis Winston as an intriguing backup QB, Emmanuel Sanders as a proven alternative to Michael Thomas, and uber-leader Malcolm Jenkins returning to key the secondary in what could also be his last year. Jenkins is the player Sean Payton always regretted letting get away after spending his first five seasons in New Orleans. It’d be fitting for both Jenkins and Brees to go out on top.

To make it to Super Bowl 55, New Orleans will have to be better than up-and-coming San Francisco and the pesky Bucs.

King’s assumption that this is the end of the road for Jenkins is a bit surprising — his contract is structured so that the Saints will not save any cap space by cutting him until 2022 at the soonest. And while he is already 33, Jenkins has been an ironman who never left the field in six years with the Philadelphia Eagles. His body shouldn’t quit on him any time soon.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see if these additions were enough to put the Saints over the top. New Orleans added several rookies they expect to contribute right away — like first-round pick Cesar Ruiz, and pass-rushing linebacker Zack Baun — as a supplement to the veterans signed in free agency. While they must keep an eye on Brady’s Buccaneers, the Saints are very much at the wheel again in the NFC South.

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Saints stay in the top tier of SI’s post-draft NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints are firmly among a top tier of Super Bowl contenders in the post-draft NFL power rankings from Sports Illustrated.

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NFL free agency has quieted down, and the 2020 draft is set down in stone. Like every other team, the New Orleans Saints are now looking towards an uncertain offseason with training camp far off on the horizon. Rosters are set across the league and coaching staffs are itching to get to work.

To gauge where teams stand after the biggest events of the summer, SI polled a group of senior writers, columnists, and reporters including Albert Breer, Andrew Brandt, Gary Gramling, Mitch Goldich, Conor Orr and Jenny Vrentas. Here’s what they had to say about the Saints in their post-draft NFL power rankings:

4. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Points in poll: 168
Highest-place vote: 2 (1 voter)
Lowest-place vote: 9 (1 voter)
Season result: 13-3, lost in wild-card round
Post-SB Rank: 5
SI Draft Grade: C-

After three straight heartbreaking playoff exits, Drew Brees is back for another crack at it with a loaded roster.

The Saints sit behind a common group of rivals: the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, and the San Francisco 49ers. Various outlets around the NFL media landscape aren’t in as close agreement on who sits behind those four squads, but we’re starting to see the Saints perceived as legit Super Bowl contenders alongside the Ravens and the two teams that played in last season’s title game.

As for the rest of the NFC South: they’re all slotted outside the top ten, including Tom Brady’s upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11). The Atlanta Falcons (17) and Carolina Panthers (30) are not figuring into many Super Bowl LV forecasts, but they’ve surprised us before. Who could’ve imagined they would both botch their last trips to the Super Bowl so memorably?

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Saints rule the NFC in Touchdown Wire’s mid-free agency power rankings

The New Orleans Saints rose to the top spot in the NFC during the updated mid-free agency NFL power rankings from Touchdown Wire.

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The first few waves of free agency have come and gone, sending shockwaves throughout the NFL. It’s rocked the hierarchy of Super Bowl contenders in both the AFC and NFC, which was reflected in the updated power rankings from Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield.

For the Saints, the additions of wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and defensive back Malcolm Jenkins (both regular faces at the Pro Bowl) combined with losses around the conference to put them ahead of their competition. The Saints now rank third-best in the NFL and should be seen as favorites to represent the conference in Super Bowl LV. Here’s what Schofield wrote to justify their high placement, above rivals like the San Francisco 49ers (fourth), Green Bay Packers (fifth), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (eighth):

The Saints badly needed to get Michael Thomas a running mate, and they did just that, adding Emmanuel Sanders to bolster their wide receiver group. Both Thomas and Sanders are versatile targets, with both being used last season in the slot and on the boundary. With Sanders in the fold, New Orleans can use their first-round selection to help the defense, perhaps with Zach Baun from Wisconsin, or they could trade down as they currently last a second-round pick.

Speaking of the defense, adding Jenkins into the secondary gives them a proven veteran safety with the ability to play both as a single high free safety or down in the box if needed. He can also serve as a strong mentor for Marcus Williams at the opposite safety spot and be a leader in the locker room.

But the main reason for their modest jump is the Sanders acquisition. This is going to be a very hard passing game to slow down.

The addition of Tom Brady elevated the Buccaneers from a below-average squad to a Super Bowl dark horse, but the rest of the NFC South trails them and the Saints a big further behind. Teddy Bridgewater’s landing with the Carolina Panthers raised them from second-worst to just No. 28, while the Atlanta Falcons slid back to the No. 22 spot after starting the offseason at No. 19. When you lose key contributors like Austin Hooper and De’Vondre Campbell and replace them with first-round draft busts like Laquon Treadwell and Hayden Hurst, you’re going to have a bad time. For now, it’s looking like a two-horse race (at best) in the NFC South.

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Saints remain third-best in final USA Today power rankings

The final NFL power rankings from USA Today kept the New Orleans Saints in third place behind the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

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The New Orleans Saints ended their season with a bang, but it didn’t sway the decision-makers who assembled the final USA Today NFL power rankings. The Saints finished the regular season ranked-third best in the NFL, the same as the previous week, trailing both the top-ranked Baltimore Ravens and second-best San Francisco 49ers.

However, we’re now onto the playoffs. And speculation is rising as to whether the Saints can exorcise some demons with familiar postseason rivals like the 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, and Seattle Seahawks also vying for a Super Bowl title:

Recent playoff hexes already becoming a topic du jour. Surely Sean Payton will loop clips of “Minneapolis Miracle” this week …

Actually, it would be great if Payton didn’t play up the role that game had in Saints history. It was just a bump in the road between NFC South division championships, while the Vikings were dealt an unceremonious exit from the 2017 playoffs after that game and didn’t return to the postseason tournament until 2019. If that miracle meant anything to anyone, it codified the Vikings’ ability to punch above their weight class. And that’s what Payton and his team should take away from it.

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NFL power rankings, Week 15: Saints stay pat after impressive, frustrating performance

The New Orleans Saints have room to improve after getting overrun by the San Francisco 49ers, but their spot in NFL power rankings is secure

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What more is there to take away from the New Orleans Saints’ dramatic loss to the San Francisco 49ers? Drew Brees clearly still has the ability to drop 40-plus points on an opponent at any given time, which is reassuring after the Saints struggled to do that for much of the 2019 season. The performance he put on last Sunday was vintage, recalling the kind of tape he put up often earlier in his Saints career.

Distressingly, the Saints defense regressed hard, and they too chose to play like it was 2014 or 2015 again. They weren’t competitive when the 49ers called deep shots downfield and were too often fooled by misdirection before the snap, causing defenders to move too-late into their run fits. The only silver lining to that problem is it validates a statement many fans probably believed going into the game: that 49ers play-designer Kyle Shanahan is better at his job than Saints defensive shot-caller Dennis Allen. Some success is to be expected.

So observers around the league weren’t exactly shocked when the Saints defense got carved up and served on a silver platter. According to the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, the throws and execution Brees showed throughout the afternoon are worth more than the defense’s breakdowns, though obviously it’s something they must improve. Farrar hasn’t budged from his stance as calling the Saints one of the best teams in the NFL, ranked third behind the 49ers and Baltimore Ravens:

Sunday’s game between the 49ers and Saints marked just the third time since 1950 that both quarterbacks in a game had the same number of passing yards. It just so happened that Jimmy Garoppolo’s yardage on San Francisco’s final drive meant a bit more than Drew Brees’ did. With less than a minute left, Brees hit receiver Tre’Quan Smith on an 18-yard touchdown pass — his fifth touchdown pass of the game — and the Saints looked to have a 46-45 win, as long as New Orleans’ defense could hold Garoppolo to his own side of the field.

That didn’t happen, as Garoppolo hit tight end George Kittle on a 39-yard play on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 33-yard line. Add in safety Marcus Williams’ 15-yard facemask penalty, and that’s all it took to position Robbie Gould for the winning 30-yard field goal.

The Saints went from the first seed in the NFC to the third with the loss, and they have tough games against the Colts, Titans and Panthers to end the season. Job No. 1 for New Orleans’ coaching staff will be to tinker with a pass defense that fell apart multiple times in this game.

It’s tough to argue with that assessment. More than a few emotional Saints fans want players like Williams cut immediately, but that’s a ridiculous pipe dream. He’s the only player on New Orleans’ roster with multiple interceptions this year (he’s bagged four, and lost a few others to unrelated penalties) and is still coming into his own after celebrating his 23rd birthday in September. Williams’ trajectory as a pro is trending up despite ugly instances like his facemask penalty on Kittle (which likely prevented a touchdown) or his past mistakes as a rookie (which we don’t need to dwell on). Odds are a good that he’ll continue to improve with more NFL experience; now it’s up to fans to support him in the low moments just like they praise him in high times.

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Saints rise in latest NFL power rankings, but still trail the best in the NFC West

The New Orleans Saints surpassed the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots in the latest NFL power rankings, but they aren’t on top.

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The New Orleans Saints demolished the Atlanta Falcons without putting up gaudy numbers on offense, instead relying on their defense to make life hard for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and his supporting cast on Thanksgiving. That victory was a prelude for other big wins around the NFL, ranging from the Baltimore Ravens’ takedown of the San Francisco 49ers to the Houston Texans’ shocking win over the New England Patriots. A final shakeup to the standings came from the Seattle Seahawks’ homestand against the Minnesota Vikings.

According to the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, those performances were substantial enough to life the Saints to the No. 3 spot. Here’s some of what he wrote to justify that jump up from No. 5:

It says a lot for a team’s balance when it can beat the daylights out of an opponent without any of its biggest offensive names putting up huge performances. That was the case for the Saints in their 26-18 win over the Falcons. Drew Brees completed just 18 of 30 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. Alvin Kamara gained 61 yards on 11 carries. Michael Thomas caught six passes for just 48 yards.

None of that mattered, though, because New Orleans’ defense went nuts on Matt Ryan, sacking him nine times, hitting him 13 more times, and making his day even worse with this extremely ill-advised tackle attempt and against defensive lineman Shy Tuttle.

Backup quarterback/Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill blocked a punt, ran for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass. Cameron Jordan had four sacks, and edge bookend Marcus Davenport had two of his own.

The Saints earned their third straight NFC South title with this win, and they’re right to want more. When you have depth and breadth along the roster like this, you are going to be a very tough out in the postseason.

The Saints still trail two other teams for the top spot, including the red-hot Ravens (at No. 1) and the upstart Seahawks (at No. 2), despite New Orleans’ dismantling of Seattle earlier this season. The Seahawks’ serenity-in-chaos style of play has worked well for them this year, especially on the biggest stages in prime-time, but for now they trail the Saints in the only ranking that really matters: playoff positioning. If the playoffs started today, the road to Super Bowl LIV would run through New Orleans, with the Seahawks in second-place.

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Saints surpass the Patriots in Week 11 NFL Power Rankings

The New Orleans Saints surpassed the New England Patriots in the Week 11 NFL power rankings, but they still trail the San Francisco 49ers.

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The New Orleans Saints dismantled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, stealing four interceptions from wayward quarterback Jameis Winston and doing whatever they wanted on offense. It was a statement win coming off of their worst loss in recent memory, and established a strong precedent moving forward.

According to the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, that performance was enough to vault the Saints ahead of the New England Patriots to rank third-best in the league. Here’s some of what Farrar wrote to justify the Saints’ rise in Week 11:

By bracketing Mike Evans with cornerback P.J. Williams and safety Marcus Williams, New Orleans kept Tampa Bay’s top receiver in check with four receptions on eight targets for 69 yards, and two interceptions when targeted. On offense, Drew Brees was ruthlessly efficient against Tampa Bay’s shredded secondary, completing 28 of 35 passes for 228 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Michael Thomas, Brees’ top target, had eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Thomas has 94 receptions on the season, passing Marvin Harrison and Julio Jones for the most catches in the first 10 games of a season in NFL history.

It was as impressive a win as the Saints have put together this season. The teams ranked ahead of them have posted up some lofty stats of their own, however, and we’ll actually get to see them kick off in two weeks: the San Francisco 49ers are ranked at No. 2, while their next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, still sits at the top spot. Depending on how that game turns out, the opportunity is there for the Saints to climb even higher.

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