[jwplayer omjGs8uq-ThvAeFxT]
Expectations couldn’t be higher for the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2020 season. A second Super Bowl title is on the line in what may be the final year Drew Brees plays in the NFL, considering his contract structure and retirement plans with NBC’s broadcasting team. Anything less than a championship win would be disappointing.
Fortunately, this year’s team might be up to the task. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI for short) predicted NFL win totals and chances of reaching the postseason (plus Super Bowl odds), and their metrics favor the Saints. In a ranking of every team, listed from No. 1 to 32, New Orleans clocked in at No. 4. However, that’s one spot behind the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the Baltimore Ravens and top-ranked Kansas City Chiefs.
But that simple ranking doesn’t tell the whole story. The Saints are projected to win 10.2 games this year, the same number as the 49ers, but their slightly-easier strength of schedule (based off 2019 results) gives New Orleans a slight edge in the race for a playoffs berth (83%) over San Francisco (81%).
And when you whittle it down to Super Bowl odds, the Saints have the narrowest of leads (13%) over the 49ers (12%), thanks to those same scheduling factors. While Tom Brady’s Buccaneers might make it tough, the Saints are still favored to win their third NFC South title in as many years. Meanwhile, the 49ers must cope with a tougher slate of opponents as well as the always-competitive NFC West.
We’ll see if the Saints have surrounded Brees with enough talent to get over their postseason hurdles. On offense, he’s protected by maybe the NFL’s best offensive line, with a squad of pass-catchers including Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, and Emmanuel Sanders. On the other side of the ball, leaders like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, and Malcolm Jenkins are acutely aware of what’s at stake.
Maybe it’ll take an edge on special teams, where Pro Bowl talents thrive at kicker (Wil Lutz), punter (Thomas Morstead), and in the return game (Deonte Harris fielding kicks with J.T. Gray and Justin Hardee paving the way). Or maybe Taysom Hill is more of an X-factor than most expect. Whether the 2020 Saints season ends by going up in flames or with confetti dropping from the rafters, it’s going to be must-see TV.
[vertical-gallery id=33929]