At least one national writer has high expectations for the New Orleans Saints in 2023. In the spirit of March Madness longshots in the NCAA basketball tournament, NFL.com’s columnist Adam Schein picked the Saints as his “Cinderella Team” for the upcoming season — largely because of the upgrade at quarterback in signing Derek Carr.
Schein sees a lot to like at other positions and in the way this team is built, but the gist of his take is that Carr can cover up many of the flaws and vulnerabilities in New Orleans. His central message:
The fact that Carr, who signed in New Orleans after being released by the Raiders, remains a polarizing figure among NFL observers is baffling to me. Over his nine NFL seasons, he’s proven himself to be a stud. He’s a leader. He’s clutch. He’s the king of the fourth-quarter comeback, with 28 of those so far in his career — no one in the NFL has had more since he arrived in the NFL in 2014.
The Saints went 5-6 in one-score games in 2022. Think of how much better their record might have been with Carr working his magic under center.
Sure, there are a lot of other factors at work. Can Michael Thomas be healthy? Can Alvin Kamara avoid a lengthy suspension? Can the defense continue to play at a high level as centerpieces like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Tyrann Mathieu age into their 30’s? Will Dennis Allen and Pete Carmichael learn from their mistakes a year ago? It’s a lot to consider. But if Carr can meet the lofty expectations the Saints (and Schein) are setting for him, they just might go the distance.
It’s too soon to call the Saints Super Bowl contenders. But they just need to win the NFC South and get back into the playoffs before they can start worrying about that. Getting things settled under center is a big first step.
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