Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
New Orleans Saints report card: Grading every position group from 2023, from Derek Carr at quarterback to the offensive line and cornerbacks
Which position groups held the New Orleans Saints back in 2023? Which ones carried the team? Those are the questions we set out to answer in our 2023 report card by evaluating every position on the team from quarterback to cornerback and everywhere in-between.
Here’s how we graded all of them:
Grading every rookie from the New Orleans Saints 2023 NFL draft class: How did Bryan Bresee, Kendre Miller, Blake Grupe stack up?
The New Orleans Saints are going to be relying on their young players heavily as other parts of the roster begin to show their age, but how did each of their rookies from the 2023 NFL draft class grade out? Who is off to a good start, and who needs to make up for lost time?
Here’s how we evaluated each Saints rookie now that the 2023 season is behind them:
The 6 biggest surprises from the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 season:
The New Orleans Saints did not have the season that fans wanted in 2023, but that doesn’t mean that it was all bad. Among the disappointing finish were a few players that outperformed their expectations and gave fans something to look forward to in the future.
Here are six names that we felt pleasantly surprised with their play:
These were 10 lowest-graded players on the Saints defense in 2023, per Pro Football Focus:
The New Orleans Saints defense was the strength of the team for much of their 2023 season, but the unit still had some vulnerabilities that were exposed against quality opponents. With much of the roster and coaching staff returning for 2024, it’s going to be important for New Orleans to shore up those deficiencies and take pressure off of Derek Carr’s offense.
But where to start? Here’s a quick look at the 10 lowest-graded Saints players on defense (minimum 100 snaps) from Pro Football Focus. It speaks to the quality of the unit that even some of their lower-rated players are grading out as above-average next to standards around the league:
7 takeaways from the Saints’ 23-13 win over the Buccaneers: Offense finally clicks, defense regains its footing
We learned a lot about the New Orleans Saints in Week 17’s big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was their most complete win against a quality opponent all season, and they did it on the road against a division rival that knows them well. This is the kind of game that a good team should be expected to win, and this time the Saints came through. Too often this season they’ve failed to meet expectations.
Here’s a quick rundown of our notes and observations from the game:
Bryan Bresee owns the Saints rookie sacks record for a DT. No interior lineman has had more sacks in their rookie year for the Saints since tracking began in 1982:
Don’t look now, but Bryan Bresee is closing in on the New Orleans Saints’ rookie sacks record for defensive tackles. He may have it already. Bresee sacked Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Bake Mayfield on Sunday, putting his season total at 4.5 sacks — which would be the official record, pushing Sedrick Ellis (2008) and Sheldon Rankins (2016) down and into a tie for second-place.
But depending on where you look, Bresee may still be in second place. Officially, his 4.5 sacks are the most by a rookie defensive tackle in Saints franchise history. Unofficially, thanks to the research of analysts at Pro Football Reference and Stathead, he’s still trailing one player in the team record books: Dave Rowe.
The second round pick of the Saints’ inaugural 1967 draft class (out of Penn State), Rowe finished his rookie season with 5.5 sacks. The first player to wear No. 76 in team history was an early fan-favorite on some really bad Saints teams, winning Pro Bowl recognition in 1968, and he went on to play for four different teams over his 12-year career, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Oakland Raiders in 1976.
But Rowe’s total is unofficial. It hasn’t been verified by another outlet or the NFL itself (which didn’t begin tracking sacks until 1982), so Bresee technically already has it in the bag. Still, it would be nice to see him remove all doubt and sack Taylor Heinicke or Desmond Ridder a few times next week in the regular season finale.
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Saints vs Rams: Staying alive in the playoff race headlines the 6 most important storylines in Week 16 game
The New Orleans Saints are still in the thick of the playoff hunt as they prepare for their Thursday night matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams are also fighting for a Wild Card spot, but the Saints can still win their division and even take first place this weekend depending on what happens with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Here are the 6 most compelling storylines we’re watching in Week 16:
Bryan Bresee picked up two sacks against the Saints, playing the best game of his young career.
Former Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee was the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and boy, it has worked out for them so far.
Bresee has been great this season, but Bresee looked phenomenal in the Saints’ 24-6 win over the New York Giants Sunday. He was a disruptive force all game, and while the stats don’t always show it for a defensive tackle having a great performance, they did form Bresee in this one.
It was a two-sack, two-tackle-for-loss performance for Bresee, who made Giants’ starting quarterback Tommy DeVito’s day a nightmare. Bresee is looking like a steal for the Saints after this performance.
Here is a look at how social media reacted to Bresee’s excellent performance.
Dennis Allen says defensive tackle Malcolm Roach may need knee surgery after suffering an injury late against the Lions:
This could be a key loss for the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that defensive tackle Malcolm Roach is exploring his options after suffering a knee injury that may require surgery in Sunday’s loss tot he Detroit Lions. With just five games left on the schedule, this could be a season-ending injury for Roach.
And that would be a crushing blow for him. Roach, 25, is headed for free agency in the spring and figures to cash in after setting new career-highs in tackles (38), assists (25), tackles for loss (3), and passes defensed (3).
Hopefully a second opinion and further evaluation leaves Roach in a more positive position. He’s brought a lot of energy to the rotation and is an active player in the trenches, ranking third on the team with 10 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage despite playing the fewest snaps (290) at defensive tackle behind Nathan Shepherd (415), Bryan Brsee and Khalen Saunders (366).
If he’s going to be sidelined, look for the Saints to bring up preseason standout Jack Heflin from their practice squad or take a look at outside free agents to reinforce the position group. They’ve been gashed on the ground this season and may need more upgrades at defensive tackle regardless of injuries.
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What we’re grateful for during the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 season
Thanksgiving is a time for expressing gratitude for the blessings in our lives — things that bring us joy which shouldn’t be taken for granted. And the New Orleans Saints have given fans some things to be thankful for even in a frustrating 2023 season. Whether it’s young standout players or position groups that have carried the team to some much-needed wins, here are our staff picks for the things we’re grateful for about the Saints this year:
