1 New Orleans Saints
WHAT'S NEW?
> In a word,expectations. Coming off a miserable 3-13 record in 2005, the Saints reboundedin '06 to have the greatest season in their 40-year history, winning the NFCSouth, leading the NFL in total offense and reaching their first conferencechampionship game. More significant, they restored a large measure of civicpride to their rebuilding hometown. At the center of the team's turnaround wasa trio of new faces: coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees and running backReggie Bush. With all three back--and with no major losses to freeagency--hopes in the Big Easy are sky high. For a franchise with only eightwinning seasons to its credit, suddenly nothing less than a Super Bowl will do."We know how good we can be," says Brees, who started the Pro Bowlafter throwing for 26 touchdowns and a league-high 4,418 yards. "This isour time."
WHERE THEY'REHEADED
> To reachthe Super Bowl, New Orleans has to play better defense. In their first seasonunder defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs, the Saints gave up an NFL-worst 16completions of 40 yards or more, and allowed 14 rushes of at least 20 yards,the third most in the NFC. On top of that, the defense forced the second-fewesttakeaways (19) in the league, a problem that became crippling in thepostseason, when New Orleans failed to create even one turnover in two playoffgames. It's little wonder then that six of the club's eight free-agent signingswere defenders.
In particular,cornerback Jason David and free safety Kevin Kaesviharn were brought in to helpan inexperienced and porous secondary that was the team's weak link in 2006.Cornerback Fred Thomas, a 12-year veteran who turns 34 on Sept. 11, was burnedon a slew of big passing plays, and rookie strong safety Roman Harper lackedexperience. After Harper went down with a torn left ACL against Tampa Bay inWeek 5, New Orleans had to use journeyman Omar Stoutmire. "We'd be good forfive or six plays," says Gibbs, "and all of a sudden give up a 60-yardpass."
David, 25, whosigned a four-year, $16.5 million deal, was a three-year starter for the Colts.Though he lacks experience in the sort of man-to-man coverage schemes employedby Gibbs, he's a clear upgrade over the aging Thomas.
Kaesviharn, 30,is a ball hawk who played in both the Arena Football League and the XFLbefore spending six years with the Bengals. He signed a four-year, $10 millioncontract with New Orleans after he had more sacks (four) and nearly as manyinterceptions (six) last season as the entire Saints secondary (one and eight).Kaesviharn will help mentor Harper and Josh Bullocks, who has not yet emergedas a playmaker in his two years as a starter. "We wanted to create somemore competition," says general manager Mickey Loomis. "We're going toneed all of those guys. They're all going to contribute."
Loomis's biggestoff-season move was actually re-signing one of his own players, defensive endCharles Grant (six sacks), to a seven-year deal worth $63 million. Grant teamswith Pro Bowl end Will Smith (101‚ÅÑ2 sacks) to form one of the top pass-rushingtandems in the NFC.
The front seven,the strength of the defense, stayed remarkably healthy a year ago. Grantstarted every game, and Smith started 14; linebackers Scott Fujita, ScottShanle and Mark Simoneau missed only a total of four starts. That concealed thegroup's startling lack of depth. But Loomis shored things up in the off-seasonby adding veteran defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy and linebackers Troy Evansand Dhani Jones. "We know we were pretty fortunate last year," saysFujita. "That doesn't happen every year, so the more experienced guys whocome in and contribute right away, the better."
With a defenseless likely to allow big plays and more capable of creating turnovers, theSaints and their high-flying offense appear ready to fulfill the team's loftyexpectations. That was surely on Payton's mind at the end of the team'soff-season workouts in June, when he and linebackers coach Joe Vitt staged amock funeral for the 2006 season and urged the team to look forward. With hisplayers gathered around, Payton oversaw the burial of a casket containingmemorabilia from last year, including a replica of his Coach of the Yearaward.
"Here's thething," he says. "We've got smart guys who know there's nothing wrongwith the bar being raised. That's what we want. We want to be a team that, yearin and year out, plays consistently and puts ourselves in position to competefor a championship."
New Orleans willdo more than that this season. Come Feb. 3, expect the Saints to march backhome as Super Bowl champs.
2007 SCHEDULE
(M) Monday (T)Thursday
SEPTEMBER
6 at Indianapolis(T)
16 at TampaBay
24 TENNESSEE(M)
30 Bye
OCTOBER
7 CAROLINA
14 at Seattle
21 ATLANTA
28 at SanFrancisco
NOVEMBER
4JACKSONVILLE
11 ST. LOUIS
18 at Houston
25 atCarolina
DECEMBER
2 TAMPA BAY
10 at Atlanta(M)
16 ARIZONA
23PHILADELPHIA
30 at Chicago
SCHEDULESTRENGTH
NFL rank... 25
Opponents' 2006winning percentage ... .484
Games againstplayoff teams ... 4
ENEMY LINES
AN OPPOSINGTEAM'S SCOUT SIZES UP THE SAINTS
> It's notsurprising they were good last year. They're very strong at quarterback withDrew Brees and at running back with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush. Theiryoung receivers turned out to be pretty good, especially Marques Colston. . . .They're very professional up front, as long as Jammal Brown's knee injury isn'tanything serious. If he's out for any length of time at left tackle, that's anissue. . . . They're well coached on both sides of the ball. . . . Defensively,their linebackers are solid guys--Mark Simoneau, Scott Fujita, ScottShanle--but none of them are what you would call great athletes. The defensiveline is respectable. I've always liked Mike McKenzie at corner, but he'sgetting older. . . . You come down to it, this is just a better offensive teamthan a defensive team.
THE KING 500
MarquesColston
> WIDERECEIVER
155
Even though theseventh-rounder out of Hofstra led all Saints wideouts in '06 with 70 catchesfor 1,038 yards and eight TDs, he was still considered the No. 2 receiver.But with Joe Horn gone to Atlanta, the 6' 4", 231-pound Colston is now theman. He'll benefit from the additions of receiver David Patten and tight endEric Johnson. Says Colston, "I'm trying to take on that leadershiprole."
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PROJECTEDSTARTING LINEUP
WITH 2006STATISTICS
COACH SEAN PAYTON(10-6 in NFL), second season with Saints
OFFENSE
MARQUESCOLSTON
POS WR
REC 70
YARDS 1,038
TD 8
DEUCEMCALLISTER
POS RB
ATT 244
YARDS 1,057
AVG 4.3
REC 30
YARDS 198
AVG 6.6
TD 10
DREW BREES
POS QB
ATT 554
COMP 356
PCT 64.3
YARDS 4,418
TD 26
INT 11
RATING 96.2
REGGIE BUSH
POS RB
ATT 155
YARDS 565
AVG 3.6
REC 88
YARDS 742
AVG 8.4
TD 8
DEVERYHENDERSON
POS WR
REC 32
YARDS 745
TD 6
JONSTINCHCOMB
POS RT
HT 6' 5"
WT 315
G 16
JAHRI EVANS
POS RG
HT 6' 4"
WT 318
G 16
JEFF FAINE
POS C
HT 6' 3"
WT 291
G 16
JAMAR NESBIT
POS LG
HT 6' 4"
WT 328
G 16
JAMMAL BROWN
POS LT
HT 6' 6"
WT 313
G 15
ERIC JOHNSON (NEWACQUISITION)
POS TE
REC 34
YARDS 292
TD 2
OLINDO MARE (NEWACQUISITION)
POS K
FG 26-36
POINTS 100
DEFENSE
SCOTT SHANLE
POS WLB
TACKLES 97
SACKS 4
INT 0
CHARLES GRANT
POS LE
TACKLES 64
SACKS 6
BRIAN YOUNG
POS LT
TACKLES 46
SACKS 5 1/2
KENDRICK CLANCY(NEW ACQUISITION)
POS RT
TACKLES 29
SACKS 1
WILL SMITH
POS RE
TACKLES 49
SACKS 10 1/2
SCOTT FUJITA
POS SLB
TACKLES 96
SACKS 3 1/2
INT 2
MIKE MCKENZIE
POS CB
TACKLES 33
INT 2
JOSH BULLOCKS
POS FS
TACKLES 71
SACKS 0
INT 2
MARK SIMONEAU
POS MLB
TACKLES 61
SACKS 1
INT 1
ROMAN HARPER
POS SS
TACKLES 26
SACKS 0
INT 1
JASON DAVID (NEWACQUISITION)
POS CB
TACKLES 55
SACKS 0
INT 2
STEVEWEATHERFORD
POS P
PUNTS 77
AVG 43.8
NEWACQUISITION
> 2006 RECORD10-6 NFL RANK (Rush/Pass/Total): OFFENSE 19/1/1 DEFENSE 23/3/11
PHOTO
BOB ROSATO
 WHAT ARUSH Smith had 10 1/2 sacks a year ago but must help the D create moreturnovers.
PHOTO
KEVIN C. COX/WIREIMAGE.COM
ILLUSTRATION