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The New Orleans Saints are heading into uncharted territory after the retirement of Drew Brees. Brees rode off into the sunset, but Sean Payton is still in New Orleans. 2021 will be a decent marker for whether Payton can succeed without a star quarterback.
For Saints fans, the season will feel much different and a bit scary. But even without Brees, there are still some strengths for this team to complement the obvious step back at quarterback. Here are five of the New Orleans Saints' strengths and weaknesses going into 2021.
New Orleans Saints strengths
#1 - Sean Payton
Sean Payton has been lauded around the league for his offensive prowess. Even after 14 years with the New Orleans Saints, Payton has been able to be innovative and forward-thinking as a play-caller. He is 143-81 as a head coach and has also won a Super Bowl. If there's one coach who can bounce back from the loss of a future Hall of Fame quarterback, it's Payton.
#2 - Alvin Kamara
Alvin Kamara has been a powerhouse on offense since he was drafted in 2017. He has earned at least 728 yards and six touchdowns every season. Kamara had a career year in 2020.
In 2020, Kamara earned 932 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 83 receptions for 756 yards and five touchdowns. In total, Kamara earned about 1,500 yards of total offense and a whopping 21 touchdowns.
#3 - Michael Thomas
2020 was easily the worst year of Michael Thomas' career with the Saints. The year before was his best season, in which he had 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. If the Saints can get Thomas back to that level, they will have one of the top offenses in the league.
#4 - Wil Lutz
Kickers do not get much love, but Wil Lutz has been a source of stability at his position. He has been with the Saints since 2016 and has made over 80 percent of his attempted field goals each season since his addition to the team. Lutz has converted 86.6 percent of his field goals in his career.
#5 - Taysom Hill
Taysom Hill is the most unique quarterback in the NFL. His addition usually causes defenses to second-guess what's coming.
Hill, though, is poised to be a full-time backup for Jameis Winston this year. Should anything happen to Winston, Hill has enough experience to ensure the Saints go marching.
New Orleans Saints weaknesses
#1 - First year without Brees
Teams tend to struggle in their first season after the loss of a franchise quarterback. The Tom Brady-less New England Patriots are coming off a 7-9 season. The Denver Broncos only went 9-7 after the loss of Peyton Manning, even with most of the Super Bowl winning roster intact. The pattern doesn't look good for the Saints.
#2 - Jameis Winston
Winston is a massive step back from the decorated Drew Brees. His history shows some of the most bizarre consistency compared to almost any quarterback in the league.
In his last season as a starter in 2019, Winston threw for over 5,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. However, he also threw for 30 interceptions. Payton's job will be to knock the interceptions down while keeping the touchdowns trending upwards.
The biggest question for the Saints will be whether Sean Payton can fix the turnovers. If he can, the Saints will be just fine in 2021. However, if Winston plays like he did in Tampa Bay, the Saints will be in line for a top pick in April.
#3 - Michael Thomas' availability
Michael Thomas suffered multiple injuries in 2020 that stymied his season. Last year, he earned 40 receptions for 438 yards and no touchdowns. His injuries included a high-ankle sprain and a nagging hamstring issue that plagued him all year.
All signs point towards a full recovery, but momentum will be hard to come by after such a stop-start year.
#4 - Tough division
The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers are unlikely to scare anyone, but Tampa Bay may have hegemony over the division as long as Tom Brady is running things.
The Saints are in the business of division titles and face a fierce competitor in Tampa Bay. Currently, it looks like their most realistic hope is to wrap up a Wild Card spot, which is the hope for most middling teams going into the year.
#5 - Tight end
Adam Trautman and Nick Vannett do not inspire a ton of confidence at the tight end position.
Last season, Troutman earned 171 yards and one touchdown. Nick Vannett earned 95 yards and one touchdown. The numbers themselves do not inspire much hope for the position in the passing game for the Saints.
