NFC SOUTH NEW ORLEANS 2014 STRENGTHS: • Elite quarterback, strong secondary, dominant home field advantage Saints Offense WESLEY HITT/GETTY IMAGES SPORT No quarterback has more 5,000-yard passing seasons than Drew Brees, who has four of them and has hit the mark three years in a row. There’s no reason to think he won’t make it five in four straight years. Even at 35, Brees, who became the fifth passer to surpass 50,000 yards in 2013, can still get the ball downfield and into tight spots as well as anyone (he completed 68.6 percent of his throws in 2013—second in the NFL behind San Diego’s Phillip Rivers’ 69.5). Don’t expect a drop-off in 2014 from Brees, who said during training camp that he wanted to play until the age of 45. New Orleans, second in the entire league in passing yards (behind Denver) and one of only two to average north of 300 yards a game through the air (307.4), has a number of potential 1,000- yard receivers in tight end Jimmy Graham, who did so in 2013 (1,215 yards), and Marques Colston, who just missed (943), and the next wave of young receivers is here, with second-year pro Kenny Stills, who averaged 20.0 yards per catch as a rookie, and speedy playmaker Brandin Cooks, the team’s top draft pick. Veteran WR Robert Meachem and TE Ben Watson also make tempting targets. The run has become something of an afterthought, as only seven teams averaged fewer yards on the ground than the Saints’ 2014 WEAKNESSES: • Lack of feature running back, inconsistent kicking game, absence of a threat on kickoffs and punt returns SAINTS 92.1 yards per game, while only six had fewer running plays than their 391 and averaged less than their 3.8 yards per attempt. The trading of Darren Sproles puts greater pressure on Mark Ingram, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry after overcoming an early turf toe injury and ran for 97 yards in the Saints’ Wild Card victory at Philadelphia, recently acquired FB Erik Lorig, and Pierre Thomas, the team’s leading rusher last season (549 yards) who primarily came in on third downs last year. The line lost a pair of starters to free agency in left tackle Charles Brown and center Brian de la Puente, but remains solid with four-time Pro Bowl RG Jahri Evans and two-time Pro-Bowl LG Ben Grubbs, and improving LT Terron Armstead and fellow secondyear man Tim Lelito taking over at center. Nine-year veteran Zach Strief, who inked a five-year deal during the off-season, mans right tackle. Offensive Player to Watch Whether he plays wide receiver or tight end, it doesn’t matter where Graham lines up on the line of scrimmage. One thing is certain: Brees calls Graham’s name whenever he needs a big play. Brees knows all he needs to do is put the ball in the vicinity of the 6-7, 265-pound pass-catching machine and the First-Team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, will do the rest. The NFC’s leading scorer among non-kickers (96 points) in 2013, no one has caught more touchdown passes over the last three years (36) than Graham, the former third-round pick of the Saints in 2010 from Miami, where he played basketball, who has averaged 90 catches, 1,169 yards and 12 TDs in that span. He’ll spend four more years in New Orleans, after inking a four-year, $40 million deal ($21 million guaranteed). Saints Defense Year One of the Rob Ryan Era was a success, as the unit finished in the top five in the NFL in total defense (305.7 yards per game, fourth) and points allowed (304, 19.0 ppg), The Saints Drew Brees
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