When the 2024 campaign rolls around, it will have been 15 seasons since the New Orleans Saints lifted their first and only Lombardi Trophy. The wonderful partnership of Drew Brees and Sean Payton is now long gone, and any attempts to recapture the magic of their years have so far fallen short. Players like Chris Olave, Taliese Fuaga, and Kool-Aid McKinstry are beacons of hope for future success. Still, even the most optimistic fan will recognize it may take some time to challenge the true NFL powerhouses.
One of the biggest concerns for fans will be the combination of coach and quarterback. Derek Carr improved throughout the year and strung together some nice performances to close out the season, but is he the man to lead New Orleans back to glory? The last victory came in the 2009 season, at which point, the legendary combo of Sean Payton and Drew Brees were in their fourth season together. They had successfully transformed a last-place team with a 3-13 record into Super Bowl champions four years later.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about that successful campaign was that it came after an underwhelming 8-8 season in 2008. Despite leading the league with 28.9 points per game in 2008, the Saints’ defense struggled, ranking 26th. Significant changes were made in 2009 to address the issue, most notably through hiring Gregg Williams as Defensive Coordinator and signing veteran safety Darren Sharper to a one-year, $1.2 million contract. Sharper exceeded expectations, snagging a league-leading nine interceptions and a team-leading 15 passes defended. He was selected as a First-team All-Pro player, proving to be exactly what they needed.
The following year, the Saints’ offense stayed hot, improving to 32.5 points per game, again leading the league. This offensive firepower and defensive improvements propelled New Orleans to an incredible 13-0 start. Drew Brees was exceptional, completing 70% of his passes for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns. Marques Colston led the receivers with 1,074 yards, with Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem not far behind, on 804 and 722, respectively.
Although the Saints ended the regular season with a surprising three-game losing streak, any concerns were quickly erased by a 45-14 hammering of Arizona in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. A tense overtime victory against Minnesota set up a Super Bowl clash with Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts. In classic Brees fashion, the great quarterback completed 82% of his passes on the day, collecting 288 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Colston led the way with 83 yards, with running back Pierre Thomas and tight end Jeremy Shockey catching the touchdowns. The Saints defense picked up a key interception on Manning, helping round out a decisive 31-17 victory.
For New Orleans fans, it was a historic day, celebrating their first-ever title after a season where everything fell into place. Sean Payton was masterful in designing perfect game plans, and Brees was the ideal pilot for his scheme. His pinpoint accuracy and quick release were key in securing a 13-3 regular season record and a magical ride through the playoffs, in which the team scored at least 31 points in every game. Coach-quarterback partnerships like that are hard to find, but that has to be the primary goal for New Orleans as they hunt for the next victory. A lot has to go right to win a Super Bowl; that crucial combination is the place to start.
In their hunt to repeat the glory of the 2009 season, Brees and Payton made it back to the playoffs in 7 of the next 11 seasons, suffering some heartbreaking losses along the way. Most notably, the shocking Stefon Diggs touchdown as the clock ticked to 0 on the 2017 season and the infamous non-call against the Rams one year later. They were low points in a high-quality stretch for New Orleans, registering four double-digit win seasons and four playoff appearances in Brees’ last four seasons in the league. Alas, no victory arrived, proving once again how hard it is to land the Lombardi.
Drew Brees called it a day after one more playoff loss in the 2020 season, ending a magnificent 20-year career that saw him etch his name onto several all-time NFL leaderboards. It is just a matter of time before he gets his bust in Canton, thanks to his role in one of the best coach-quarterback combinations the NFL has ever seen. They led the Saints to 9 playoff appearances in 15 seasons, winning one Super Bowl and 7 division titles. It is a testament to their skill and leadership that New Orleans has struggled to find their new identity since their departure.
The team opted for a continuity candidate in their next head coach, promoting Dennis Allen after his success in the defensive coordinator role since 2015. One year later, Derek Carr arrived on a 4-year $150 million deal to be the face of the franchise. For a big part of the 2023 campaign, Carr’s signing looked like a bad move, but he turned it around nicely in the latter stages. If he can continue that growth and work well with young receivers such as Chris Olave and Rashid Shahid, better times could be on the horizon.
Taliese Fuaga adds much-needed help to the offensive line, with Chase Young and Willie Gay bringing many potential upsides to the defense. Both are on ‘prove-it’ deals, but there is a lot of talent there, and New Orleans will be hoping they can nurture the young talent on the defensive side of the ball, mentoring the likes of Bryan Bresee, Isaiah Foskey, and the 2024 cohort of rookies. The development of those youngsters will be instrumental in the Saints getting back to the days of defensive dominance, laying the foundations for another Super Bowl window.
It is the offense that has the most question marks, though. Derek Carr needs to prove that he is the guy to take New Orleans into the next era of Saints football. Consistency in the coach and quarterback rooms is crucial, but Carr has not done enough in his career to convince people that he is a top-tier quarterback. Given the weakness of the NFC South in 2023, New Orleans should see their second-place finish as a wasted opportunity. Carr needs to capitalize on his finish to the 2023 season, re-energize this offense, and fight against an Atlanta team that is the early favorites after their trade for Kirk Cousins.
If he can do that, then maybe, just maybe, dreams of a Super Bowl may start to emerge again. There is exciting young talent on the roster. He and Dennis Allen need to figure out how to utilize it. The successful 2009 campaign came after an underwhelming 8-8 season, so why can’t that happen again?
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