Monday 25 December 2017 00:06, UK
When Sean Payton arrived in New Orleans in 2006, he set out with one goal: bring a Super Bowl to a city that had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
He signed up a then-free agent quarterback by the name of Drew Brees, and the pair have come together to contrive some of the most explosive offenses in NFL history, bringing a ton of success to New Orleans along the way.
In 2010, they got their hands on the Super Bowl. But since then, the Saints have had only two playoff wins. The last three seasons have all ended with a losing record (7-9 in each).
They started 2017 with a 0-2 record, for the third straight year, putting them in a hole that looked difficult to get out of. However, instead of flattering to deceive yet again, they then rattled off eight straight victories. In doing so, they became the first team to win eight in row after losing their first two - bettering the runs of the 1993 Dallas Cowboys (seven wins) and 2007 New York Giants (six), who'd both ultimately win the Super Bowl.
What has changed this year? Coach Jeff Reinebold spoke to Sky Sports on the Saints turnaround...
Shift in offensive philosophy
For the first time in a long time, the team's offensive approach doesn't seem to revolve around Brees throwing the ball 30-plus times a game. Instead, they've tried to find a balance.
"They are arguably playing at as good of a level they've ever played, and the biggest factor in that all goes back to the decision Sean has made to run the football." Reinebold said. "They wanted to be viable in the running game."
There's no doubt they have been. Veteran Mark Ingram is sixth in the league with 1,089 rushing yards at a fantastic 5.0 yards per carry. Rookie Alvin Kamara has a superb 6.2-yard average and has added 742 through the air to his 684 on the ground.
"They drafted Kamara in the third round, and he's come in and been a huge plus for them," added Reinebold. "He is a home-run hitter, while Ingram is a dynamic back, a pounder who can move the sticks for you. So they have great balance.
"That trickles down a lot of places on the football team. You play field position, so your special teams should be better. You have the ball for more time than your opponent, so your defense is on the sideline and statistically will always be better."
The Saints have found that balance and found different ways to win this year - they've shown they can win shootouts (a crazy 52-38 win against the Detroit Lions), run a team into the ground (a 47-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills where all six touchdowns came on the ground) and come back from being behind (a dramatic 34-31 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins).
Brees, while not having his usual huge statistical season, has a fantastic 22-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is on pace to have the best completion percentage (71.9) of his career in one season.
Perhaps even more crucially, the defense has been a whole lot better than in the past...
Surprising defense
In every single season under Payton as head coach, the Saints have finished in the top six in offense. In fact, they've been the number one attacking team a whopping six times over those 11 years in charge.
On the defensive side of the ball, however, it has been simply horrendous. They've finished 23rd or worst in eight of Payton's 11 years in charge. They've been in the bottom two in three of the last five.
The reason for such high hopes this season then is the play of the D. They are currently ranked as the 11th-best team in yards-per-game allowed (328.4), and tied ninth in points (19.7 per game). The pass defense has been particularly strong.
Reinebold credits the success to getting the best out of veterans like Kenny Vaccaro and Manti Te'o, and the super play of their number one draft pick, cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
"They've spent money, drafted, and gone to work to try and fix the defense from a personnel standpoint," Reinebold explained. "[Lattimore] is a guy who I won't call a 'shutdown' corner just yet, but can go up against anybody in the league. You can put him on the best guy of the opposition."
All of this has helped see the Saints clinch a playoff spot with one week to go, currently occupy top spot in the NFC South, which they hope clinch, beating the Carolina Panthers to in the final week.
Can they hold off their challengers in the ultra competitive NFC? Overall, as preached by Reinebold, "the Saints have it in them. They are certainly one of the elite teams".
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