We’re at that point in the offseason where everyone is hyping up their team well ahead of training camp. For NFL.com, there’s one team worth hopping onto the “bandwagon” for.
In a recent feature, NFL analyst Adam Schein dubbed the New Orleans Saints as the bandwagon team that he is “ready to drive” and expects them to make the playoffs. He believes that the Saints will beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South title in 2022.
“I dig this group. I love the roster general manager Mickey Loomis has assembled and refuse to sell New Orleans short. This is a playoff team. In fact, these Saints can beat out the Buccaneers for the division title. They can win a playoff game or two. I’m ready to drive this bandwagon!” Schein wrote.
That’s a bold prediction to be sure. But there are a few good reasons to believe the Saints will be a lot better than last year.
Prior to his season ending injury, New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston was 5-2 as a starter. The Saints went 4-6 without him.
They’ve since added a top defensive back in Tyrann Mathieu and a veteran receiver in Jarvis Landry to add some extra juice to their roster.
In the draft, the Saints were widely praised for taking wide receiver Chris Olave and offensive lineman Trevor Penning.
While the transition from the Sean Payton era to the Dennis Allen era may give fans cause for concern, there’s a very real possibility that the Saints will at least play better than a 9-8 team in 2022.