Saints show look of true championship contender at halfway mark

We have reached the halfway mark of the NFL season.

While things looked as shaky as the shaky nature of 2020 early on in this season for the New Orleans Saints, the guys wearing black, gold (and white) are now imposing achy feelings upon opponents in quaky fashion, shaking up while helping shape the landscape of the NFC.

All’s well that ends well.

If the regular season ended now, the Saints would be the top seed in the NFC by virtue of their 5-1 conference record with Seattle second and Green Bay third. All three teams are tied at 6-2. If it were a two-way tie with the Packers and Saints, Green Bay would be the top seed, based on its head-to-head victory over New Orleans.

Of course, it is the job of traditional media and social media to have talking points on a daily basis.

The conversation is shifting from air yards to how high the Saints will fly in 2020.

Some have already punched their tickets for Tampa on Feb. 7, 2021.

That is a realistic, distinct possibility but let us keep things in perspective.

We are only at the mid-season mark.

Things can change drastically.

Remember when New Orleans was 1-2 and basically dismissed by everyone?

Remember when the constant talk about Drew Brees was that he was finished, that he could no longer make the throws necessary to win in the NFL, that he looked old?

Things change dramatically and rapidly.

Such is life in the NFL.

With the way the Saints performed in a tremendous 38-3 win at Tampa Bay this past Sunday night, optimism reigns supreme and it should.

With its full compliment of players, even without Sheldon Rankins, the 2020 New Orleans Saints are a load, a deep team with upside.

The much-maligned secondary played its best game by far in the blowout road win over the Bucs.

Malcolm Jenkins was superb in coverage on Rob Gronkowski and tackling in space.

Marshon Lattimore once again smothered Mike Evans.

Janoris Jenkins batted away a deep ball intended for Antonio Brown.

Marcus Williams came up with an interception, one that would have gone to Lattimore if Williams had not made a break on the ball and snared it.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson handled himself well and was not targeted as much, as he had been in most recent games.

Demario Davis was his usual excellent self.

Alex Anzalone pursued well.

Now, Kwon Alexander will be added to the mix which should only make the Saints better.

Then, there is the defensive line, which was terrific.

David Onyemata is playing like a Pro Bowl player, having his best year.

Malcom Brown has been solid, along with Malcolm Roach and Shy Tuttle.

Then, on the outside, Cam Jordan is stepping up to play like himself, the All-Pro we are accustomed to seeing.

Trey Hendrickson is now third in the NFL in sacks with 7.5.

Marcus Davenport is making an impact game in every game. His batted ball of a Tom Brady pass resulted in an interception by Onyemata.

Carl Granderson has been solid.

As for the offense, Drew Brees is third in total QBR at 82.9, behind only Aaron Rodgers (87.7) and Patrick Mahomes (84.8). Brees leads the league in completion percentage at 74 percent.

Remember, in 2018, Brees set an all-time NFL record, completing 74.4 percent of his throws. In 2019, he nearly broke his own record, connecting on 74.3 percent. Brees has 17 touchdown passes and three interceptions. He has not thrown an interception in any of his last three games.

Incidentally, Brady, who was celebrated so much heading into the game last Sunday night, the guy with all the rings, the guy with all the weapons, the guy touted as a legitimate MVP candidate at 43, is 16th in QBR at 67.4.

Alvin Kamara is a legitimate MVP candidate, leading the NFL at the halfway point in yards from scrimmage with 1,036, including 471 rushing and 565 receiving, five yards better than fast closing Dalvin Cook of Minnesota.

Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are back. Deonte Harris and Taysom Hill are dynamic play-makers. Jared Cook, despite a bad game in Tampa, is still good. Josh Hill is a solid player. Adam Trautman is emerging. Tre’Quan Smith is contributing nicely and Marquez Callaway looks like a keeper with upside.

The offensive line was terrific against a really good Tampa defensive front.

In fact, that is the one area where the Saints have a decisive edge over the Bucs.

Erik McCoy is better in his second year. There is no better tackle pairing than Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk. Andrus Peat has been solid. Cesar Ruiz is improving and Nick Easton has done his job well, also.

New Orleans is fourth in the league in points per game at 30.5, behind only Seattle (34.2), Kansas City (31.8) and Green Bay (31.6).

The defense is improving.

New Orleans is now in the upper half of the league in points allowed per game, allowing 25 points per contest.

Incidentally, that is better than Green Bay (25.5) and Seattle (30.4), the two teams New Orleans is tied with in the standings.

As we saw in 2009, the Saints, when exceptional on offense, need a solid defensive effort to win a championship.

That season, New Orleans ranked 20th in team defense, in the bottom half of the league, but New Orleans forced 39 turnovers, second most in the league.

In 2020, the Saints are third best in the NFL in yards allowed per game, allowing just 311.6 yards per contest. The Saints are tied for 13th in turnover margin with nine takeaways while committing seven.

In one week, New Orleans jumped from 16th to ninth overall in defensive rankings, according to www.sportsnaut.com, an analytics site.

Then, there is the kicking game.

Harris remains the most dynamic kick and punt return man in the league.

Wil Lutz is third in the NFL in scoring with 76 points. He is 16-of-17 in field goal attempts and his only miss was when holder Thomas Morstead did not rotate the ball to get the laces placed correctly, as they were facing Lutz. Additionally, Lutz has not missed an extra point (28-of-28). Lutz has produced touchbacks on kickoffs to the tune of 60.78 percent.

Though his numbers are down a bit from what we are accustomed to seeing, Thomas Morstead is still solid and he figures to improve down the stretch.

The Saints have Blake Gillikin in reserve, for the future, if needed.

It is only the halfway mark but the metrics and the measurables look pretty good, if not very good, for the 2020 New Orleans Saints. The Saints look pretty good, if not very good to the naked eye as well and the prospects the rest of the way are quite promising, knock on wood.

To win it all in the NFL, you have to be good and you have to be lucky.

The Saints were good enough to win several close games and had a little luck, though most luck was bad with regard to injuries. The latter most frequently decides ultimate outcomes.

If the Saints can keep those to a minimum, the climb of the latter to the top will not be precipitous but predictable, based on the talent on hand, the coaching and ascendance of performance.

Of course, it will be a rocky road, despite the obvious promise, which we will delve into tomorrow with the remaining schedule.