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By Mike Detillier / Sports Correspondent

Since the end of the 2019 season, it has been a wild ride for the New Orleans Saints.

They dealt with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wild-card round last year. They went through COVID-19 issues, social issues and no preseason games before the 2020 season.

But the Saints are back in the playoffs for the fourth straight season, posting a 12-4 record and winning the NFC South Division title. They’ve won 12 or more games in the regular season for the fifth time under Sean Payton.

But we know this season is different.

This will be the last football ride for quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints will have to make some tough personnel decisions with the salary cap cut from $198.2 million in 2020 to most likely around $175 to $179 million in 2021. The Brees credit card bill will account for $22.65 million.

Several top executives, such as Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot, already have been interviewed for general manager posts, and several assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and secondary coach Aaron Glenn, have gotten interest from teams about head coaching jobs.

There is a chance someone in the college or pro ranks will try to land Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, as well.

Full Story - houmatoday.com

By John Sigler | Saints Wire

There’s never a dull moment with the New Orleans Saints, especially on the eve of a playoff game. The Saints announced eight roster moves before Sunday’s kickoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including the return of several backup specialists. Here’s the latest on each transaction:

C/G #64 Will Clapp designated to COVID-19 reserve

Clapp tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, and the team was fortunate to avoid an outbreak or the loss of any high-risk close contacts. Hopefully the backup lineman can enjoy a full recovery.

WR #10 Tre'Quan Smith activated from injured reserve

Smith's return was anticipated after he joined the team for practice this week, but officially getting him back in the lineup is good to see. It's unclear how many snaps he'll play or how often he'll be targeted, but the Saints have to be happy to have their receiving corps back at its full capacity.

Full Story - Saints Wire - USA Today

By Brett Martel (AP) | Boston Globe

NEW ORLEANS — For all the extraordinary talent the Saints and Buccaneers have at quarterback, running back, and receiver, defensive end Cameron Jordan figures that what happens in the trenches will be the decisive factor in their divisional-round playoff clash on Sunday night.

Recent history backs him up.

The Saints’ defensive front was in Tom Brady’s face constantly in both meetings during the regular season. The Saints won each by double digits, the last a 38-3 rout in Tampa Bay in Week 9.

“If you say, ‘What’s the most important part of any game,’ I’m going to say, ‘Physicality with the D-line and how we affect the quarterback,’” Jordan asserted after practice this past week.

Five of the 12 interceptions Brady threw in his first season with Tampa Bay came against the Saints. One came on a ball deflected at the line of scrimmage by defensive ends Marcus Davenport and Jordan before being caught by defensive tackle David Onyemata. The Saints also sacked Brady six times this season.

Full Story - Boston Globe

By Nick Underhill & Kevin Washington | NewOrleans.Football

We get you ready with everything you need to know for this weekend’s game against the Bucs.

How is playing well, how the offense looked and why the defense should be taken seriously — we cover it all.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider subscribing to NewOrleans.Football.

Full Story - NewOrleans.Football