how can the offense NOT take a step back? (2 Viewers)

[mdharper]

Yup. If he's healthy Spiller is a bigger weapon than Sproles, Bush, or Graham.

Cooks should be more explosive too. We should be more physical in the run game.

As long as Brees is alright, the Saint offense will be great again.

 

[Optimistic Ozzy]

I thought our offense was terrible last year as a whole. So to me, we take a step forward this year with solid tight end play (you know blocking and catching, not dropping), better O-line, healthy running backs with the addition of Spiller!
I'm not worried about our O, it's the Defense I am worried about.

 

[KtoLV]

I realize we won a SB w/out Jimmy Graham, but we did have Jeremy Shockey! Shockey was huge for us!

Jeremy Shockey had 569 yards and 3 TDs that year. Not exactly huge imho. Also nothing that any of our TEs couldn't fill this year.

 

[SaintsBrazil]

Spiller and Cooks will go a long way to keep the offense churning out new mismatches and Our quarterback is literally more accurate than an Olympic archer. (cue video)

 

[Randy Jones]

I think it is a given that the Saints won't need to pas as much this fall. With that in mind, some of Graham's production in terms of will be irrelevant. With Spiller in there, more production will be directed towards him. Finally, since Graham was more of a hybrid than a traditional TE, some of his production will be absorbed by Coleman.

Doubts about the OL are justified. However, the play calling can be adjusted to offset the lack of strength in the guards by rolling the pocket more and quick slants if needed.

 

[crosswatt]

Because we spread the ball around. Defenses had no clue who we were going to get the ball to. That's what I'm expecting more of this season.

The strength of the wolf is the pack. This offense operates better and more effeciently when there is no target, when everyone is a target. We get that back this year. I think this offense will be better than last year and Brees will not be looked at as in decline. The key to this whole thing though is the o-line giving him time to check down and not force throws.

Target wise, the Saints under Brees have been pretty remarkably consistent. It usually consists of two main targeted receivers, with two strong secondarily targeted receivers also in the mix. Here are the top four and the number of targets they had going back to 2006.

2006– Bush 119, Colston 115, Joe Horn 59, Henderson 54

2007- Colston 144, Bush 99, Patton 88, Eric Johnson 64

2008- Moore 121, Colston 89, Shockey 72, Bush 72

2009- Colston 106, Henderson 83, Shockey 68, Bush 68

2010- Colston 133, Moore 95, Meachem 66, Henderson 61

2011- Graham 149, Sproles 111, Colston 107, Moore 73

2012- Graham 135, Colston 132, Moore 105, Sproles 104

2013- Graham 144, Colston 110, Sproles 89, Thomas 84

2014- Graham 124, Colston 99, Stills 85, Cooks 70

If the defense can hold teams to less than 30 points, and Payton is successful in his quest to be a run-first team, then the offensive stats will naturally come back to earth.

Payton's not stupid.. For every upgrade we make on the O-Line (Unger), we have a former Pro-Bowler that is steadily declining (Evans).

On the other hand, Jimmy Graham being gone is a blessing in my opinion. He was a terrible blocker.. his routes were sloppy.. he would get alligator arms if you hit him a couple of times.. he stayed injured.. and worst of all, his presence alone gave Drew this idea that he could "just throw it up" and Jimmy would go get it. Jimmy's size alone allowed Drew to do this some of the time, but I think that "get it near him" approach started to affect other receivers that need the ball to hit them in the facemask.

Payton is on record as saying that the scheme is not changing to a run first offense.

 

[st.randy]

I think the OP would be best served to just go pee themselves and get it over with.

 

[football]

I was watching some of the games from last year and realized that the wide receivers was non existant after Cooks was injured. Kenny Stills disappeared at times. Colston had a bad year. To put the burden on Jimmy Graham was unfair because he was really the only weapon we had. If the young wide receivers can step up and Colston have a better year, then we should be fine.

 

[saint_drago]

Total Offense
2014 #1
2013 #3
2012 #2
2011 #1
2010 #6
2009 #1
2008 #1
2007 #4
2006 #1

They'll figure something out.

 

[NCSaint]

Rebuilt OLine is why. With time Drew could put me and you out there and move the chains. But instead of me and you he has

Colston
Cooks
WR#3
Serviceable TE;s
A guy name Spiller
Ingram,
Robinson

I am not worried about or Offense.

 

[meily]

Because we spread the ball around. Defenses had no clue who we were going to get the ball to. That's what I'm expecting more of this season.

We will have a more balanced offense in terms of how the ball is spread around. The OP forgets to mention that the Tight End position was still a productive position before Shockey and Graham as we had Campbell (blocking TE) and Billy Miller (Recieving) who helped pave the way for Duece and Reggie (Campbell) and exploit linebackers in coverage (Billy Miller) and I think we will see simular production from the pair of Tightends we have today in Watson and Hill.

I think the biggest concern is on both sides of the ball and thats with the younger playes who are being thrust into prominent roles or are expected to contribute early in their careers we should expect some highs and lows.

 

[MikeBarrett]

We were a #1 offense way before sproles or graham.

We had the best offense in the league with colston and devery Henderson as our top targets.

Those offenses also had Deuce McAllister at his best, Reggie Bush, Joe Horn...

Deuce was the best RB this team has ever had. Bush was a huge weapon back then, and Joe Horn is one of our all time great WRs.

Also, Colston was a different player back then. He's had about 10 knee surgeries between then and now.

We don't have the other talents now that we had then. I'm not ready to go back to the Mark Campbell era at TE.

 

[DavidM]

We were a #1 offense way before sproles or graham.

We had the best offense in the league with colston and devery Henderson as our top targets.

I think a lot of fans have forgotten about the revolving door of supporting cast skill players - many of them unheralded joining the team - during the Payton-Brees era; while the offense has consistently produced among the league's best, and set a long list of team and league records.

The keys will be if Brees can continue to play at an elite level and if the line can give him the time to do that.

 

[Le_Moyne]

On one hand, I think that anyone who pretend that who we have at receiver doesn't matter because Brees would make anyone look great is either a hypocrite or has a short memory. Just look at 2013, our pass protection was pretty good but when Graham went down our offense could not move the ball and everyone was complaining that our WR couldn't get separation.

So yes, we do need some of these young guys to step up because if they don't we won't be that good. We do have a lot of player with potential but potential and production are not always the same thing.....

 

[Saintree River]

Because since 2009 the Saints play well in odd numbered years.