New Orleans Saints 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds
With the NFL Football season just around the corner, we are providing season previews for all 32 teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best NFL Football Handicappers as they analyze the the New Orleans Saints in this 2010 season preview. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the NFL in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2010 NFL Season Previews here.
New Orleans Saints 2009 NFL Record: 13-3 Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1
New Orleans Saints 2010 Preview
It took 43 years for the Saints to win their first Super Bowl, and when they finally did it last season, the celebration in New Orleans lasted well into the offseason. Now the challenge is to try to recapture the magic and momentum fronl the cathartic run. That shouldn’t be an issue with the driven and hyper-competitive Sean Payton and Drew Brees around. Payton and Brees form the most potent coach-player battery in the league. Their take-no-prisoners philosophy and playing style have transformed the culture of the once-forlorn franchise and made New Orleans a destination organization for players and coaches. Brees is playing quarterback as well as anyone has played the position, and Payton continues to push all the right buttons while overseeing one of the great rebuilding jobs in league history. The Saints’ roster is loaded with players in their primes and shows no signs of slowing down. The task, of course, will be more difficult this season. The Saints will not sneak up on anyone. But the talent, coaching and attitude are there to make another deep playoff run.
2010 New Orleans Saints Quarterbacks
Brees is one of the few elite quarterbacks in the league capable of carrying a team on his back and dominating games. Other than his 6’0″ height, he’s the conlplete package: competitive, smart, talented, durable, athletic and driven. One of the most accurate quarterbacks in NFL history, he has mastered Payton’s complex attack and has the cOluplete confidence of the coaching staff and teamnlates to make checks at the line of scrinlmage. His ability to decipher the defense and deliver the ball quickly to the open receiver are rivaled only by Peyton Manning. Moreover, Brees sets the tone in the huddle and locker room with his leadership and tireless work ethic. The Saints have little experience behind Brees, so he needs to stay healthy. They are expected to sign a veteran backup before the season starts to replace Mark Brunell. Second-year pro Chase Daniel, who put up huge numbers at Missouri, and rookie Sean Canfield, a southpaw fronl Oregon State, are unproven.
2010 New Orleans Saints Running Backs
Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Lynell Hamilton aren’t going to earn many Pro Bowl votes, but together they luake for an effective backfield cOlubination. Bush is the satellite back. He enjoyed the best season of his four-year career a year ago and finally seems to have learned how to run effectively at the NFL level. He’s still too small to carry the ball more than a handful of times per game, but Payton has learned to use him effectively as a check-down receiver and split wide, where his speed and elusiveness make hinl a big-play threat. Bush gets the hype, but Thomas gets the ball in crunch time. He isn’t particularly big or fast, but he runs with tremendous balance, body lean and vision. He rarely takes a big hit or is knocked backward. In 2009, he rushed for 793 yards and six touchdown on 147 carries and added 39 receptions for 302 yards and two more scores. Hamilton, who carried the ball only 35 times last season, will assume the short-yardage role manned by the departed Mike Bell. Fullback Heath Evans is a question mark while coming off a season-ending knee injury.
2010 New Orleans Saints Receivers
The Saints have a little bit of everything in their deep, talented receiving corps. Marques Colston is the clear go-to guy. He’s not the fastest guy in the world, but he has tremendous body control and great hands, allowing him to expertly adjust and snare Brees’ back-shoulder throws on the run. Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem are the deep threats. Henderson has emerged as a bona fide srarter, and Meachelu blossomed into a big-play threat in his third season. Lance Moore is the slot receiver and one of Brees’ favorite targets on third down. He’s looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2009 season. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas combined to grab 83 passes for 925 yards and four touchdowns. Shockey isn’t a dominant player at this stage of his career, but he’s still a reliable target over the middle and down the seams of Cover 2 defenses.
2010 New Orleans Saints Offensive Line
The most underrated aspect of the Saints’ high-powered offense is its smart, durable front five. Guards Jahri Evans and Carl Nicks are the strength of the unit. They are smart, tough and physically imposing. Center Jonathan Goodwin parlayed his precise techniques and intelligence into his first Pro Bowl invitation. The Saints have four tackles capable of starting and playing at a high level. Left tackle Jammal Brown is the most talented of the bunch, but he’s coming off a season-ending hip injury. He’s the enforcer up front, a tough, take-no-prisoners warrior who irks Payton with occasional mental errors. Right taclde Jon Stinchcomb is the leader of the unit. He’s more of a finesse blocker at this stage of his career, but he is athletic enough to fan rushers wide in the Saints’ pass protection scheme and pick off defenders in space on screen and swing passes. Jermon Bushrod started in place of Brown last season and played well enough for the Saints to shop Brown around the league during the offseason. Zach Strief can swing to either tackle spot and works as the team’s third tight end on run downs.
| 2010 New Orleans Saints Schedule | 2010 NFC South Preview | 2010 NFC Conference Preview New Orleans Saints Sportsbooks |
2010 New Orleans Saints Defense
The Saints don’t have any superstars up front, but they compensate with a solid group of savvy, productive veterans. Right end Will Smith is the leader. He’s a bit undersized but plays with a nonstop motor and does not quit on plays. Free agents Alex Brown and Jimmy Wilkerson were signed to replace Charles Grant at left end. They’ll platoon, with Wilkerson working the early downs, then yielding to Brown in passing situations. Bobby McCray provides speed off the edge. Sedrick Ellis hasn’t set the world on fire in two seasons as a starting tackle. He’s more solid than spectacular. Anthony Hargrove is a former end who is just now getting comfortable inside. He struggles to keep blockers from cutting his legs out from under him. Remi Ayodele and rookie Al Woods will be called on to hold down the point of attack inside.
Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma quarterbacks the defense and is at his best making plays sideline to sideline with his speed and range. He’s undersized and can get caught up in traffic, but he makes up for it with playmaking skills. Veteran Scott Shanle is solid if unspectacular on the weak side. He can cover a back or tight end out of the backfield and is a solid tackler, but isn’t explosive or powerful enough to be an effective pass-rusher in Williams’ blitz packages. JoLonn Dunbar, Troy Evans, Jonathan Casillas and Stanley Arnoux will have first crack at the starting strong-side job vacated by Scott Fujita. All three are a bit undersized for the position, but Williams insists he won’t be beholden to positions and will play his three best linebackers.
Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer form one of the best 1-2 corner tandems in the league. Both are speedy, athletic and excellent in man-to-man coverage. As they go, so goes the whole defense. When they are healthy, Williams is free to dial up his aggressive pressure packages without fear of being burned for the big play. Malcolm Jenkins impressed the coaches with his instincts and playmaking ability before an ankle injury derailed his rookie season. He has the size to be a factor in the slot or at free safety if the coaches choose to move him. Strong safety Roman Harper is a big hitter who makes plays in run support or as a blitzer fron1 the second level. Veteran Randall Gay and rookie Patrick Robinson give the Saints quality depth at corner. Free safety Darren Sharper enjoyed a career renaissance at age 34, grabbing nine interceptions and returning three for scores. With the corners locking down their men outside, Sharper can roam the middle and make plays on the ball. The Saints have excellent safety depth with veteran Pierson Prioleau, converted corner Usama Young, versatile Chris Reis and unproven Chip Vaughn.
New Orleans Saints 2010 Season Prediction
Returning almost every starter from their Super Bowl championship team, the Saints are primed for another deep playoff run. And as long as Brees is healthy and under center, they should remain a Super Bowl contender for the near future. This is not a one hit wonder.
We predict that the New Orleans Saints will finish 1st in the NFC South, with a record of 11-5.
New Orleans Saints Betting
NFC South Odds: -160 NFC Conference Odds: 9-2 Super Bowl Odds: 9-1
New Orleans Saints Five-Year Win Betting Trends
2005: 3 2006: 10 2007: 7 2008: 8 2009: 13
Bet on the New Orleans Saints
Will the New Orleans Saints will go all the way to the Super Bowl? Or, will their season be lackluster? Either way, you can still enjoy New Orleans Saints betting at our feature sportsbooks. New Orleans Saints Betting is serious business; where you can make a ton of loot placing informed, smart New Orleans Saints bets. Check out these highly reliable, trustworthy, online sportsbooks.
If you are looking for the best Online Sportsbook to bet on the New Orleans Saints this season, then BookMaker.com “Where the Line Originates” is the place for you. BookMaker has NFL Football Betting Lines and Odds, along with a tons of futures on the 2010 Season, so get your NFL bets in early while the lines are hot!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.