Saints get dissed in NFL.com power rankings (and it’s bad)

Alex Hoegler
Updated
Brees
Brees

Something doesn’t seem right here.

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First & Ten: Odds for the top ten Super Bowl contenders

NFL Draft: The five worst picks of 2016

Power Rankings: Ranking the 2016 class of quarterbacks

Power Rankings: Where each team stands after the draft

The New Orleans Saints went 7-9 with Drew Brees, who had played through a bad shoulder early in the season. That was playing in a brutally difficult NFC South division, with a defense that was historically one of the worst ever.

This team has a phenomenal draft, addressing all of their main weaknesses while also adding tight end Coby Fleener and pass-rushers James Laurinaitis and Nick Fairley. Something tells us they aren’t a top-three worst team in the NFL.

Elliot Harrison from NFL.com ranked them THIRD-last in the NFL, and you read that correctly. With all do respect to Harrison, this is absolutely an insult to one of the most improved teams in the NFL.

Here’s everything Harrison said, justifying his ranking:

“Oh boy … don’t particularly enjoy placing the Saints this low on the Power Rankings, but what do you do with a team that allowed 45 touchdowns through the air in 2015? New Orleans also allowed 476 points, and you can’t tangle all of that in former coordinator Rob Ryan’s hair.

Yet, the club only drafted three players on defense (the Saints had the fewest picks overall with five). That said, teaming Cameron Jordan with first-rounder Sheldon Rankins makes this front formidable.”

Funny how the Jacksonville Jaguars (17th) finished ahead of playoff contenders like the Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts as well. It’s hard to overlook all of that.

The Saints are NOT going to be a top-five worst team in the NFL. This defense will only improve. In fact, it could easily be a top-10 unit. The offense will keep them in games like it has every year since Drew Brees and Sean Payton formed an alliance in 2006.

 

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