Please make no mistake about what I am about to write. The national media aren't lovers of the New Orleans Saints. Pundits drool for fan-popular brands in the Cowboys, Packers, Buccaneers, Broncos, or 49ers and can sometimes be biased.
Although, the winds of change are being felt, and the Saints may be the new flavor of the moment for Vegas and the national press corps, the team will garner more attention after Week 1.
SOLOMON WILCOTS ON THE SAINTS
Last week, Bob Rose and I interviewed SiriusXM's Opening Drive host Solomon Wilcots. "I really do believe the best team in the NFC, top to bottom, I think is the New Orleans Saints," Wilcots said. "I have questions at the quarterback position. But when it comes to the offense as a whole, the addition of Chris Olave with Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara coming out of the backfield, and a top-ten defense across every metric. Those measurables always lead to wins."
PETER KING'S PREDICTION
Disclaimer: Peter King hasn't always been a proponent of the Saints, especially starting quarterback Jameis Winston.
Recently, King released his AFC and NFC top-seeds projections. Who is his No. 1-seed in the NFC? You guessed it, the New Orleans Saints.
I thought it was odd to see him in the press box at the Saints vs. Texans preseason game and his postgame interviews with veteran players outside the locker room, but now it makes sense.
Perhaps King was there because of what he witnessed in training camp and the New Orleans Saints preseason games with Winston and Dalton running the first-team offense.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport spoke to the Pat McAfee Show of the noticeable difference in the atmosphere at Saints headquarters in Metairie, LA.
Was it Payton's departure, Dennis Allen's new leadership, or a combination of both that has players focused without the politics and psychological warfare that existed in Payton's reign?
On the other hand, the national praise extended to other media outlets:
Yahoo
Regardless of the praise heaped on the Saints, Dennis Allen, Jameis Winston, Pete Carmichael, and the New Orleans look to make a statement on Sunday in Atlanta.
The barriers to winning aren't dictated by reporting; it's by the men who coach and play the game.
Talent is abundant on the team — offense and defense. Despite the average age of 26.8, it doesn't mean this Saints squad is old and decrepit. It means they are seasoned veterans, which helps a new head coach in this situation.
The goal is to return the Lombardi Trophy to the Crescent City after a 12-year hiatus. Whether or not the national perspective on this Saints team is fair, revving up the bandwagons may become the theme once the football resumes in New Orleans on Sept. 11.
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