Super Bowl Prediction: Patriots over Packers

Excerpts from Saints page

• "The N.O. Saints, a model of continuity under GM Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, and QB Drew Brees together for more than a decade, now have become a model of mediocrity."
• "The Saints can't seem to find a solution on defense, where perennial injuries and free-agent busts have made it impossible to establish continuity, let alone develop a unit to complement the offense."
• OFFENSE
  "Brees ... shows no signs of slowing down. ... with TB Mark Ingram, budding superstar receiver Michael Thomas and a durable, underrated offensive line, the Saints again have the tools to be one of the NFL's top attacks in 2017."
  QBs
  "Brees wants to play until he's 45 and who wants to bet against him? He's as durable as they come, an offseason conditioning freak and 17 months younger than Tom Brady. Last year, at 37, Brees delivered one of the best all-around passing seasons of his 16-year career, leading the NFL in completions (471), attempts (673) and yards (5,208). Now 38, he's becoming a salary-cap burden on a team that has not managed the cap well and could be approaching the Peyton Manning stage of his career, where he'd perhaps prefer to take a better shot at a sescond Super Bowl ring by moving elsewhere."
  RBs
  "It took six seasons for Ingram to emerge as the player the Saints expected on draft day in 2011, Ingram rushed for 1,043y last year ... Ingram will probably never live up to his first-round, Heisman Trophy billing, but he's a strong, powerful back who finds extra yards, blocks well and can get open for Brees."
  RECEIVERS
  "The quick emergence of Thomas as a rookie last season was one of the team's bright spots. ... His 1,137y receiving set a franchise rookie record. Because of his development, Brandin Cooks became expendable ... Willie Snead is a favorite target of Brees because of his ability to create quick separation and find the soft spots in zones. ... The Saints signed Ted Ginn the day before trading Cooks. Ginn, 32, is coming off the two best seasons of his career ..."
  OFFENSIVE LINE
  "The Saints overhauled their offensive line before the 2015 season and it has become one of the team's more stable units ... C Max Unger ... arrived in the then-upopular trade of TE Jimmy Graham to Seattle. Terron Armstead, viewed as a project on draft day in 2013, has become an elite LT ... RT Zach Strief, tied with Brees as the team's most tenured player, will be 34 in September but might have had his best year in 2016, allowing just two sacks."
• DEFENSE
  "The defense made some token improvements under first-year coordinator Dennis Allen in 2016 ... Allen shifted to a 4-3, moving away from predecessor Rob Ryan's complicated 3-4 base scheme, and given the contributions of numerous rookies due to injuries, he was rightfully pleased with the results."
  DEFENSIVE LINE
  "Two-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan is a dangerous edge rusher who has not missed a game in his first six seasons ..."
  LBs
  "... the Saints got major contributions here last season from Craig Robertson and Nathan Stupar, free agents expected to be backups and special-teams players ... They could return to their projected roles with the return of Dannell Elleerbe ... A. J. Klein ... was viewed as the best inside LB in the free-agent class.
  "The Saints also added Manti Te'o, whose tenure in San Diego was disappointing, though he had his best season (2015) with the Chargers under LB coach Mike Nolan, who's now in the same role in New Orleans."
  SECONDARY
  "This unit is another ongoing weakness, as N.O. finished dead last in pass defense in 2016 ...
  "CB Marshon Lattimore, the team's top draft pick, should be a long-term solution at a perennial problem position. Lattimore battled hamstring injuries at Ohio State but was regarded as the top CB on the board."
  SPECIAL TEAMS
  "Greg McMahon, who had been with the Saints since 2006, was let go after the unit made some costly mistakes in 2016, including allowing several blocked kicks in close games. K Will Lutz had a shaky start to his rookie season but finished the year strong, earning Payton's trust."
• BOTTOM LINE
  The Saints continue to wallow in mediocrity despite an elite offense ... this franchise must improve on defense if it hopes to compete in perhaps the NFL's toughest division, where everyone now has a younger QB to rival Brees."