There’s a swagger in New Orleans right now.
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The New Orleans Saints started the season 0-2 and haven’t lost since. Winning seven consecutive games is no small feat in the NFL, but what’s maybe even more impressive is how easy the Saints are making it look.
The latest victim of the Saints’ red-hot streak through their 2017 schedule was the Buffalo Bills, who lost 47-10 and were maybe even dominated worse than the score indicates.
But it isn’t just Buffalo. Over the seven-game win streak, the Saints have outscored opponents by a combined score of 229-100. None of the seven teams on the losing end held New Orleans under 20 points and only the Detroit Lions were able to top 17 points.
The bounce back from an 0-2 start to become a dominant force puts the Saints in rare company:
What may be especially encouraging for the Saints is how different the team’s success in 2017 has been than in prior seasons. New Orleans is actually set up to be a winner in December and January.
The Saints are leaning on the run game
New Orleans dropping close to 50 points on a team isn’t new. They’ve done that plenty of times over the last 12 seasons since the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era began.
But Sunday was the first time since 2001 that the Saints scored more than 27 points without a passing touchdown. Brees was a background figure because the Bills couldn’t do a damn thing about the trio of Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Trey Edmunds.
Brees completed 18 of his 25 passes for 184 yards, but really didn’t need to do anything except avoid interceptions. He did that and his running backs did the rest.
Since Brees came aboard in 2006 to light up scoreboards for the Saints, the team has finished with the most yards in the NFL six times and its worst year was a No. 6 finish in total offense in 2010. Every step of the way, it was the team’s passing offense leading the way.
Now, a run-first New Orleans is scary.
With Brees throwing fewer passes per game, he’s completing a career-best 71.7 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating is 104.0 and the chance to be an efficient passer rather than one with the burden of carrying the team and throwing more than 40 times per game — he averaged 42.1 in 2016 — will only extend his career and make his opportunities to throw easier.
The defense is dominating
Buffalo finished with 198 yards against the Saints in Week 10, and it would’ve been much worse had Bills rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman not racked up 79 passing yards and a touchdown in garbage time.
The Bills were helpless against a defense that started the year looking like its old self before shaping up in a hurry.
After giving up an average of 512.5 yards in the first two games, the Saints have allowed 255.1 in the seven games since. Those early struggles make the season total average out to 312.3 yards — which is still good for a top-10 spot in the NFL — but it’s clear the defense is playing the best it has all season.
Investing in the defense has been a priority for the Saints for a while, but the biggest difference is the play of cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley.
Lattimore was the No. 11 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he hasn’t just played up to that level. He may be playing cornerback at a higher level than any player in the NFL. He’s the highest-graded player at the position on Pro Football Focus and has held opposing passers to a 42.3 passer rating — the third-lowest mark in the NFL.
But the emergence of Crawley — an undrafted free agent signed in 2016 — on the other side has left few options for passers. He has been targeted 47 times and has given up just 22 receptions for 272 yards with two touchdowns allowed and an interception.
The tandem is leading the way for a Saints team that is top 10 in scoring defense after finishing in the bottom five of the NFL in each of the last three seasons.
New Orleans’ swagger is back
Winning can be contagious and the Saints are feeling good. After three consecutive 7-9 seasons, the team is one win away from guaranteeing 2017 won’t end with another losing record.
The Saints are feeling that momentum and their confidence is through the roof.