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Saints Look for Answers

Feb 15, 2024 08:50PM ● By Kelsey Swire
By Jim Gazzolo 

For all their hype and fanfare, the Saints have won just one Super Bowl, that coming more than a decade ago.

Back in February of 2009, when Sean Payton and Drew Brees led New Orleans to its greatest sports moment, few if any expected that to be the end.

Beating the Colts to claim the title was supposed to be just the beginning. Titles were expected to flow through the Big Easy like beer on Bourbon Street.

Instead, only disappointment followed. A bad call here, a key injury there, and a second Super Bowl title never came, only a long hangover.

There were great moments, high-flying offensive fun, and thrills galore inside the Dome. But there was to be no second championship, no encore parade, and no repeat performance.

Brees would be hurt and then retire, leaving a legacy and impact that will live for years to come in New Orleans.

Payton soon followed Brees out of town and the dynamic duo was done, leaving Saints fans thankful but also wanting more. They also wondered just where the time went.

The last two seasons have been met with great anticipation only to be followed by disappointment. Last year was especially tough as the Saints floundered a chance at winning a division that was theirs for the taking. 

Even after they went out and signed Derek Carr to be their shiny, new quarterback. Carr proved to be a far cry from Drew Brees 2.0. 

Meanwhile, Dennis Allen kept his job as head coach while Mickey Loomis, still living off that one title, remained as the general manager.

One thing has been clear over the past few years, the Saints are stuck in the mud and need to change the direction of their franchise. Only that would end people talking about the past and thinking of the future.

But the Saints kept both Allen and Loomis, moving in a different direction Wednesday. They hired Klink Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator.

“We are excited to announce Klink Kubiak as our offensive coordinator,” said Allen. “I want to thank the various impressive candidates that we interviewed throughout the this process.”

Kubiak is the son of former NFL quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, who played and coached for the Denver Broncos.

The new Saints O.C. comes to town just days after helping the San Francisco 49ers reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.

He replaces Pete Carmichael as the Saints move they offense completely away from the Payton era. Payton retired in 2021 but his offensive style never really left the franchise with him. Now that has changed.

Whether or not the 36-year-old Kubiak can separate himself from those teams that thrilled the fans in New Orleans fast enough to turn the Saints around is the question.

This is the biggest indication that the Saints are ready to move on from the Payton days and modernize their offense with a young thinking who will bring new ideas to the building.

Still, the shadows of Brees and Payton will be hard to get away from until the Saints are back playing in championship games. 

This may also be the last big move for both Loomis and Allen, who seem to be setting themselves up for one big push to change the culture that has fallen on tough times.

One thing is for sure, until the Saints can beat up on Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Carolina, and play with the NFC’s big boys, the heat will remain on Allen and Loomis. 

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles
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