Saints Flying Under Radar

By Jim Gazzolo

Lost in all the LSU drama surrounding Lane Kiffin is a football revival taking shape down the road from Baton Rouge.

While the talk is all about the Tigers, the Saints are quietly rebuilding in New Orleans. 

Two games into the new season, the Saints have looked nothing like what was expected.

A tough overtime loss in Detroit, in which they dominated the second half and came within a two-point conversion of pulling off a magical comeback, and an upset win over Baltimore have people taking notice.

Sunday, they finally get to play at home as they take on the equally surprising undefeated Raiders from Las Vegas, you can watch the game at 3:25 pm on CBS Lake Charles. The last time the Saints had this much hope, the Raiders were still playing in Oakland.

With their next two games at home, the Saints have a shot at a much better-than-expected start. 

Second-year coach Kellen Moore is putting together an offense that looks like the days of Sean Payton.

And while Tyler Shough won’t make Saints fans forget about Drew Brees, he entered the week leading the NFL in passing yards with 662. He has also thrown for four touchdowns.

More importantly, in just his second season, Shough has the look of a starting QB in the league, which was in doubt when he was first drafted.

“Tyler is just steady,” Moore said of his quarterback. “He is a steady player. He makes good decisions; he runs when he has to. The game is not too big for him ever.”

While this is all a small sample size, it is promising for a franchise that has been searching for a fresh start. 

We will find out just how good the Saints are in the coming weeks, but one thing is for sure: they will be more entertaining than first expected. The offense is going to score and keep them in a lot of games. 

The defense has also improved. Stopping the Ravens’ run game is a very good sign. 

Either way, it seems the Saints have at least begun the rebuilding process, which is exciting for their fans.