Repeat Unlikely For Reigning Champs New Orleans Saints

NFL News - February 12th, 2010 - Written by John

It was a season like no other for the New Orleans Saints. Literally. For the first time in franchise history, the Saints reached the Super Bowl in 2009, and actually won the darn thing. Mardi Gras started a few weeks early as the residents who once struggled through the gruesome Hurricane Katrina finally welcomed their team home with a month-long party that began with their first championship parade. Drew Brees was the Super Bowl MVP after throwing two touchdown passes, which ultimately earned him a big pay day from the front office.

But with nearly all of the offense coming back, the Saints aren't the favorite to repeat as champions. In fact, they don't even have the second-best odds. According to Bodog, they have 10/1 odds to win in 2011, which is third-best behind San Diego.

New Orleans led all teams in yards and points during the 2009 NFL Season because of a versatile backfield and a group of receivers that could all hit a home run at a moment's notice. Devery Henderson and Robert Meacham finally justified their first-round selection last season, combining for 1,526 yards and 11 touchdowns, and made up the majority of the team's catches of 20 yards or more.

Marques Colston led the group for the second time in three years, with 1,047 yards and nine scores.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey battled injuries most of the year, and was limited to only 569 yards. But he was on the receiving end of what was the Super Bowl's game-winning touchdown, a two-yard slant from Brees, to earn his second championship ring.

Although the defense wasn't sterling all year, the unit came up big when it had to, limiting Peyton Manning to only one touchdown pass in the championship. Darren Sharper completed his renaissance by becoming a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year with nine interceptions as a safety, but nobody was more critical to the team's success than Tracy Porter. The second-year corner out of Indiana came up with two critical interceptions in the playoffs, picking off Brett Favre at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship, then grabbing a Manning toss late in the Super Bowl that iced it.