It’s hard not to notice the tension surrounding the New Orleans Saints this season. After the overwhelming revelation that the franchise participated in what’s been deemed “Bountygate”, many of the faces who helped establish the club as a perennial NFL odds contender will sit out part or all of the 2012 season. That’s not the type of resilience a team easily bounces back from.
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This year, temporary bench boss Aaron Kromer – the team’s usual offensive line coach – will team up with assistant coach Joe Vitt to replace the suspended Sean Payton. Vitt, of course, didn’t go unpunished either, and will miss the first six games of the regular season.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the alleged ring leader of the program, is out, leaving former St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo to take the reins with the depleted defensive unit.
At least they still have Drew Brees.
Coaching uncertainty aside, Brees may be exactly what the team needs. It wouldn’t be the first time he led the team to success through adversity. This time around, however, the outlook toward the team compared to after Hurricane Katrina, isn’t so sympathetic.
Even still, with 18/1 odds of winning the Super Bowl the Saints aren’t to be ignored. Brees, along with world class tight end Jimmy Graham give New Orleans a dangerous tandem that maybe, just maybe, will be able to help the team overcome the chaos they’ve been through since last season.
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