2006 New Orleans Saints Preview

2006 season preview of the New Orleans Saints NFL football team from Maddux Sports expert sports handicappers. Once the regular season starts don't miss any of Maddux's Expert NFL Picks and you will want to check out the free NFL odds section of the site featuring live odds from the best online sports books on the Internet.

The Saints new head coach Sean Payton must be wondering, “How can we lose?” Last season the Saints lost 13 and won only three. Those 13 loses made the Saints extremely lucky, giving them the second pick in the draft. Houston took Mario Williams as the number one pick; the rest was a no brainer. The Saints drafted RB Reggie Bush. Oh, and they also signed QB Drew Brees (500 ATT, 323 COMP, 3,576 YDS, 24 TDs, 15 INT) in the off-season. What a parlay!

Along with the elusive, speedy and versatile Bush, the running game includes Deuce McAllister. At least, Payton hopes it will. McAllister is recovering from knee surgery after having missed all of last season. If McAllister is unavailable, RB Michael Bennet (Minnesota) will be in the backfield. This is the NFL’s strongest running unit.

Donte Stallworth (70 REC, 945 TDS, 13.5 AVG. 7 TDs) had his best season ever. With Brees at the helm, he should be even better. Stallworth is a go-to guy and game winner. The receiving corps is deep.

In the past, the offensive line has been undisciplined, drawing numerous penalties. Center Jeff Faine (Cleveland) is the club’s new center, while shifts in assignments may help. This is one offensive area the Saints still need to improve.

The team’s defense is rebuilding. The line, which was 27th against the rush, is filled with good players but has not gelled. In 2005, the Saints handled the pass much better than the run, ranking third. But the linebacking and defensive back units lost key members to free agency. New linebackers Scott Fujita and Anthony Simmons will step in, while rookie safety Roman Harper will have to produce immediately. The secondary may be the spottiest, with underachievers like Josh Bullocks and Mike McKenzie starting.

2006 New Orleans Saints Predictions

Coach Payton and company will be tested this season. How good can a 3 – 13 team become in one post-season? The offense looks revved and ready to go but the defense will have a myriad of problems against most NFL clubs. Brees, Bush and Stallworth will make life interesting, but they won’t win more than seven games. Call it improvement and a third place finish in the NFC South.

For more info on the Saints NFC South division rivals check out the Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers team previews that Maddux Sports has completed for the NFL sports fan and bettor.

For more info and news on the 2006 New Orleans Saints football team visit the New Orleans NFL team page at NFL.com.