The New Orleans Saints look poised to have a bounce-back season in 2023. After seeking a replacement for Drew Brees at quarterback the last few years, they found one this offseason in Derek Carr.
Carr, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, was released by the Silver and Black in the days after the Super Bowl before his contract became guaranteed. Unable to work out a trade, Carr was released and eventually signed a deal with the Saints to become their new starter.
With Carr in the fold, some people believe that they are now the team to beat in the NFC South. One of those people is Jason McIntyre of FOX Sports. During a recent episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on FS1, McIntyre revealed his five crazy predictions for the NFL season. One of his predictions is that the Saints will win the NFC this season.
That is certainly a bold prediction for McIntyre to make. The Saints have missed the playoffs the last two seasons since Brees announced his retirement. In 2022, the NFC South was the weakest division in the NFL as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won it with a record of 8-9. The Saints finished in a three-way tie with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers behind them with a 7-10 record.
The Saints, with Carr under center, certainly have enough to challenge for the divisional crown. But, winning multiple playoff games and representing the NFC in the Super Bowl is certainly a bold take.
The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers seem to be a tier above everyone else in the NFC. After that, it is open for debate who would come next as some would say the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks are in the next tier. They will fight for playoff positioning with the likes of the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.
That third tier, maybe atop the fourth, is where the Saints probably would lie. The talent is certainly there to win the NFC South, but they would need a lot of things to break in their favor to take home the NFC Championship for the first time since they won the Super Bowl to cap off the 2009 season.
