How the Saints overcame 3 straight losing seasons to win the NFC South

In September, the New Orleans Saints were 0-2 and looked like they were well on their way to a fourth straight 7-9 finish. That’s but a distant memory now that they’ve won the division in one of the most competitive seasons in NFC South history after a win on the road against the Buccaneers

The Saints have proven over the course of the season to be one of the best teams in the league, and they turned it all around in one offseason. This is how they went from a lock for a 7-9 record to NFC contender.

The Saints drafted defensive back Marshon Lattimore, tackle Ryan Ramczyk, safety Marcus Williams, and running back Alvin Kamara all within the first 67 picks, and all have been key contributors to the revival.

Lattimore is already a top-five cornerback in the NFL and was named to his first Pro Bowl in his rookie season. Ramczyk has played at both tackle positions, and Kamara has been one of the more valuable offensive weapons in the league this season.

Sean Payton told the MMQB in November, “There’s times where you finish the draft and you think it went well and you get here, and realize, man, these guys need more work,” he said. “The significance of this year’s draft class can’t be overstated. It was significant to what we’re beginning to build.”

The Saints had first-round grades on Lattimore, Ramczyk, Williams, and Kamara, according to the MMQB’s Albert Breer. So far, they’ve lived up to those grades.

The Saints had one of the worst defenses in the league for the past three seasons. The offense, which was ranked first or second each of those seasons, couldn’t make up for the deficiencies on the other side of the ball.

This season has been different, though. The offense is still as good as ever, while the defense is now ranked in the top third of the league and has allowed eight fewer points per game on average than it did last year. Williams and Lattimore have been key contributors to the defensive turnaround.

Adding Lattimore gave them an immediate shutdown cornerback, which is more valuable than ever to have in the NFL with rules favoring the offense.

Cam Jordan has also had a monster year. SB Nation’s Stephen White awarded him his Hoss of the Week earlier in the season and had an accurate description of Jordan’s game:

Jordan is a f***ing game wrecker and his impact can’t always be measured solely by statistics.

However, he is having a statistically good season. He set a career-high in sacks with 13, after getting one against the Buccaneers in Week 17. He’s also had more tackles than ever and doubled his career-high in pass deflections with 12. He even has a pick-six this season.

The offense has been the Sean Payton-led Saints’ staple for years, and that’s still the case in 2017, even with a couple new faces.

The drafting of Kamara to pair with Mark Ingram has given the Saints one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Together, the duo had 1,852 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground this season.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas has improved off of an impressive rookie season and has been a favorite target of Drew Brees. He’s secured his second season of at least 1,000 yards and will continue to be a favorite of Brees’ as long as he’s slinging the pill.

But Kamara has also been key in the passing game for New Orleans, making its offense almost impossible to predict. He’s the Saints’ second-leading receiver.

Veteran Ted Ginn Jr. has put together a strong season in his first year in New Orleans, as well. The 32-year-old has the highest catch rate of his career.

If the Saints keep up their current formula of an explosive offense and a much-improved defense, there’s not a game they can’t win during the postseason.