GumboBC

We love to watch the ball, and so we do. And most of the talk, then, winds up being about the guys who catch it, run with it, and (most importantly) throw it.

Indeed, talk of the Saints' offense always centers around Joe Horn, Deuce McAllister, Donte' Stallworth, and Aaron Brooks.


But write this down - the single most important factor in the Saints offense will be the five guys who never touch the ball.

An offensive line that struggled for long stretches last season has added a new part - RT Jermane Mayberry. And the coaches are really hoping for a resurgence from LT Wayne Gandy, who really struggled much of the time. Some of Gandys struggles were due to injury, however.

It always comes down to the guys up front. If they don't get the job done, you can't get the ball to skill guys.

The offensive line needs to improve on last season, that much is a given. Without that, whether McAllister can hold up, whether Horn has another probowl season and whether Brooks is poised to jump to the elite level are questions that won't matter so much.

Either the Saints' offensive line plays much better in '05, or the offense struggles. Period. So watch the ball - if you dare - but know that if the guys who run it, catch it and throw it don't have the time and the room to operate, this whole thing gets a lot harder.

In any game, at any level, the story is told by the offensive and defensive lines. That's football. That's the way it works.