Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

We all remember how many of the countless articles that we saw back during the off-season, about how the Saints were going to be royally screwed without the presence of Graham — who was traded to the Seahawks for a number #1 draft pick — as a part of their offense.

The pundits were all saying how horrible of a trade that it was, and how insane Saints management was for pulling the trigger on the deal that netted them a #1 pick (31st overall, spent on rookie LB Stephone Anthony from Clemson) and All-Pro Center Max Unger.

After 9 weeks of the NFL season, the Seahawks are 4-4 and a half game better than the 4-5 Saints; while Graham has caught 38 passes for 450 yards and 2 TD’s — far below the expectations of the pundits who were calling Seattle a LOCK for their 3rd straight trip to the Super Bowl.

Saints No. 1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham?

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

Drew Brees.

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

Further proof that even a competent defense would get us into the playoffs

Our D is so incompetent even the Number 1 offense can't win us games.

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

Yeah, pretty bad that our offense is the best in the NFL and our defense is the worst. Talk about opposites. And to think that we have all these high end "play makers" on defense. Pffffft.

Like someone said before, a top twenty defense this year and we'd probably be undefeated or at worst 6-3.

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

I always thought it would open our offense up more that he is gone. It is so much easier to hit his target than anyone else might as well dump it off... what that did was limit the touches to the other big play makers. This way it forces to spread the ball around more and get it to players with speed.

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

It's too bad we aren't even average on the defensive side of things.

Sometimes I feel we have wasted 2, 3 years of Drew and all of his brilliance at the position.

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

At this point we have wasted far more than 2 or 3 years...

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

The answer Drew Brees is the answer to the question.
Also like what Benjamin Watson is doing.
Regular Season Rec-43 Yds - 532

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

I long thought and said the same thing about spreading it around. Trading Jimmy was one of the few moves I have liked over the last few years by the Saints. All I heard from certain fans and pundits was that we wouldn't have a redzone target... As if that's really a thing. You throw it to the guy who's open.

The Saints far too often wanted to MAKE Jimmy the target, not only in the redzone, but on just about all third down plays when EVERYONE knew where the ball was going. So Jimmy had his numbers, but we had a lot of drives killed over the course of the season.

Now that Drew looks healthy, people can finally see what some of us were talking about. If our Offensive line wasn't so bad, it would be far better, but imagine if we hadn't gotten Unger...

Re: Saints Are the #1 Offense WITHOUT Jimmy Graham? How Did That Happen?
 

Of course we have the number 1 offense*. We start every drive on the 20 and have 80 yards to go every drive as our defense is asuch use as trying to stop a leak with a sieve


(*NFL stupidity in claiming the team with most yards is best offense over points scored)