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          New Orleans Saints 2019 season preview: Super Bowl or bust?

          • ESPN.com
          Sep 3, 2019, 12:00 AM

          The New Orleans Saints are ranked No. 2 in ESPN's preseason Football Power Index. Here's everything you need to know about them heading into the 2019 NFL season:

          The big question: Can the defensive line stay dominant?

          The Saints ranked second in the NFL in run defense and fifth in sacks last season behind one of their hidden strengths: the D-line. But standout DT Sheldon Rankins is recovering from a torn Achilles, and starting DE Alex Okafor left in free agency. The Saints still have one of the league's best ends in Cameron Jordan. But they'll need big contributions from young DEs Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson and veteran DT Malcom Brown among others. -- Mike Triplett

          Offseason in a nutshell

          In addition to wide receiver Michael Thomas, the Saints needed another target to throw to in crucial situations, so they signed veteran tight end Jared Cook, who looks like a great addition so far. Their other changes were along the defensive line (see above) and replacing retired Pro Bowl center Max Unger with rookie second-round pick Erik McCoy. Otherwise, this roster didn't get much of an overhaul after being on the verge of the Super Bowl the past two years. -- Triplett

          Inside the Saints' schedule

          Most important game: Season opener on Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans. The Saints haven't won a season opener since 2013, and they're 5-12 in September over that stretch.

          Toughest stretch: Weeks 2 through 4 (at Rams, at Seahawks, vs. Cowboys). As if it weren't hard enough to travel across the country to face the Rams and Seahawks in back-to-back games, the Saints will be doing it on a short week after kicking off the season on Monday Night Football. The Rams game obviously will be surrounded by memories of last year's devastating NFC Championship Game loss -- and it could help determine which team gets back there.

          Over or under 10 wins? Over. I don't expect the Saints to match their 13-2 start from last season, since they were fortunate to avoid major injuries and won several close games that came down to things such as missed kicks by the other team. Plus, the NFC South is more stacked with the rival Falcons healthier. But I still consider the Saints division favorites and project an 11-5 record. -- Triplett

          Schedule ranking: No. 21

          The Saints don't have hard stretches -- they have hard pairs. Six of their seven hardest projected games are road games in pairs: at the Rams and Seahawks (Weeks 2-3); at the Jaguars and Bears, with the Bears coming off their bye week (Weeks 6-7); and at the Titans and Panthers (Weeks 16-17). New Orleans also plays Atlanta twice in a four-week period that includes the Thanksgiving night game in Week 13. -- Football Outsiders | See the full 1-32 ranking

          Breakout fantasy star: Tre'Quan Smith

          Smith played sparingly as a rookie (42 targets in 15 regular-season games), but the third-round pick certainly showed flashes. The highlight was a 10/157/1 line on 13 targets against the Eagles. He'll first need to beat out the likes of Ted Ginn Jr. and Keith Kirkwood, but Smith's combination of size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and downfield playmaking ability make him an intriguing late-round flier. -- Mike Clay | More fantasy coverage

          The view from Vegas

          Super Bowl odds: 8-1 (opened 9-1)
          Over/under: 10.5 (O +125/U -145)
          Playoff odds: Yes -300, No +250

          Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of Sept. 2.

          Most interesting player prop

          Over/under 4,240.5 passing yards for Drew Brees:

          • Triplett: Over. This is a great target number, since Brees was on pace for 4,258 last season before resting in Week 17 and threw for 4,334 in 2017.

          Bold prediction: Alvin Kamara catches 100 passes

          Don't expect a major increase in Kamara's workload now that Mark Ingram is gone. Coach Sean Payton has made it clear he likes Kamara's "pitch count" around 65-70 percent of the snaps, which is why the Saints signed veteran RB Latavius Murray. However, Kamara is vital to the passing game, and his 81 catches in both 2017 and 2018 are a floor. (He hit that total as a rookie even when Ingram caught 58 balls. And last year he sat out Week 17). Plus, the Saints have rarely played from behind in Kamara's career. He would feast on catches if they get into hurry-up fourth-quarter situations. -- Triplett

          Where the Saints landed in NFLRank

          Speed reads before the opener