New Orleans Saints, amid injuries, may still be better than we think

With injuries all over, the New Orleans Saints are proving that they’re more than just the sum of their parts. They’re so deeper than just a few key players.

Many forget that the New Orleans Saints are missing two starters on their defensive line. Both Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport have been out the last few weeks and will be sidelined the remainder of the season.

Their absence isn’t necessarily felt on a catastrophic level because this team is so deep and so dominant that they will continue to thrive even with a few of their best players out.

That’s not what most teams can say of their second unit.

In the past few weeks, they’ve proven that this team is far more than a one-man show, well, that is if your name isn’t Michael Thomas or Marshon Lattimore. Both former Ohio State Buckeyes are the most dominant at their position by a long shot.

Outside of those two and future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints are deep and well-coached across the board, two traits that combine to make a team you fear playing in the playoffs.

That’s why they can suffer through such losses.

After all, without their two defensive studs, the Saints have been able to win their last three games.

In Week 15, they dominated the Colts by 27. Week 16 they defeated the Titans by 10 and then this past week to end the season they defeated NFC South rival, Carolina, by 32. Now, they’ll enter the postseason with the No. 3 seed, taking on the Minnesota Vikings on January 5.

The team will hopefully have Marcus Williams, Vonn Bell and Eli Apple back at full strength. While their line has been banged up, with a steady offensive line and secondary, this team will virtually be running at full strength yet again.

That said, they’ve proven these last few weeks that, even with injuries across the board, they’re better than we think.