Saints winning formula in 2023 reminiscent of this legendary Super Bowl champion team
The New Orleans Saints have been winning ugly so far in 2023. The Saints look eerily similar to a team that won the Super Bow similarly two decades ago.
2-0 is 2-0 in the NFL, and certainly nobody has to tell the New Orleans Saints that. Let's just be honest with ourselves though, the Saints have been winning ugly, and that is ok.
The uncomely way the Saints have gotten their pair of dubs in this young 2023 NFL season looks sort of like a legendary defensive juggernaut that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the conclusion of the 2000 NFL season.
The 2023 Saints have been playing like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
Now, before anyone get's bent out of shape, this is not saying that the defense will be as goo, or that Derek Carr is Trent Dilfer. However, there have been similarities in the manner that the Saints have been winning.
The #Saints look like they may have to do what the 2000 Ravens did if things don’t change. Rely on their veteran defense to keep holding these young and/or overmatched QBs to under 20 points and pray their offense led by the veteran QB in his second stop is able to score enough
— Brandon Thornton (@BThornton_33) September 19, 2023
Make no mistake, the Saints defense has been elite. They may not be the 2000 Ravens, but elite nonetheless. Demario Davis, who's clutch sack helped win the game Monday night, the ageless wonder that is Cameron Jordan, Marshon Lattimore and others have been willing this team to victory, while we wait for the offense to catch up. Granted, the opposing quarterbacks haven't been the cream of the crop, but neither was the crop the 2000 Ravens faced either. Look it up.
That's not meant to throw shade at the 2000 Ravens, it just sheds light on how silly the "strength of opponent" argument that's been creeping around a lot lately can be in the NFL.
It's also kind of funny how Carr, like Dilfer is in his second destination after all this is happening. A little extra tin foil material here is that Dilfer signed with the Ravens after playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Super Bowl XXV that year was in Tampa. Carr came to the Saints after playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. Super Bowl LVIII this year? Las Vegas. Do with that what will you will.
There is still confidence that the offense will catch up. Carr is too talented not too, he and the offensive line just have to getinot the swing of things. There's a lot of ball to go. For now though, the New Orleans Saints have been following the 2000 Ravens formula. While it hasn't been exactly fun to watch, as we said, 2-0 is 2-0.