The New Orleans Saints earned a significant boost in the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire. Having upset the favored Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the Saints shot all the way up to third-best in the NFL after being a fringe bet to remain in the top ten going into the week.
Farrar was complimentary of Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, whose unit has given opposing offenses trouble with a disruptive pass rush and stout run defense. And he can’t wait to see what this team looks like when injured quarterback Drew Brees is back in the huddle:
With backup Teddy Bridgewater playing both over and under the level needed to keep his team in the game, and running back Alvin Kamara compensating at an MVP level, it’s been Allen’s defense, with its multiple fronts and coverages, that has kept the Saints in contention. When Brees returns later this season, the rest of the NFL had better watch out.
The only teams ranked above the Saitns are the participants in last year’s AFC championship game: the Kansas City Chiefs (at No. 2) and the New England Patriots (at No. 1). While the Saints have a lead on the NFC South title by just one game, the distance between their level of performance and the rest of the division is stark. Farrar ranked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 18), Carolina Panthers (No. 21), and tail-spinning Atlanta Falcons (No. 26) a healthy distance behind New Orleans. The Saints will play their first divisional game against the Buccaneers next Sunday inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
