1. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
Nobody really knows when Drew Brees will be able to come back after suffering a rotator cuff injury to his throwing arm. At this point, it may not matter who lines up behind center, because a decent performance by backup quarterback Luke McCown was wasted by the team’s horrid defense in Week 3.
Cam Newton, who isn’t known as a dynamic passer in the mold of Aaron Rodgers, was able to pick apart the porous secondary of the Saints, passing for 315 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 27-22 victory for the Panthers. Newton also added a rushing score for good measure, and Carolina did enough on defense without Luke Kuechly to keep the Saints offense in check.
Back to the offense, it’s worth noting there isn’t a single receiver who has proven capable of stretching the field. Without a game-changer, the passing attack is flaccid.
With upcoming battles against Dallas, Philadelphia and Atlanta the next few weeks, the Saints could easily be 0-6 to start the season, whether Brees returns or not.