The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they won a league-best 13 games but suffered an absolutely devastating and controversial loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
It marked the Saints' second straight heartbreaking playoff exit, as they lost on a last-second play to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round the year prior.
Now, New Orleans is looking for some redemption, and with a still-potent offense and a determined veteran quarterback in Drew Brees, the Saints are once again considered one of the top Super Bowl contenders.
But can New Orleans finally reach the pinnacle for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign?
Here are the four biggest storylines for the Saints entering 2019:
4. Will a No. 2 Receiver Step Up?
Michael Thomas took center stage in the Saints' offense this past season, hauling in 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns.
But outside of Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara and new tight end Jared Cook, New Orleans did not have a whole lot of threats in the passing game, as not a single one of the team's other wide receivers even totaled 30 catches.
Injuries have rattled Cameron Meredith over the last two years, and Tre'Quan Smith is entering his second season and is relatively unproven.
As great as Thomas is, someone is going to have to step up as a reliable No. 2, as you can't expect Thomas to catch 125 passes again. Smart money is on that wideout being Smith, who snared 28 balls for 427 yards and five scores in 2018.
3. How will the Saints Deal with the Loss of Mark Ingram?
Yes, the Saints still have Kamara, and yes, they signed Latavius Murray, but losing Ingram is going to hurt.
Ingram had been a mainstay in New Orleans' offense since 2011, and in 12 games this past year, he rushed for 645 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
The good news is that Kamara is just entering his prime, and after a 2018 campaign in which he racked up 883 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground as well as 81 catches for 826 yards and five scores in the passing game, the 23-year-old could be in for a monster 2019 season.
But with Ingram gone, more pressure will fall on Kamara's shoulders, as he is yet to do this without Ingram.
Plus, Ingram represented a terrific goal-line back due to his bulk. Make no mistake about it: this is a significant loss for the Saints.
2. How Much Does Drew Brees Have Left?
Much like Tom Brady, Brees has been defying age over the last few years and is actually coming off of one of the most efficient seasons of his NFL career, as he broke his own record by completing 74.4 percent of his passes while also leading the league with a 115.7 passer rating.
But at 40 years old, just how much does Brees have left?
Even though he just had an incredible season, it's a fair question to ask, as Father Time remains undefeated (forgive the trite cliche).
Let's also remember that while Brees is completing an insane amount of passes, his overall production as far as yardage and touchdowns have dipped considerably. From 2014 through 2016, Brees was averaging around 5,000 yards per season, but the last two years, he has totaled 4,334 and 3,992, respectively.
As a matter of fact, 2018 represented the first time Brees has finished with under 4,000 yards since 2005, his final year with the San Diego Chargers.
1. Can the Saints Recover?
Let's face it: coming back from what the Saints experienced not only this past January but also the year before, is incredibly difficult.
At some point, those demoralizing losses have to start messing with your head a bit, and this past season, New Orleans looked like the clear best team in the NFC and seemed poised for a Super Bowl run.
It is going to be hard for the Saints to pick up the pieces and get back to playing at the level they were in 2018 before their infamous NFC Championship Game loss, and there is a chance we never see that New Orleans team again.
Like John Madden said: 90 percent of the game is half mental.
And yes; I am aware that what Madden said doesn't make sense, but the overall point stands.
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