Power Rankings: A year later, Saints don't come up short
By Pete Prisco | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow PeteUpdated Feb. 9
In 2008, I picked the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts to reach the Super Bowl.
You can look it up. I was just a year too early.
Do I get any credit for that? Didn't think so.
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Recap: Saints 31, Colts 17 | Memories SI.com: Ahead for Colts, Saints in 2010 |
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Clark Judge
Pete PriscoFor some reason, I didn't think the Saints would get there this season. I didn't even pick them to win the division. I picked Atlanta.
Oh, well.
Sean Payton and Drew Brees proved a lot of people wrong. The Saints' upset of the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday night puts them in the top spot of our last CBSSports.com Power Rankings of the season.
These rankings are kind of a look back with a little lean to 2010. It's hard to imagine the top teams from 2009 not being in the playoff mix come next season. Most of them were there for a reason, and that's because of the quarterback play.
Brees had a fourth consecutive great passing season for the Saints, and there's no reason to think he won't have another. That will keep the Saints in the mix.
But now they are the target. As the Pittsburgh Steelers found out this past season, that makes it tougher to play every Sunday.
Those folks at Bodog have already made the Colts the Super Bowl favorite for the 2010 season. The Saints are the NFC favorite.
It's way too early for that. So much can happen. There's free agency, the draft, the offseason, training camp and the potential for important injuries.
When I picked the Saints to win the NFC title in 2008, Payton told me I gave them the kiss of death. Maybe he was on to something. I picked New England and the New York Giants to make it this season, and we know they didn't live up to the hype.
Which team out there doesn't want me picking them in 2010?
Line forms to the right.
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Giants · Trends | 1 |
| They are a young team and need to improve in some areas, but why can't they repeat? | |||
 | 2 | Packers · Trends | 2 |
| Deep down, you know they feel they blew a good chance to repeat in 2011. But that defense has to show more in 2012 if they are to bounce back. | |||
 | 3 | Texans · Trends | 8 |
| The health of Matt Schaub is the key, but they might have been the best team in the AFC before he went down last season. They say he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. | |||
 | 4 | Patriots · Trends | 3 |
| Improving the defense and the speed outside in the passing game makes them an improved team. That's scary for the rest of the AFC East. | |||
 | 5 | Steelers · Trends | 7 |
| They did a nice job with their draft of trying to improve the offensive line, but there are some concerns on defense. | |||
 | 6 | 49ers · Trends | 4 |
| Why am I the only one who thinks this team will slip some in 2012? Maybe it's because I don't believe in the passing game. | |||
 | 7 | Falcons · Trends | 9 |
| The change in offensive styles will make this a much better team in 2012. Matt Ryan will have his best season. | |||
 | 8 | Eagles · Trends | 14 |
| If somebody says Dream Team this summer, they just may get cut. The Eagles have a talented roster, which means it's all on Mike Vick. | |||
 | 9 | Saints · Trends | 6 |
| How do you lose an offensive wizard like Sean Payton and just keep on moving forward? When does Drew Brees show up? | |||
 | 10 | Lions · Trends | 11 |
| They will once again be a high-scoring team, but have they done enough to fix a defense that wasn't very good last season? | |||
 | 11 | Ravens · Trends | 5 |
| Losing Terrell Suggs with a torn Achilles tendon is a huge hit. They better hope Courtney Upshaw is the real deal. | |||
 | 12 | Bengals · Trends | 10 |
| They had a great draft to add to a young, talented team. They aren't going anywhere. They will push for a playoff spot -- and maybe more -- again. | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 13 |
| I'm not ready to rush the Broncos into the Super Bowl just because Manning is on board. And who knows if the neck will be an issue? | |||
 | 14 | Cowboys · Trends | 12 |
| To say this is a huge year for Tony Romo is an understatement. Even if the criticism he gets is sometimes unwarranted. | |||
 | 15 | Bears · Trends | 21 |
| Jay Cutler is back healthy, which is the big thing for this team. What happens with Matt Forte? | |||
 | 16 | Cardinals · Trends | 17 |
| If John Skelton or Kevin Kolb can take a major step forward, the Cardinals can win the NFC West. That is a big if. | |||
 | 17 | Chargers · Trends | 18 |
| Is this the bounce-back year for the Chargers when all the focus is on the Broncos? | |||
 | 18 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| Adding Mario Williams in free agency really helps upgrade the pass rush. If Ryan Fitzpatrick can revert to his pre-injury form of 2011, the Bills could get to .500. | |||
 | 19 | Jets · Trends | 16 |
| The worst thing they did was bring in Tim Tebow to a situation where Mark Sanchez has to become the guy. This is going to be a tough season. | |||
 | 20 | Seahawks · Trends | 20 |
| Matt Flynn has to be improved over Tarvaris Jackson, or the Seahawks' talented defense will have to win a lot of games. | |||
 | 21 | Raiders · Trends | 19 |
| New coach Dennis Allen inherits a team with a lot of speed. Look for a big year from Carson Palmer. | |||
 | 22 | Chiefs · Trends | 22 |
| It's all about Matt Cassel. Can he show that he's the long-term answer for a talented young team? | |||
 | 23 | Titans · Trends | 15 |
| For the sake of the franchise, it has to be Jake Locker time in Nashville. What's the point of delaying the inevitable? | |||
 | 24 | Panthers · Trends | 25 |
| With Cam Newton, the offense will be special again. He does need to cut down on the mistakes. Did they do enough to improve the defense? | |||
 | 25 | Jaguars · Trends | 27 |
| It's all on quarterback Blaine Gabbert. If he progresses, they can be good. If not, some heads might roll. | |||
 | 26 | Buccaneers · Trends | 28 |
| They spent big in free agency and did some good things in the draft. But the division is tough and they might be a year away. | |||
 | 27 | Redskins · Trends | 24 |
| Robert Griffin III will start from the get-go, which might make for some tough spots early. But by season's end, watch out for this team. | |||
 | 28 | Dolphins · Trends | 23 |
| I expect them to play Ryan Tannehill early to get the process started. That would be the right thing to do, even if it means it's a clear rebuilding year. | |||
 | 29 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| Jeff Fisher has a lot of work to get this team back to playoff ready. But having Sam Bradford will make it a lot easier to do. | |||
 | 30 | Vikings · Trends | 30 |
| There are a lot of holes, and how will Adrian Peterson bounce back? The secondary has to be improved for the Vikings to make any strides. | |||
 | 31 | Browns · Trends | 29 |
| They will likely be starting a rookie runner and a rookie quarterback in the backfield. That spells a long season. | |||
 | 32 | Colts · Trends | 31 |
| It's rebuilding time now. There will be growing pains with a young team and a rookie starting at quarterback. | |||
