After enduring a third-straight heartbreaking playoff loss last season, ending with a deja vu no-call for potential pass interference, the New Orleans Saints won their season opener 34-23 this past Sunday. The epic season opener featured a battle between two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time: Drew Brees and Tom Brady.

After minimal success over the past decade partly due to subpar quarterback play, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a huge splash in free agency signing Tom Brady, who is perhaps the greatest player in NFL history. The Buccaneers didn’t stop there, as Lesean McCoy, Leonard Fournette and Rob Gronkowski have joined the ranks of the already potent offense. However, these new stars were unable to secure victory on Sunday. Brady posted a mediocre 239 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

Though the ink hasn’t dried on his five-year, $75 million contract extension, star running back Alvin Kamara wasted no time earning his paycheck, scoring two Saints touchdowns before halftime. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins anchored the defense, recording eight tackles, the second most on the team, and sent Brady to the sidelines with a momentum-shifting pick six at the start of the second half.

The Saints also had a strong offseason, headlined by bringing back safety Malcolm Jenkins for a second stint to replace the departed Vonn Bell while signing veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the reigning NFC champion, the San Francisco 49ers. Despite having the fewest selections in the 2020 draft, only four, the Saints chose players that should immediately contribute on both sides of the ball in center Cesar Ruiz, pass rusher Zack Baun and tight end Adam Trautman.

The Saints returned to the gridiron in 2020 with almost the entirety of their third-ranked offense. However, wide receiver Michael Thomas, who led the league last year with 1725 receiving yards, will be missing time with an ankle injury. His 2019 campaign, where his 149 receptions earned him the single-season receptions record, saw the star receiver smashing records. 

If all goes to plan, we could again witness “Black and Gold to the Superbowl.”