NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints' inability to find great linebackers has been a running joke in this column since I started doing it. I could list all the Saints' terrible linebackers the Saints have drafted or signed in just the past 15 years but who has that kind of time?
The list of the Saints linebackers who have been good or great the last 20 years is two guys.
Scott Fujita, who was solid and beloved by Saints fans, was the first free agent signed by the Saints in 2006 after hurricane Katrina and he fully embraced New Orleans.
Jonathan Vilma acquired in a trade with New York Jets went to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2010, and was the leader of the Super Bowl-winning defense. There's the famous moment in the NFL Network's America's Game series chronicling the Saints' 2009 Super Bowl season where Sean Payton demands Vilma get to be on the podium after the Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the 2009 NFC Championship.
The search for a dominant linebacker that was on the famed Dome Patrol level felt like a never-ending quest that would never find a happy ending. Then Demario Davis arrived in 2018. Davis arrived in 2018 to little fanfare as a 29-year-old who had bounced between Cleveland and New York and seemed destined to be another entry into the Saints linebacker cemetery of sadness.
Until he wasn't. Demario Davis has been the best Saints free agent signing in team history not named Drew Brees, has 3 straight seasons of at least 100 tackles and 4 sacks, and in 2021 assumed the mantle of best player on the team and unquestioned leader.
The Saints are Demario Davis' team. In the rain in Seattle, he was an absolute terror. Davis had 7 solo tackles, 2 sacks, and at times was destroying the Seahawk offensive line in a way that felt like he was a superhero playing against mere mortals.
Davis is going to eventually be in the Saints Ring of Honor alongside other Saints linebackers Ricky Jackson and Sam Mills (who gets inducted December 2).
He's on his way to being named 1st team All-Pro for the second time and when that happens I'd move him ahead of Vaughn Johnson and Sam Mills as the third-best linebacker in Saints history.
Johnson and Mills, while both incredible, were never the unquestioned best player on the Saints team, Davis is. Granted it takes unique circumstances for a linebacker to be the best player on a winning team, especially in 2021's NFL, but Davis is it.
I haven't even mentioned what an incredible father and off-the-field presence Davis is about causes he believes in. It's incredible the Saints' torch passed almost seamlessly from Drew Brees to Demario Davis and the Saints have kept on having strong player leadership. Saints Fan Mood and Meditation Music: Back in Saddle Again -- Aerosmith My favorite Aerosmith song for the return of one of my favorite Saints players. How awesome is Mark Ingram returning to the Saints? He's only 89yards away from becoming the Saints all-time rusher and the Saints will give him every opportunity to get that record quickly. The post game comedy duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram is BAAAACK y'all! The Saints just injected more fun into the 2021 football season. I like fun. Fun is good. Fun works.
The Games
Last Week: 4-1
Season: 13-17
New Orleans (+5) vs Tampa Bay: After the Saints barely survived the bad Seattle Seahawks in the rain, the entire world will be on the Bucs this Sunday. The Saints we know get defensive tackle David Onyemata back.
If the Saints get Deonte Harris back on offense then suddenly their offensive outlook against an injury-ravaged Bucs secondary looks a lot brighter. The Saints are going to have to throw against Tampa because the Bucs are the only team who have allowed less rushing yards than the Saints.
The Saints won't win by running Alvin Kamara into the brick wall that is Tampa's run defense. Nope.
This game rests on Jameis Winston. Does he have something for his old team? He better because Tom Brady continues to defy everything we know about aging and football. Brady has thrown for 2,275 yards, 21 touchdowns, and basically looks as good as he ever has.
He's 44-year-old. I'm 45 and in pretty good shape, and like twice a month, I wake up very sore for no reason at all.
There's no secret formula to stopping Brady, the Saints know what to do, and did 3 times last season. If you pressure Brady he looks like the old man that he is, if you don't he carves you up.
Even in that playoff game, the Saints lost to Brady, he went 18 for 33 for 199 yards. In the 2 regular season match-ups the Saints intercepted him 5 times and sacked him 6 times. The sacks create the turnovers.
Brady might defy his age, but in one way he's like every other over 35 quarterback in NFL history, all it takes to get him shook is a couple of good hard hits.
Mark Ingram was beloved by Saints players, coaches, support staff, basically everyone in the building is over the moon he's back. Ingram's return is going to give the Saints and the Superdome crowd the energy to beat Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Saints 27-24
Atlanta (-2.5) vs Carolina: That Sam Darnold revival didn't even last until Halloween.
Falcons 23-17
Buffalo (-13.5) vs Miami: The Dolphins are in free fall, I wonder if they have any receivers they might want to trade? 👀 Looks longingly at Devante Parker.
Bills 31-13
Chicago (+3.5) vs San Francisco: Who would you guess has a better coaching record; Matt Nagy or Kyle Shanahan?
Matt Nagy is 31-24 while Kyle Shanahan is 31-39. At what point will the media admit Shanahan is not that good of a head coach?
Bears 20-13
Cincinnati (-9.5) at New York Jets: The Bengals have long been my AFC team and if they are actually really good and not just 'Go 10-7 and lose a wild card game' good, they'll crush the Jets.
Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are great and fun as all heck to watch.
Bengals 35-10
Ralph Malbrough is a contributing writer and Saints fan living in Houston. Email him at saintshappyhour@gmail.com, find him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter at @SaintsForecast or download the Saints Happy Hour Podcast.