After the much-anticipated Week One matchup featuring two Hall of Fame quarterbacks—Drew Brees and Tom Brady—the Saints solidified their first check in the win column but lost arguably one of the best wide receivers in the league.
Michael Thomas, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, will be sidelined with a high-ankle sprain for “several weeks,” leaving Brees without his go-to man and Saints fans discouraged. I am here to say: No Thomas, no problem.
Saints fans are quick to jump to the conclusion that the offense will take a blow in its production without Thomas. While that may be true to some extent, the Saints will still be able to produce, and last season should give the Saints faithful hope for that.
Under one of the prolific offensive minds in football, head coach Sean Payton, the offense will be fine.

After yet another tragic ending to the Saints’ season in 2019, it is easily forgotten how the Saints got there: without Brees. 
If the Saints were able to go undefeated over a six-week stretch without Brees, under the command of Teddy Bridgewater, and secure the NFC South for the third consecutive year, they will manage without Thomas.
Although Thomas is the household name of the receivers, he is surrounded by an abundance of talent.
Behind Thomas lies Tre’Quan Smith. Despite not recording eye-opening numbers in his previous season, hauling in 46 catches for 661 yards, Smith is due to see an uprising in the amount of targets he gets.
In the offseason, the Saints picked up Emmanuel Sanders, whose presence added great depth to the wide receiver corps and gave Brees another tool in the shed to utilize. The two-time Pro Bowler is the main-man I expect Brees to target in crucial-down situations.
Speaking of utilizing tools, Payton is keen for the amount of contribution from undrafted free agents and under-the-radar players he has had during his tenure in New Orleans. Not only do they receive, but some have played a pivotal role in the Saints overall success.
Most notably, Taysom Hill is a perfect example of Payton’s scheme. Hill, who went undrafted in 2017, has become a household name across the league. Payton has completely transformed the former BYU quarterback, turning him into an all-around tool. Over the stretch without Thomas, look for Hills reps on the offensive side to be increased.
Along with Hill comes wide receiver Deonte Harris. Harris, whose break-out speed has mostly been utilized in the return game, could be used in short-yardage situations or in the screen game.
Marquez Callaway is also a name to keep an eye out for. The former Tennessee wide receiver could be the next name of undrafted free agents to make an impact for the Saints squad.
In week one’s victory over Tampa Bay, it was veteran tight end Jared Cook who led the Saints in receiving. Cook hauled in five receptions for 80 yards, 46 of which came on one snap.
After an ongoing ankle injury rendered his ability to produce in 2019, running back Alvin Kamara looks to be healthy and ready to go. His versatility will benefit the Saint’s immensely. Since entering the league, Kamara has always been a force to be reckoned with. Most notably, we are accustomed to seeing Kamara’s flashy moves in and out the backfield, with a combination of rushes and screens. His role on the team is going to become even more vital under Thomas’ absence. Although New Orleans possesses weapons out wide, I would not be surprised to see Payton put more emphasis on the ground game.
Combine these players with the NFL all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns and the Saints offense will still find a way to put up points.
In the meantime, the Thomas train has been pulled to an abrupt halt. The Saints path to conquering a Super Bowl must and will go on.