NFL

The 5 NFL Teams That Improved Most in 2016

Brandon Gdula  —  @gdula13 Feb 20th, 2017
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3. New Orleans Saints

2015 nERD: -4.41
2016 nERD: 2.75
Change: 7.16

The New Orleans Saints have a good bit in common with the Eagles. They finished 7-9 again (for the third year in a row) and were third in their division. But they also reversed their point differential to the right side of zero, going from -68 to +15 this season.

If you know anything about the Saints, you'd think their overall efficiency increase was because of the defense finally getting its act together, but that's only partly true.

Ever since Drew Brees joined them in 2006, they've been a top-10 offense each year by Adjusted NEP per play. In 2016, they finished 2nd in Adjusted NEP per play for the second straight year but moved their passing rank from 6th to 3rd and their rushing from 11th to 5th.

Defensively, they improved marginally in rank, going from 32nd overall to 30th this season, and that was enough to make them a touchdown and extra point better than their 2015 iteration.

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