For the New Orleans Saints to contend for the playoffs this season, here are the five most important players who can help make that happen:
Drew Brees, quarterback: This one's pretty obvious. Quarterback is the most important position on the field for any team, and Brees is one of the best to ever play (the 39-year-old is on pace to overtake Peyton Manning as the NFL's all-time passing yardage leader in October). But the beauty of the Saints right now is that they have become as balanced as they've ever been during the Brees-Sean Payton era by reloading their offensive line, run game and defense in recent years.