The Saints added 2 players who aren’t household names, but they do bolster title hopes

Damn the pandemic, the heck with the NFL-mandated protocols, who needs preseason games, fans or no fans in the stands, it’s full steam ahead for the New Orleans Saints.

As the world swirls crazily around them, inside and outside the walls of their training facility in Metairie, Louisiana, the Black and Gold remains resolute in its quest for a second Lombardi Trophy.

Simply, it’s all or nothing.

“That’s it,’‘ Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead said. “There’s really not anything past that. It’s Super Bowl or bust. If we don’t get to the big dance, it’s failure of a season. That’s it.’‘

Come COVID-19 or high water, the Saints remain focused on their pre-coronavirus goal of winning Super Bowl LV the night of Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

We are reminded of their due diligence with this week’s signings of veteran free agent wide receiver Bennie Fowler and linebacker Nigel Bradham, two battle tested players that team officials hope will add quality depth.

Neither is a household name or moved the WOW! needle but each appears to have the wherewithal to positively affect a 53-man roster.

Without sounding too dramatic, these personnel moves brought to mind the immortal words uttered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd president, at his 1933 inaugural address in the throes of The Great Depression. He said: “The only thing we have to fear is ... fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory.’‘

Keep in mind, these current day Saints coached by Sean Payton don’t have to be perfect in this imperfect world, a world made more flawed by an invisible infectious disease, they just have to be better than the other 31 teams.

Is that asking too much?

Perhaps.

But the team that hoists the Lombardi Trophy on the first Sunday of February, some six months from now, will have demonstrated an ability to persevere and overcome untold obstacles better than all other teams during these strange and unprecedented times.

And it begins with a stretch of weekly physical and mental preparation that hardly can be classified as training camp, at least in the traditional sense as we know it.

All because of COVID-19.

A year ago, Payton debuted the start of training camp by showing his players a provocative, startling, intense video featuring multiple killer snakes in hot, slithering pursuit of an outnumbered iguana (see YouTube).

You can do your own analysis of the message he was trying to send.

No such video this year, just a medical scouting report on public enemy No. 1, COVID-19.

This year, not only must the Saints stay one step ahead of the foes they can see but also one step ahead of a foe they can’t.