| Good morning and welcome to the September 6 edition of the Saints Insider newsletter. Week 1 is here! The Saints hit the practice field today to begin preparations for the season opener against the Tennessee Titans Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Here's what we have for you today... A defining seasonDennis Allen has carried himself differently this offseason. He's more confident. More relaxed. More jovial. Saints players and coaches say there's reason for Allen's new comportment. In the third installment of our Tipping Point series, columnist Rod Walker look at head coach Dennis Allen, who, by all accounts, is more comfortable in Year 2 of his Saints tenure, a year that will define him like no other. Captains named for 2023The Saints elected their captains for the 2023 season at the team's annual captains' dinner on Monday. Seven players were honored by their peers and will represent the team this season. Four of the players are first-time captains with the Saints, including quarterback Derek Carr. Surveying the Saints' prospectsIn recent weeks, I admittedly have become more bullish on the Saints' prospects this season, as evidenced by my perhaps overly optimistic crystal ball forecast for the upcoming season. The national punditry, though, is not as high on their chances this season. We compiled all of the power rankings this week to see where the Saints rank in the eyes of the national media. That's it for today. We'll have more news and analysis this week as the team ramps up preparation for the season opener. Meantime, have a great day. Cheers, Jeff Duncan | 