Numbers to Know: Saints’ early stretch

By Ross Jackson

With their bye week in the rearview mirror, the New Orleans Saints are heading back into the fold in Week 12 with a major divisional matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. 

Before the Saints head back to the Caesars Superdome for the action, charting their progress through the first 10 contests sets up a good opportunity to measure improvements and adjustments over the last seven games.

Here are the key numbers that frame where the Saints have been this season, and help clarify how to evaluate their progress as the year winds down.

3 – The Saints have scored three rushing touchdowns this season. 2025 is now one of six seasons since the team’s 1967 inception in which the team has scored three or fewer rushing touchdowns in the first ten games of the year. 2025 is the first season since 1998.

4 – Despite some disappointing run defense games, the Saints rank top-10 in rushing yards per carry allowed on defense, allowing 4 per rush and ranking No. 9. Additionally, the team currently holds the No. 4 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

5 – New Orleans is on pace for its fifth consecutive postseason absence. 

9 – Since the retirement of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints have started nine signal callers. The most recent, rookie passer Tyler Shough, is the latest and provided a sense of optimism, becoming the first rookie starting quarterback for New Orleans to win a game since 1981 (Dave Wilson).

20 – The last time New Orleans won two games through its first ten matchups was in 2005, 20 years ago.

22 – The run game will be under a microscope for the final seven games of the year as the Saints seek desperately to improve it. With only 22 rushes of 10+ yards, the Saints are currently tied for the second-fewest runs in the league. This is despite facing the league’s most light boxes (fewer than eight defenders in the box), per Next Gen Stats, at 49.8%.

32 – The Saints’ offensive red zone touchdown percentage ranks last in the NFL. The team has converted 38.5% of its red zone possessions for touchdowns.

74 – With 74 penalties through 10 games, the Saints rank No. 10 in infractions called against this season. Last year, the team finished No. 23 with 110 through 17 games.

347 – Over the final seven weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Saints have the easiest remaining strength of schedule, facing teams with a combined win percentage of .347.

1,000 – New Orleans is again on pace to finish a season without a 1,000-yard rusher. The last running back to cross that threshold was Mark Ingram in 2017. However, the Saints could find a 1,000-yard receiver in wideout Chris Olave, who is on pace to reach more than 1,100 receiving yards.