The New Orleans Saints are primed for some key improvements in 2026 if they want to make a leap from the promise the club displayed at the end of last year. One of the biggest improvements they’ll need to make on the offensive side of the ball is extending drives.
The team struggled to keep its offense on the field in 2025, especially during the first halves of games.
But for the entire season, third downs were a consistent sticking point for New Orleans, and one it would like to improve upon next year.
Last season, the Saints finished ranked No. 17 across the NFL, converting 39.46% of their opportunities, right around the league average.
Finishing near the middle of the pack is far from the worst-case scenario. For instance, the Saints were last in the league in red zone touchdown percentage. It could be worse.
But the aim of the Saints moving forward is not to simply align with league averages (39.5% in this case), but to exceed them.
New Orleans got a taste of what that was like to close out the year. Over the last five games of the season, during which the team won four games in a row, they converted at a much better rate of 43.9%.
Had the team converted at that clip for the entire season, New Orleans would have ranked No. 6 instead of No. 17.
Of the eight teams that converted at a rate better than 42%, six made the postseason last year.
Offensive additions like running back Travis Etienne Jr., wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and tight end Oscar Delp will join the effort in helping the Saints improve this metric. But it will also take earning positive yards on first and second downs to make an impact here.
The more manageable the Saints can make their third down opportunities next year, the more effective their new-look offense and weapons can be.
