JACKSON: How to measure Saints progress under Kellen Moore (aside from wins and losses)

By Ross Jackson

It will be an unpopular opinion in any NFL locker room, but sometimes improvement has less to do with wins and losses and more to do with revitalizing some of the intangible elements of a franchise.

For the New Orleans Saints in 2025, this rings true as new head coach Kellen Moore takes the reins after some disappointing years for the organization. After four consecutive years without making the postseason it could be easy to think that the only successful result for Moore’s first year would be a playoff appearance. 

For me, improvement in 2025 is all about building a positive trajectory for New Orleans.

Here are three elements that the Saints can make strides in this year that could result in a positive outlook moving forward without necessarily being concerned with the final win-loss record.

“We have an exciting future for New Orleans Saints football,”

– Kellen Moore #Saints pic.twitter.com/zJjY6rRg9k

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) February 13, 2025

Managing Adversity

The Saints have struggled in recent years when things don’t go perfectly. Adversity in games and throughout the season have caused them to stall out despite any momentum they create. After a lightning fast two-game start last year, the Saints ran into a Philadelphia Eagles-shaped brick wall. 

That collision was compounded with the injury to starting center Erik McCoy, without whom the team did not win a game in 2024. Injuries aside, New Orleans has had trouble navigating complications or establishing counter-punches  within their gameplans. If Moore and his new coaching staff can solidify those pivots and help the team perform more consistently through adversity, things could quickly be headed in the right direction for the club.

Consistency

Speaking of consistency, that’s another area where Moore could have a positive impact and help prove growth for the team. Since Sean Payton left town, the Saints have only won more than two games in a row twice. The past four seasons have been absolute roller coasters outside of the seven-game pitfall that led to Dennis Allen’s firing last year.

More dependability from the execution, coaching and/or play calling perspectives could be a major swing of momentum for New Orleans. Even if the consistency doesn’t always translate to wins, a constant and reliable identity and baseline of production would be a key to success for Moore and his team.

Generating Hope

Two things that have been hard to come by for Saints fans as of late have been hope and patience. Both are tied together. Without hope, patience is hard to grant. So with a new regime in tact, a promising one at that, and a likely flipping of the roster on the way in coming years, there’s space to instill hope both internally and from those rooting for it outside the walls.

If Moore can lead the Saints to greater consistency and success in managing adversity, hope will be the byproduct. Even if wins aren’t always the result, these three things could at least put the Saints on what feels like an upward trajectory at the end of the season for the first time in nearly a handful of years. Patience will be necessary as things shift, change and regrow in New Orleans. But these signs of progress would go a long way in first-year success for Moore and his inaugural head coaching opportunity.