JACKSON: Saints tailspin leaves little hope for turnaround

By Ross Jackson

Being among the conversation for the NFL’s worst team is not where the New Orleans Saints pictured themselves as this season began. With a new offensive coordinator, rebuilt offensive coaching staff, a second year for quarterback Derek Carr and a promising defense, the Saints were looking to prove that they can be the team they have been saying they can be for years. Instead, they have proven themselves near the basement of the NFL through eight games.

An outstanding 2-0 opening to the season is now a distant memory as New Orleans sits with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after suffering their first six-game losing streak since 2005 – a season where the team finished 3-13. 

The Saints are now in the same category as teams like the Carolina Panthers (their next opponent), Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Not the teams they wanted to be discussed alongside in 2024. But now, after their 2-6 start, fans are already starting to turn their attention to the offseason hoping for leadership changes and a high pick in the NFL Draft.

Head coach Dennis Allen will be under fire for the remainder of the season. The team’s injury concerns continue to mount. That will put even more of the staff firmly in the focus of criticism, all while the team still has nine games they will need to play before all is said and done. 

In order for the team to keep any of their postseason hopes alive, they’ll need to win at least eight of those last nine. But it would be unreasonable to project them doing so. Yes, injuries have impacted the team massively, no doubt about that. But execution issues on both sides of the football are rampant, and the team cannot assume that another influx of health is going to result in a 180 degree shift.

New Orleans has no choice to go out there for the next nine weeks, 10 with the upcoming bye, and take things game-by-game as they look to put good film out there ahead of what will surely be an eventful offseason.

The franchise’s last six-game losing streak resulted in some big changes. That offseason resulted in major shifts and a complete redirection for the organization. There is a good chance that a similar shift takes place this offseason unless the Saints miraculously go on an unprecedented run. 

The Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders are still on the schedule before this season comes to a close. Therefore, that run, or any run that keeps the team’s postseason dreams alive, seems like a distant reality at this point, even though the Saints are expecting their starting quarterback Derek Carr back soon.

The silver linings have quickly diminished to a bronze medal in the NFC South. With the Panthers on the way next week, there’s a chance for New Orleans to get another win. But they’ll be hard-pressed if a win against Carolina, a 1-7 team, will be enough to prove they are actually contenders.

The Saints are what their record says they are–an underachieving team that’s struggling to stay healthy and maintain its fabric.