Jonas Sanker didn’t even know the streak existed when he was asked about it, but his answer fit the New Orleans Saints perfectly.
“The most important thing is to finish strong.”
That’s been the Saints’ calling card this season, and the numbers back it up. New Orleans has now gone eight straight games without allowing a fourth-quarter touchdown.
The only touchdown the defense has given up in that stretch came in overtime against the Detroit Lions, which technically doesn’t count toward the fourth quarter. Even with that distinction, allowing just one touchdown in the fourth quarter and overtime over a span this long is a serious feat.
The Saints have also avoided the kind of lopsided losses that usually let opponents ease up late, so this run hasn’t been built on garbage-time football. They’ve had to earn every stop.
And the defense isn’t the only group closing games with force.
Over these same eight games, New Orleans has gone 5-3 and outscored every opponent. On offense, the Saints have scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter in each of their last seven games. That late surge has become a defining trait, especially because the team has often needed it after slow starts.
The finish has carried real weight because this stretch has come against quality opponents, not just soft competition. Last year’s late-season momentum came with the caveat that it was built against weaker teams like the Dolphins, Titans, Jets, and the rest of the NFC South. This year’s run has included the Ravens and Lions, and New Orleans has handled those moments too.
Against Baltimore, the Saints outscored the Ravens 15-0 in the fourth quarter and sealed the game with an interception. Against Detroit, they won the fourth-quarter battle 10-3.
That’s why the defensive streak deserves just as much attention as the offense’s late-game fireworks. The Saints’ offense has gotten most of the spotlight because it’s had to rally after sluggish beginnings, but the defense has been just as steady. It holds up for 60 minutes and keeps games from slipping away at the end.
That combination makes New Orleans look like a true fourth-quarter team. In a league where so many games are decided late, that matters. The offense has been explosive, the defense has been relentless, and the opponents in this stretch have been good enough to make the whole thing look real.
In Other News...
The Saints Hero In Their Most Iconic Superdome Moment Was Unexpected
When the Saints came home to the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006, one of the most memorable plays in franchise history almost had a different cast. Curtis DeLoatch was not even supposed to be on the punt rush, but a shortage of players sent him in at the last second, placing him in the middle of the sequence that helped define the night and fuel a 23-3 win over Atlanta.
Steve Gleasons block became the image that lives on outside the Superdome, but DeLoatchs role gave the play its finish. He was the one who recovered the loose ball for a touchdown, a reminder that some of the most iconic moments in Saints history have turned on unexpected hands being in the right place at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Have A Week 3 Depth Issue Fans Need To Watch
The Saints young depth chart took a hit this week, with two rookie draft picks ruled out for Sundays meeting with the Raiders because of injuries. It is the kind of early-season issue that can quietly reshape game-day rotation plans, especially for a team still sorting out how its newest pieces fit around established veterans and special teams roles.
Martin Emerson Jr. is listed as questionable after getting on the practice field for the first time this week, while Nathan Shepherd is expected to go despite being limited. For a Saints team trying to keep Week 3 from turning into an attrition game, the availability list matters almost as much as the matchup itself, and the injury updates on the other sideline only add another layer to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Jaguars RB Already Giving Saints Fans A Reason To Worry
Through two games, Travis Etienne Jr. has given the Saints an early reminder that a big contract does not automatically bring quick certainty. New Orleans brought in the former Jaguars running back on a deal worth $48 million, expecting him to be a key piece of the offense, but his production so far has been quieter than hoped and his yards per touch are down from last season.
Etienne has still been on the field plenty, logging a 57% snap count, but the backfield work has not been his alone. He has shared touches with other players, which is part of why it is far too early to judge the deal either way, though it is enough to keep the Saints watching closely as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]