The Saints are back home, back in the spotlight, and back in the kind of matchup that can tell you a lot about where this season is headed. After getting completely embarrassed by Atlanta on Monday night, New Orleans gets the undefeated Vikings next, and this one carries plenty of weight for a team trying to stop the bleeding.
There’s also the familiar Saints twist: the past will be celebrated while the present demands answers. Drew Brees will be in the booth for the game, and he’ll also be honored at halftime, marking his second straight game in attendance.
That keeps the focus on what the franchise used to be, even as the current version keeps searching for something to grab onto. For New Orleans, this is the sort of home game that can either help reconnect the fanbase or widen the gap even further.
Minnesota arrives with the best defense in football by points allowed, while New Orleans sits at the other end of that same category under Brandon Staley. That contrast tells the story pretty cleanly.
The Vikings should score, and the Saints may have a hard time keeping up. The Dome is still expected to be loud, even with plenty of purple in the building, but the obstacles are real for Kellen Moore’s team.
Minnesota wins 31-19.
Elsewhere in Week 5, Thursday night opens with the Buccaneers visiting the Cowboys, and Dallas is projected to shake off its up-and-down start with a 35-20 win.
In the early Sunday window, the Eagles and Jaguars meet in London in a tight one that goes down to a late Philadelphia field goal, giving the Eagles a 27-25 win. The Bengals are expected to get right in Miami, beating the Dolphins 35-17.
The Raiders and Patriots should stay close throughout, but Las Vegas is picked to finish the job in the closing moments, 23-17. Cleveland and the Jets are tabbed for a more entertaining game than the names suggest, with the Browns winning 37-27.
There’s also a game that’s described as surprisingly crucial for both teams as they try to keep pace in their divisions, and Indianapolis is picked to win it 24-20.
Houston’s trip to Tennessee is where the Texans are expected to bottom out, with the Titans winning 21-7. The Giants are projected to keep rolling behind Jameis Winston, beating Washington 29-13. And in Chicago, Ben Johnson is given enough credit that he could supposedly suit up a 46-year-old Rex Grossman at quarterback and still guide the Bears to another routine win over the Packers, 27-16.
In the late window, Denver is expected to bounce back with a dominant 21-7 win over the winless Chargers in Los Angeles. Arizona is seen as better than its record, and Detroit worse, with the Cardinals winning 14-10. The 49ers and Seahawks should give us the kind of NFC West fight that lives up to the rivalry, but San Francisco is still picked to pull out a 20-13 road win.
Sunday night brings Ravens-Falcons, and without Lamar Jackson, Baltimore is given “No chance” against the red-hot Falcons in Atlanta. The pick is a 34-21 Atlanta win.
Then comes the Monday night headliner: Bills at Rams, labeled the Game of the Week. It’s expected to be far more competitive and entertaining than last Monday night’s disaster, and while some see it as a Super Bowl preview, the real takeaway is simpler. It should be a great game, close all the way through, with Los Angeles finding a way to win 37-34.
In Other News...
Kellen Moore Is Already Feeling Heat As Vikings Loom
The Saints have little time to sit with a lopsided loss that exposed familiar trouble spots, especially on the ground and in the flow of the offense. Kellen Moore said the teams execution was poor and that changes are needed, an admission that fits the frustration around a game in which the rushing attack never got going and the playcalling drew questions.
Practice has reportedly looked better in terms of effort, which at least gives New Orleans something to lean on as it resets for Minnesota. The Vikings are next on the schedule, and after a game like this one, the Saints need more than cleaner work during the week - they need it to show up before the problems start stacking again. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Have One Offensive Concern Fans Can't Ignore
The Saints loss to the Falcons was already frustrating enough, but the attention quickly shifted to the injury report after practice, where Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara both were out. Olave was simply resting, while Kamara was dealing with back soreness, a reminder that even on a day when the offense moved the ball, the availability of its most reliable playmakers can change the conversation fast.
Kamara still found the end zone twice in the game despite limited carries, and Olave turned in another productive outing with eight catches for 116 yards. Still, for a New Orleans offense trying to find steadier footing, any issue involving either player carries obvious weight, especially with the Saints already looking for answers after the setback in Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Have A Superdome Problem Fans Wont Ignore
The Superdome has always been the Saints stage, the place where noise has traveled in their favor and where visiting teams were supposed to feel the pressure. Lately, though, the building has felt different. A stretch of disappointing home losses has taken some of the shine off one of the leagues most recognizable venues, and the frustration has started to show in the stands, where fans made their feelings known with boos during a recent home game.
For the Saints, the issue is bigger than one bad afternoon. Home field advantage is supposed to be a difference-maker in New Orleans, but recent results have made it harder to count on the Superdome as a weekly boost. The next few games now carry extra weight, not just for the standings but for the mood around the team, because getting back on track at home may be the clearest way to pull the fan base back in. [Read more 🡒]