The New Orleans Saints are running out of room for excuses, and the national power rankings are reflecting it.
After seven games, New Orleans sits at the bottom of the NFC South, and the story around the team has shifted from optimism to disappointment. The Saints have given away chances to win, and the version of the club that was supposed to be turning a corner has instead drifted back into old problems.
ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell pointed to cornerback Martin Emerson, Jr. as the Saints’ best offseason addition, noting how quickly he has become one of the few bright spots on the roster. Terrell wrote that while linebacker Kaden Elliss and guard David Edwards were among the team’s bigger free-agent pickups, Sunday’s performance told a different story on the field.
New Orleans managed just 18 rushing yards and allowed 148 on the ground despite Elliss returning from a calf injury. Emerson, meanwhile, has emerged after beginning the year as a backup.
He now ranks second on the Saints in pass breakups with four, is tied for the team lead with two interceptions, and has one forced fumble. His play earned him a starting job in Paris after he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 6.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook placed the Saints behind Dallas and zeroed in on the mistakes that keep costing them. He wrote that New Orleans keeps bringing effort, but not quite enough to beat most opponents.
Shook also pointed to the Paris loss as a game that was there for the taking, but one where the small errors stood out even more. He cited the missed Daniel Carlson field goal attempt that went wide right and a four-and-out on the final possession in a one-score game.
The lack of a run game, he added, didn’t help, with the Saints producing 18 net yards against Pittsburgh.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox had New Orleans in the bottom seven leaguewide and was even more blunt about where the team stands. Knox wrote that the Saints entered 2026 with the feeling of a team ready to make a leap, but after seven weeks, they still look at least a year away from being a real contender.
Knox also noted that Tyler Shough showed franchise-quarterback potential late in his rookie campaign and has mostly carried that momentum into this season, though not perfectly enough to overcome an offense that has struggled to establish anything on the ground. In Sunday’s close game, Knox said Shough made two costly red-zone mistakes.
The defense hasn’t helped matters either. Knox described New Orleans as a major disappointment on that side of the ball, noting the Saints were 29th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed entering Week 7. Even though they held the Pittsburgh Steelers to 16 points, they still gave up 343 total yards and allowed Pittsburgh to convert 10 of 16 third-down chances.
Early in the season, owner Gayle Benson said the Saints “must do better.”
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Saints May Have A Painful Devaughn Vele Decision Ahead
A disappointing season has left the Saints weighing some difficult decisions ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Devaughn Vele has emerged as one of the more interesting names to watch. The second-year wide receiver has the kind of size that can appeal to contenders looking for another target, which is why ESPNs Ben Solak pointed to him as a possible fit for a team like the Chiefs, while other clubs such as the 49ers could also have interest.
For New Orleans, the question is less about what Vele can bring on the field and more about whether keeping him past the deadline makes sense if a long-term deal is not likely to happen. In a season that has already veered off course, the Saints may have to decide whether to keep a useful receiver for the stretch run or turn him into draft capital before the market shifts. [Read more 🡒]
Gayle Benson Just Turned Up The Heat On Saints Leadership
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What Benson did not do was offer a roadmap for what comes next. She stopped short of naming a timeline or identifying specific changes, but the message was plain enough to stir talk about possible moves in the coaching staff or front office as the Saints try to correct course. For a team already under pressure, the uncertainty now sits alongside the losses, and both are hanging over the building. [Read more 🡒]
Barion Brown Is Giving The Saints Offense Something It Still Lacks
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For a Saints offense still searching for more juice downfield, Brown brings a different kind of stress for defenses than the rest of the receiver group. The question now is whether New Orleans will keep treating him mostly as a specialist or start carving out more designed opportunities to let his vertical burst show up on offense. [Read more 🡒]