Six weeks ago, the New Orleans Saints looked like a team headed straight for rock bottom. One win in nine games.
A blowout loss to the Rams. A start so grim it hadn’t been seen in New Orleans since 1980 - back when head coach Kellen Moore wasn’t even born yet.
The whispers weren’t about playoff positioning or late-season momentum; they were about draft order and damage control.
But football is a strange game. Momentum shifts, locker room vibes change, and sometimes, all it takes is a spark. That spark came for the Saints, and suddenly, they’re not just playing better - they’re playing spoiler.
After back-to-back wins over the top two teams in the NFC South, the Saints are now sitting at 7-7, tied with the Panthers and Buccaneers atop a division that’s been more unpredictable than dominant. And while New Orleans is already mathematically out of the playoff picture, they’re doing everything they can to make sure no one else gets in easily.
“If we can’t go [to the playoffs], I’m going to scoot over on this couch,” said veteran defensive end Cam Jordan. “Come sit beside us. … Where we are as a team, we are trying to be everybody’s worst nightmare right now.”
That’s the kind of edge this team is playing with - the kind of pride that turns a lost season into a statement stretch. And it’s not just talk.
The Saints have gone 3-2 since that ugly loss in L.A., and the schedule ahead is about as favorable as they could ask for. They’ll host the struggling Jets (3-11) this weekend, then hit the road to face the Titans (2-12) and Falcons (5-9) to close out the year.
That’s three very winnable games. And if they take care of business, they could finish 7-10 - a far cry from the 1-8 start that had them in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, seven wins would be more than two games better than last season’s total, and nearly three wins over the preseason over/under of 4.5.
So what changed?
Start with the quarterback. Tyler Shough has gone 3-3 since stepping in as the starter, and while the numbers won’t blow anyone away, the leadership and poise have been evident. He’s brought a steadiness to the offense that was missing early on, and more importantly, he’s given the Saints something they haven’t had in a while: a potential quarterback of the future.
Head coach Kellen Moore has emphasized the importance of finishing strong, not just for the win column, but for the culture they’re trying to build.
“How you finish [a season] is always really important,” Moore said. “For individuals and for the team collectively, we are creating habits.
We are creating habits every day, and we are creating an environment to be a really successful program. You do that by winning football games ultimately.
That’s what culture is all about.”
That culture has been tested this year - and it’s held firm, thanks in large part to the team’s veteran core. Defensive end Chase Young, who made a major impact in Sunday’s win, pointed to a moment a few weeks back when linebacker Demario Davis addressed the team.
“How are you going to respond when everything isn’t going your way?” Davis asked.
The Saints have answered with resilience. With grit. With two straight wins and a real shot at closing the season on a five-game heater - something they haven’t done since 2020, back in Sean Payton’s final year at the helm.
“I feel like if you look at our team, regardless, we never stop fighting,” Young said.
That fight is what’s defined this late-season surge. Not playoff aspirations.
Not draft positioning. Just pride.
Just a group of professionals refusing to fold.
“It’s like what I’ve been saying all season,” Jordan added. “We are a resilient team. You don’t see anybody’s head down.”
And now? The Saints are on a mission to ruin someone else’s season.
They’ve already done it to Tampa Bay and Carolina. The Jets, Titans, and Falcons are next in line.
“We’re hitting stride,” Jordan said. “But we needed to hit strides a little bit earlier.
We don’t have any agenda now. Now our agenda is to wreck other people’s agenda.”
That’s the kind of energy you don’t want to face in December - a team with nothing to lose and something to prove. The Saints may not be heading to the postseason, but they’re making sure their presence is felt on the way out.