The Saints are back from their bye week, and the timing could hardly be more important. New Orleans has two players with their 21-day windows open after being designated to return from injured reserve: OT Kelvin Banks, Jr. and rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. Both still need to be activated before Sunday’s action.
That return-to-play news lands at a moment when the standings are tight but the margin for error is shrinking fast. The Panthers sit atop the NFC South at 3-4, while the Saints are last at 2-5 and just a game back.
No one has pulled away in the division, but New Orleans cannot afford to treat that as a comfort. The Saints need better football now, with Cleveland coming to town and the possibility of another loss pushing the conversation toward the trade deadline.
The latest power rankings reflect that uneasy spot. Even with the bye week, New Orleans remains in the lower half of the league entering Week 9.
ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell highlighted a different kind of Saints move when asked about the team’s best midseason trade. She pointed to the deal that sent Muncie to the Chargers four games into the 1980 season, even though he had made his first Pro Bowl the year before.
Terrell noted that Muncie was unhappy and missing practice and meetings on a team that would finish 1-15, and that New Orleans used the second-round pick from that trade to select Jackson in 1981. Jackson later became the leader of the Saints’ “Dome Patrol” linebacker group and the first Hall of Famer to represent the franchise, helping lift a struggling team into playoff contention by 1987.
Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked New Orleans behind the Miami Dolphins and said the offense has to show more. He wrote that the Saints slide after the bye week, adding, "I hope Coach Kellen Moore used to generate more offense than they’ve produced in recent weeks. New Orleans needs more potency from Tyler Shough and Co. in order to dig out of this 2-5 hole."
Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports framed the week as a possible turning point for the front office. He wrote, "A 2-5, last-place team should not be thinking about buying.
But most teams don’t have the luxury of playing in the NFC South, where 2-5 is just a game out of first place. There are pieces the Saints could trade and easily absorb the loss, like running back Kendre Miller and safety Justin Reid.
Perhaps that’s a way to straddle the line of competing for a division title and thinking toward the future. The Saints also should be getting running back Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson back from injuries as soon as this week, so that will feel like a pair of deadline acquisitions."
He also summed up the team’s dilemma this way: "The Saints are very much in the race in a bad division. They’re also early in a rebuild and their record indicates they’re still in need of draft picks and young talent. That makes it a challenge to figure out what to do before the deadline."
In Other News...
Saints Enter Browns Game With Two Jobs Suddenly In Serious Danger
The Saints head into their Week 9 matchup with the Browns carrying more than the usual weight of a midseason game. A loss would deepen the pressure around a team that has not won at home this season, and the stakes go beyond the standings, with the organization already bracing for possible changes if things keep sliding.
Kellen Moore is feeling the heat because of the offense's uneven play, while the roster picture could also shift quickly if the Saints come up short again. Justin Reid has emerged as a name to watch in that conversation, which gives this game a little extra edge for a team trying to steady itself before the season starts forcing bigger decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Face A Browns QB Twist That May Change Sunday
The quarterback picture in Cleveland has shifted again just as the Saints turn their attention to Week 9. Deshaun Watson was placed in concussion protocol after the Browns Week 8 loss, and while that initially raised questions about who New Orleans might see on Sunday, the latest update has brought him back into the mix for game day.
Shedeur Sanders is still listed as the Browns starting quarterback for this weeks matchup in New Orleans, even with Watson potentially available. The wrinkle for the Saints is that Cleveland could have a very different look at the position soon after, with Watson expected to be in line to resume starting duties in Week 10. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Get A Special Chance To Celebrate Two Franchise Pillars
Mark Ingram and Terron Armstead added another layer to their Saints legacies Friday, when both were inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame during a luncheon at Chateau Country Club in Kenner. It was a fitting setting for two players who helped define different eras of the franchise, with Ingrams impact as a running back and Armsteads steady presence on the offensive line giving fans plenty to celebrate long after their playing days in New Orleans.
Armstead was on hand to speak about the honor, while Ingram took part through a video message, and the recognition is set to carry into game day as the Saints prepare to spotlight both men again at halftime against the Browns. For a fan base that has watched so many important names come and go, this weekend offers a chance to salute two of the more dependable pillars of the modern Saints era in a more public way. [Read more 🡒]