Former New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu said out loud what plenty of Saints fans have been feeling through a 2-5 start: this team doesn’t look like it’s playing with enough edge.
Mathieu didn’t soften the message when he talked about Kellen Moore’s squad, and his words cut straight to the heart of the issue.
"I'm hesitant to say it in this manner, but I don't think those boys are playing as hard as they can for Kellen Moore," Mathieu said. "I really don't see it."
That’s a heavy thing to hear from someone who knows the building, the locker room, and what Black and Gold football is supposed to look like. And it lands even harder because the Saints haven’t just been losing - they’ve been losing in a way that keeps dangling hope in front of you.
Three of their five defeats have come by one score, including the 16-10 loss to Pittsburgh in Paris. So this isn’t a team getting steamrolled every week. It’s a team that keeps leaving chances on the table.
The slow starts tell part of the story. New Orleans has been outscored 44-6 in the first quarter and 90-53 in the first half, then turned around and outscored opponents 109-104 after halftime and in overtime. That split says plenty about how often the Saints are forced to dig out of their own mess.
Mathieu saved some of his sharpest criticism for the offensive line after the Pittsburgh game, when New Orleans ran 17 times for 18 yards. That’s 1.1 yards per carry, and it was ugly enough that Mathieu pointed to the investment the Saints made up front and the results they’ve gotten back.
He put it bluntly: "That's not a recipe for success."
And it’s hard to argue with that. Tyler Shough finished 30 of 38 for 278 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh, but the Saints gave him almost nothing on the ground. Without a real rushing threat, the offense becomes predictable fast, and a young quarterback is left dealing with too much pressure and too many obvious passing situations.
That’s where Mathieu’s comments start to feel bigger than one bad afternoon. If the effort isn’t there, or if players aren’t buying into Moore, then the Saints have a deeper problem than the record alone.
Moore said the bye week will be used to evaluate everything, including scheme, fundamentals and the team’s slow starts. That sounds about right, because 2-5 is the kind of record that forces everyone to take a hard look in the mirror.
The Saints still have 10 games left, but time can disappear quickly in a season like this. Potential only matters if it turns into production.
Mathieu isn’t speaking from a distance. He’s been in that locker room and worn that uniform, so his criticism carries a different kind of weight. It doesn’t make every word gospel, but it also shouldn’t be brushed aside.
At this point, the Saints need more than the idea that better football is coming. They need urgency, consistency and an offensive line that plays with some force. And they need Moore to put his players in positions where they can actually succeed.
Because the real issue Mathieu raised wasn’t just that the Saints are losing. It was whether they’re playing hard enough to win.
In Other News...
Saints May Be More Open To A Kendre Miller Move Than Expected
The Saints running back picture has already been shaped by injuries and constant shuffling, so it is no surprise that a name like Kendre Miller is showing up in trade chatter. In The Athletic, Jonathan Jones identified Miller and Justin Reid as players other teams could ask about, and the logic around Miller is pretty straightforward: his injury history and uneven progress have made it harder for New Orleans to count on him as a long-term answer.
What makes the situation worth watching is that the Saints may not need much convincing if the right offer comes along. With Travis Etienne Jr.'s expected return also factoring into the backfield conversation, New Orleans could be weighing whether it is better to keep sorting through a crowded, uncertain running back room or move a player who still has some value around the league. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Front Four Problem May Already Be Pointing To A Fix
The Saints front four has become one of the clearest pressure points on a roster that needs a reset, with age and injuries thinning out a unit that has long been central to the teams identity. With the playoff path looking increasingly narrow this season, the conversation is already shifting toward what New Orleans has to do next rather than what it can salvage now.
One offseason route gaining traction is a search for younger defensive line help, and a couple of names have already surfaced as possible fits for that kind of rebuild. The idea is straightforward enough: if the Saints want a real turnaround, they may need to get ahead of the decline up front and start adding bodies who can stabilize the rotation before the problem gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Bye Week Just Raised The Pressure On A Trade Decision
The Saints Week 8 bye arrives with the kind of extra weight that only a 2-5 record can bring. New Orleans has a little breathing room to reset, but it also has a chance to look hard at a roster that has not met expectations, especially after owner Gayle Benson made clear she wants to see better from the team moving forward.
With the deadline still ahead, the front office can spend this week and the next game evaluating whether the answer is internal improvement or something more dramatic. Veteran players could become part of the conversation, and the Saints also have the option to add help if they decide the current mix needs a jolt, but for now the real pressure is on figuring out whether this stretch becomes a turning point or the start of a more aggressive roster shakeup. [Read more 🡒]