Are the New Orleans Saints on the Brink of an Unthinkable NFL Collapse?

At the season’s dawn, the New Orleans Saints shimmered with promise, racing out the gate with a dazzling 91 points over just two games, including a sharp 44-19 victory over an anticipated Dallas Cowboys squad. It was a glimpse—not just fleeting, but utterly deceptive—of an offensive juggernaut reborn. Yet, as swift as that light flared, it dimmed. What followed was one of the bleakest collapses the NFL has seen: a staggering 3-12 finish punctuated by a midseason coaching change and an offense that sputtered in most outings. The twilight of the Drew Brees era promised upheaval and reconstruction, but here we are—four years past his retirement—with little more than patchwork and wishful thinking, ensnared by cap chaos and an aging roster lacking youthful spark. Rookie head coach Kellen Moore enters a landscape littered with doubt, fronted by a quarterback room in flux after Derek Carr’s unexpected exit and a curious gamble on Tyler Shough, whose age and experience pose as many questions as answers. This Saints squad teeters between desperately clinging to an illusion of competitiveness and the harsh reality of a rebuild overdue. Can they avoid the abyss—or is the path ahead one marred by hard truths and rebuilding pains? The narrative unfolds, complex and compelling. LEARN MOREAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Saints will have to give Moore some patience. He is a well-regarded offensive mind, but there’s a reason the Saints weren’t a realistic option for just about any of the truly top candidates in this past head-coaching cycle. The Saints had one of 32 head-coaching jobs to offer, and that’s about it.

The Saints will have to give Moore some patience. He is a well-regarded offensive mind, but there’s a reason the Saints weren’t a realistic option for just about any of the truly top candidates in this past head-coaching cycle. The Saints had one of 32 head-coaching jobs to offer, and that’s about it.

The Saints will have to give Moore some patience. He is a well-regarded offensive mind, but there’s a reason the Saints weren’t a realistic option for just about any of the truly top candidates in this past head-coaching cycle. The Saints had one of 32 head-coaching jobs to offer, and that’s about it.

The Saints will have to give Moore some patience. He is a well-regarded offensive mind, but there’s a reason the Saints weren’t a realistic option for just about any of the truly top candidates in this past head-coaching cycle. The Saints had one of 32 head-coaching jobs to offer, and that’s about it.

The Saints have reached a point in which a horrific season is the best outcome. It would be a wake-up call and perhaps lead to a franchise-changing quarterback. Like the first two games last season, the Saints’ idea that they can turn things around doing things the same old way seems to be nothing but a mirage.Among the Saints’ projected starters on offense and defense, none ranked in the NFL’s top 10 at their position last season in Pro Football Focus’ grades. Only two ranked in the top 15 (receiver Chris Olave at No. 15 and new safety Justin Reid at No. 11), and two others were inside the top 20 (linebacker Demario Davis at No. 19 and defensive end Carl Granderson at No. 18). Erik McCoy would have been the top-ranked center but he played in just seven games due to injury. Every one of those players other than Olave will be at least 28 years old this season. The Saints badly need some young players, like former first-round picks in offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee as well as 2024 second-round cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry to ascend to a blue-chip level, and this year’s draft picks like Kelvin Banks Jr. to make an impact right away. The roster is in severe need of young talent.Advertisement

Best case scenario

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Nightmare scenario

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The crystal ball says

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