Coming out of the bye week, little should have changed, but some teams at the bottom of the league won, so the New Orleans Saints may slide a bit.
NFL.com – 28 (-5)
“Movement around the Saints slides them down after the bye week, which 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.“
Fox Sports – 26 (-1)
“The Saints entered the bye week on a 1-4 slide, yet somehow they will come out of it just one game out of first place. Ah, life is grand in the NFC South. Yeah, the Saints still got a shot to win it, but they better start now with games at home against the Browns and the Panthers. They head to Chicago and Cincinnati after that and things could get ugly fast. There’s a good chance, though, that eight wins will be enough to win this division. So really, all New Orleans has to do is go 6-4 the rest of the way to fulfill my prophecy as one of the NFL’s biggest surprise teams. “
Bleacher Report – 28 (-3)
“The Saints have multiple issues. With Travis Etienne Jr. on injured reserve, New Orleans has struggled to run the ball. The defense ranks in the bottom five in both yards and points allowed per game.
And while speaking at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club, team owner Gayle Benson sounded like someone whose patience is wearing thin.
“Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform,” she said. “Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success. Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution. I am responsible for holding this organization accountable.”
If many more losses pile up, big changes could be coming in The Big Easy. — Davenport”
CBS Sports – 26 (+1)
“They come off their bye with a home game against the Browns. At 2-5, the early hope has faded and they fired their run-game coordinator this week, which means panic has set in.”
Sports Illustrated – 26 (+2)
“Kellen Moore has his first big lever pull as head coach, dismissing the team’s run game coordinator amid struggles. Sometimes these changes can be monumental (see: The Lions pivoting from Anthony Lynn to Ben Johnson at offensive coordinator). Sometimes they are just an act of pacifying ownership.”
