The New Orleans Saints’ 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night felt different.
It was completely embarrassing.
It was not just another loss. It was a total failure across all three phases on a night that was so special to the city and the fanbase.
The Saints had an opportunity to make a statement in front of a nationally televised audience, and they blew it.
And now, it’s fair to ask how hot Kellen Moore’s seat is after a 1-3 start.
Moore did not hide from the performance afterward. He repeatedly acknowledged that the Saints were not prepared for Monday night’s game, which is frustrating to hear after knowing how important this game was and how much it meant to the organization.
It would be easier to accept if it were an isolated occurrence.
But it hasn’t been.
The Saints under Kellen Moore have now trailed by double digits 16 times since the start of the 2025 season, the most in the NFL over that span. Monday night was another example, as Atlanta jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 24-7 by halftime.
The problem isn’t simply that New Orleans has fallen behind. It’s that Moore has been asked repeatedly why his team continues to struggle to open games, and his answers have consistently come back to some version of needing to look at things, make adjustments and figure out what went wrong.
At some point, those answers have to turn into results.
The Saints scored just six total first-quarter points through their first four games and have been forced to play from behind in every game this season. Under Moore, New Orleans has failed to score in the first quarter 14 times. That puts immense pressure on Moore to fix the preparation and execution issues that have followed his team into another season.
There is still plenty of football left to play, and firing a head coach after four games would be an extreme move. But this is also Year 2 for Moore, so there’s no excuse of this being his first rodeo. The Saints expected progress after a six-win first season, and instead they are 1-3 after getting embarrassed by their biggest rival on Monday night.
Moore has repeatedly said the Saints need to look at themselves.
Now, the question is how long the organization will continue waiting for the answers to translate onto the field before they take a look at him.
