Dan Levy

Credit: Michael Bacigalupi


By Dan Levy - Staff Writer - Saintsreport.com

The New Orleans Saints’ 2024 season began with such promise. A veritable sugar high—the sweet, insulin-spiking convergence of flawless execution, dominant wins, and whispers of a magical season not seen since 2009, when the Saints brought home the franchise’s first—and, to date, only—Lombardi trophy.

Now one quarter and change into the season, those immaculate vibes are gone. Those beautiful wins, a distant memory, as four consecutive losses have since brought the Who Dat Nation careening back to Earth, wondering where it all went wrong. How could we—a fan base so marred in scars and disappointment, with some of the most historically heartbreaking losses logged in our annals (I’m looking at you, River City Relay, Minneapolis Miracle, and 2019 NFC Championship Game)—have so dramatically misjudged this team?

To be fair, it’s not just the fans who missed the mark. Joining them is the local and national media—and, it seems, the Saints’ coaches themselves. Each of us collectively realizing, in near-simultaneous fashion, that all that glitters is not, in fact, black and gold.

At the core of the Saints’ troubles are a variety of headwinds, starting with their mounting pile of injuries. The entire interior offensive line is a mangled patchwork. Starting WLB Pete Werner, who’s been in contention with Alontae Taylor for the team’s best defender, just missed his second game in a row. Taysom Hill, who has emerged as the single most important piece of the revamped offense (if you don’t believe me, just look at points scored with Hill on the field vs. without), has unfortunately missed more snaps than he’s played. Starting QB Derek Carr. Starting S Will Harris. Go ahead and add WR1 Chris Olave and star S Tyrann Mathieu to the list of walking wounded, each injured early in the Bucs’ game.

Suffice to say: the New Orleans Saints are not at full strength.

But this is the NFL, where injuries provide context, not excuses. In fact there is no excuse for the way the Saints mismanaged the Eagles and Falcons games, a pair of matches lost by a combined five points. Now fold in the last two games—a 26-13 loss to the Chiefs and a 51-27 thwacking at the hands of the Buccaneers—and the truth becomes much clearer.

The injuries haven’t foiled the Saints. They’ve just exposed them. Peeled back the veneer of a talented starting lineup to reveal a paper-thin team. One that lacks not only depth, but resiliency. Adaptability. A team that has done an inadequate job of replacing key departures to trade and free agency and—in some cases—retirement.

This situation, however unfortunate, is not unprecedented. To the contrary—we have all witnessed teams that have beat the odds and managed a late-season resurgence, overcoming injuries and setbacks and even strings of early losses to become that year's cinderella.

So why not this one? Who’s to say the 2024 New Orleans Saints can’t be America’s bounceback team?

While it’s certainly possible—and, if you look hard enough, you'll find reasons to be bullish—the odds are looking slimmer by the week. For starters, the Saints’ failed to bank a pair of early wins against conference and divisional foes. Critical wins that would have provided a much-needed cushion to weather these two most recent, more decisive losses. The Eagles and Falcons games were winnable. More than winnable—they were there for the taking, and the Saints failed to do what good teams do.

But far more disconcerting than any single loss or scoreline is the pattern on display. Poor decisions in critical situations. A demonstrated inability to read and respond to the ebb and flow of the game. A progressively undisciplined defense, operating under a befuddling philosophy, and an offense that is not only cratered by health but by an identity not compatible with its current strengths (which, to be fair, are few). Combined with a lack of urgency on both sides of the ball that is not only infuriating, but paralyzing, these become symptoms of a larger disease—the diagnosis of which, to any coach, could not be more clear.

The Saints have run out of answers.

Poor coaching. Poor execution. A roster plagued by injury. This is what the team is facing. Yes, the season is still young and each of these issues is manageable—but not without answers. And in the spirit of being honest, I must say—given the pattern I’ve seen unfolding—that I do not have confidence in this current group to find the answers in time. To patch the holes in this leaky ship before it takes on too much water.

But I’ll remain hopeful, nevertheless. Football is a crazy game, and perhaps with one or two shrewd roster moves, some better luck on the health front, and a few lessons learned from the head coach on down—the Saints can find the answers they need.

(Hey, Mickey Loomis... you hear that?)

(It's Davantae Adams on line one... ) | Discussion

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