Saints’ recent home woes have left New Orleans desperate to avoid a sixth straight lost season

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The color purple filling the Superdome’s field-level stands near the visitors’ sideline as time wound down in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 5 loss to the Vikings was hard to miss.

So, too, were the visiting, red-clad fans triumphantly chanting, “A-T-L!” during the anticlimactic final minutes of a Monday night home loss to the rival Falcons in Week 4.

If the traveling Raiders fans were less noticeable in Week 3, it was only because they also wear black.

The Saints (1-4) will leave New Orleans this week on the heels of three deflating home losses that have transformed them from emerging hopefuls to win the NFC South into a team that looks increasingly desperate to avoid falling out of playoff contention for a sixth straight season.

“Losing the way we have lost these last three games is gut-wrenching,” said Saints first-year guard David Edwards, a high-profile acquisition in free agency who was expected to bring with him a winning mentality from his previous team, Buffalo.

“It sucks. The competitor in you wants to smash your face against the wall,” Edwards added before stressing that, rather than inflict self-harm, the Saints instead should figure out how to move forward “in a way that’s constructive and positive and moving people together.”

After an overtime loss in Week 1 and a comeback victory at Baltimore in Week 2, the Saints were tied for the NFC South lead and a return to NFL relevance appeared possible.

Edwards stressed that those games provided hard evidence of the Saints’ ability to play well when there is the requisite level of synergy, focus, discipline and effort across the roster and staff.

Without it, the Saints merely show flashes of potential amid a flurry of inconsistency that has resulted in a blown second-half lead against Las Vegas, followed by double-digit losses to Atlanta and Minnesota.

“Sometimes, you go through storms,” second-year Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “Inevitably, storms end. But we’re going through a little bit of one.”

“This is the NFL; no week’s going to be easy,” Moore added. “Our guys got to keep sticking together, keep working, and I think we’ll come out of this thing in a positive way.”

The Saints won’t be back in the Superdome again until after Halloween. They can only hope their prospects for this season look a little less scary by then.

What’s working

The Saints’ defense ranks 11th in the NFL against the pass, allowing just 212 yards per game through the air. None of their first five opponents has passed for more than the Las Vegas Raiders’ 227 yards against them in Week 3. However, opposing teams haven’t had to play from behind very often and therefore haven’t been pressed to abandon their running games.

What needs help

The running game, which accounted for 55 yards against the Vikings. That was the third time in five games this season that the Saints have rushed for 65 or fewer yards, including just 50 in their lopsided Week 4 loss to Atlanta.

The offense as a whole struggled on Sunday, gaining just 142 yards — 156 yards less than any of its previous four games, and 327 yards less than in Week 1.

Moore, who designs and calls the offense, was quick on Monday to blame himself, primarily, for not mixing in enough play-action fakes or screens to counter opposing pass rushes.

“Obviously got to do a better job there,” Moore asserted grimly. “I have to create more opportunities to be in the play action and screen game.”

Stock up

Defensive end Carl Granderson returned from a one-game absence because of an ankle injury and had 1 1/2 sacks of Kyler Murray to go with two tackles for loss and two QB hurries.

Stock down

Kicker Daniel Carlson, signed just before the start of the regular season, missed an extra point, after which Moore said: “We just got to look at that. Obviously, he missed an opportunity.” Carlson also has missed two field-goal attempts, albeit from 50 or more yards.

Kick returner Jayden Price, a 26-year-old, third-year pro out of North Dakota State who made his NFL regular-season debut this season, fumbled during a kickoff return to open the second half, leading to a go-ahead TD for Minnesota.

Injuries

The Saints did not appear to have any significant injuries against Minnesota, but Shough’s left, non-throwing hand appeared to be bothering him at times. The second-year quarterback declined to say whether his left hand was broken and asserted that the Week 4 injury has not hindered his ability to operate under center.

Key number

14 — The number of games the Saints have lost in the Superdome out of the 19 times they’ve played in their home stadium since Week 3 of the 2024 season.

Next steps

The Saints travel to play the New York Giants (3-1-1), and then head directly from there to Paris, where they’ll serve as the home team against Pittsburgh in the first NFL game played in France.

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