Once again, the New Orleans Saints left the field with a loss that didn’t feel like one. For the second straight week, they went toe-to-toe with a tough opponent, and for the second straight week, they came up short not because they were outclassed, but because they beat themselves.
Spencer Rattler is clearly not the issue. With only eight starts under his belt, the young quarterback is playing like a seasoned veteran. Against one of the league’s better defenses, Rattler turned in a performance that any franchise would dream of — a high completion percentage, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was poised, precise, and efficient. You can’t ask much more from a quarterback this early in his career. Anyone still pushing the narrative that the Saints have a QB problem is ignoring what’s unfolding on the field.
The problem is that too many critical plays went the wrong way at the wrong time. A missed field goal at a pivotal moment meant that on the Saints’ final drive, instead of playing for a go-ahead field goal, they were forced into desperation mode. The margins in this league are razor-thin, and that single miss changed the stakes entirely.
Then there’s Juwan Johnson, who, to his credit, had a spectacular game overall. He made plays that kept the Saints alive, stretched the defense, and proved himself a reliable target for Rattler. But when it mattered most, he couldn’t hang on to a key reception. In a game this close, those moments linger like a shadow over everything else.
The Saints are showing grit and passion. They’re staying in games against teams that most didn’t think they could handle. Expectations going into this season were not high. Many predicted another rebuilding year, a team still searching for its identity. Yet what we’ve seen is a team that can compete with anyone when they play clean football.
And history reminds us not to overreact to early records. Last year the Saints started 2-0, only for the season to spiral. Back in 2017, they started 0-2 and ended up in the Divisional round of the playoffs, one play away from the NFC Championship game. Early season results don’t define the ending; what matters is whether the team learns how to finish.
The bottom line is that this team is close. The Saints don’t need a new quarterback, they don’t need to reinvent themselves, and they don’t need to panic. This Saints team just needs to tighten up in the moments that separate contenders from pretenders. They need to clean up the drops, hit the field goals, and eliminate the self-inflicted wounds.
If they can do that, the wins will come. And with the wins come the confidence and momentum that can turn a season around. The Saints are playing with heart. Now it’s time to turn that heart into victories.