It feels like the Saints have hit rock bottom and are now rising.

Kellen Moore said after Sunday’s win he believes the Saints are building something, and it’s hard to argue with that.

Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in a playoff spot when the Saints beat them. This week, the Carolina Panthers were in a playoff spot when the Saints beat them 20 to 17. And in this game, all three phases contributed in the fourth quarter, which I think was the Saints’ single best quarter of football this season.


#4: Charlie Smyth

Let’s start with special teams. Charlie Smyth has all Saints fans smiling. First of all, he’s been good: 5-5 on extra points and 4 -5 on field goals. As a team, the Saints are still last in the NFL in field goal percentage at 71 percent. But Charlie Smyth is hitting 80 percent right now. And of course, the 46-yard game winner was enormous.

Smyth said he wasn’t nervous. He didn’t look nervous. In fact, he taunted the Carolina bench as the ball went through the uprights. That’s not something you do if you’re overwhelmed by the moment. Smyth has a cannon for a leg and a chance to be the Saints kicker for a long time. And maybe the most important thing: his teammates love him.

Chris Olave said, “I knew he was going to knock that down. That’s my boy right there.”

This might sound stupid because he’s from Northern Ireland, but there’s something about Charlie Smyth that is just very New Orleans authentic. And he drilled that game winner.


#3: Brandon Staley

At No. 3, Brandon Staley has just been superb in his first year as the Saints defensive coordinator. And in the fourth quarter, everything he dialed up worked.

Bryce Young actually had a great game for three quarters. His passer rating was 121. He’s played 43 NFL games, and that would be his third best game ever, except for the fourth quarter. In the fourth, his passer rating was 56.2, which is terrible.

In the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, the Saints got a stop on a 4th-and-1, then forced two punts. A great final quarter for the defense.


#2: Tyler Shough

At No. 2, Tyler Shough was outstanding again. With the game on the line, it was a slow start. The Saints couldn’t get much rolling in the first half, and Shough’s numbers were okay at halftime.

In the second half, he caught fire. His passer rating was 119.7. Just for comparison, Matthew Stafford has the best passer rating in the NFL this season at 112.2.

And what was most impressive was Shough was at his best in the biggest moments.

The two fourth-quarter drives were nearly flawless. And that went across the board. With the game on the line, Tyler Shough got better. So did Chase Young. So did Charlie Smyth. That’s how you win.


#1: Momentum is building

At No. 1, momentum is building. After the loss in Miami, the Saints were 2-10. And somehow, the Saints didn’t quit on the season. The fact that Kellen Moore has his team playing this hard and with high emotion in Week 15 of a lost season says a lot about Kellen Moore. And it’s not just the young guys. Veterans seem to be all in, too.

The last two weeks, at least for me, have been very confidence-inspiring. It feels like the Saints have hit rock bottom and are now rising.