By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS, La. – The 5-10 New Orleans Saints won’t make it to the postseason this year; nor will they be in position to go on a run to the Super Bowl. The club has also fallen from the No. 2 overall draft pick weeks ago to holding the No. 8 selection following its commanding 29-6 win over the New York Jets in Week 16.
In his first year as head coach of the Saints, Kellen Moore has seen criticism, praise and everything in between lobbed his way. As he’s taken it all in stride, the team has managed to find a way to do what matters most: win football games.
From questions being raised about his playcalling to making the most important play call of the year, Moore has led New Orleans into success after weathering the storm to start the year. He’s done so by focusing on culture as his building block rather than assets and that decision has resonated with his players.
“[Moore’s] been doing a phenomenal job,” tight end Juwan Johnson said after the game. “And I think he’s kind of [done] well with what is going on throughout the whole year, keeping his composure, keeping a locker room the way it is. This is the best locker room I think I’ve been around. Especially with the season, what it’s been. Nobody ever wavered. No one ever wanted to give up.”
New Orleans has won four of its last seven games. During that seven-game stretch, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has been tasked with leading the way.
Shough became the first Saints’ passer to tally 300 or more passing yards since 2023. In the process, he’s getting the rhythm of what it takes to win. Moore not allowing his team to shut down and coaching them to compete is creating valuable lessons across the roster. Even for those that may have played their final game in the black and gold.
“I see a bright future with all the guys that we have,” defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “We have such a talented young core. We have such talented veterans. We have a combination. And I’m mad that it took us this long to find some success, because once you find some success, you understand how to win.”
As the team defines its repeatable pathway to victory, it has become evident that Moore’s insistence on the team holding together early, during a challenging start to the season, has made a world of difference.
Players are delivering a constant message that culture and unity have played a large role in the Saints’ potential moving forward. A potential that many continue to express they want to be a part of.
“Even when we were 2-10, everybody in the locker room was super together,” kicker Charlie Smyth said after tying the franchise record for most field goals made in a game. “I don’t think that’s normal. I think whenever teams that are losing games, people start to b**** at each other and start to go off on each other. But this hasn’t happened this year, and this team has stuck together and that’s why the wins are coming now.”
The tone after Sunday’s win was immensely different than that of last year’s fifth win. New Orleans, at that time, was aimless. Its interim head coach Darren Rizzi sparked the team, giving it an undeniable jolt of confidence. However, the future at the head coach spot, and therefore the team, was uncertain. This year, there are very few uncertainties.
Players may not be sure what their next season holds for them, of that there’s no doubt. Jordan had 24 family members and friends in attendance, including his sister who flew in from Germany. Quarterback Taysom Hill was brought to tears reflecting on his nine-year journey as a member of the Saints, expressing a lack of desire to play elsewhere.
Moore and the Saints, now led by Shough on the field, are building something that players want to be a part of. Something they want to see through. Some will get that chance, others won’t. But in any case, in the here and now, the Saints appear to have the exact right leadership in place to usher in the next era of football for the city.