A 17-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers last Sunday broke a four-game losing streak for the New Orleans Saints. The win improved the Saints to 2-8 as they head into their Week 11 bye. New Orleans is back in action on Nov. 23 when they host the Atlanta Falcons in the Superdome.

With their best combined outing on both sides of the ball against the Panthers, New Orleans hopes to ride that surge of momentum into the Atlanta game. The Saints also have several things to fix both offensively and defensively through their final seven contests. At 2-8, playoffs are all but out of reach. However, this will be a huge evaluation period. Here are some of the things to watch closest out of the Saints through those final seven games of the year.

Tyler Shough

Shough showed some promising traits in his first start against the Rams, albeit in limited possessions during a one-sided loss. He expanded on that with an outstanding outing against the Panthers. Shough became the first rookie quarterback since Dave Wilson in 1981 to win a start for the Saints. That’s a span of 44 years and 677 regular season games. His 282 passing yards also set a Saints rookie single-game record, breaking Dave Wilson’s 1981 mark by 38 yards. He’ll now attempt to be the only rookie quarterback in New Orleans franchise history other than Archie Manning to win more than one of his starts.

Shough’s next challenge will be for continued development. He showed the ability to slide away from pressure while maintaining outstanding passing mechanics against Carolina, hitting his receivers with accurate throws at all three levels of the defense. Remember though, this was also just his second career start. The Saints have lacked a true franchise quarterback since Drew Brees retired in January of 2021.

Fans may be desperately anointing Shough to be that guy after one strong performance, but he has to show himself that he can be the answer. New Orleans spent the 40th choice in the 2025 NFL draft hoping that he is. If Shough plays well down the stretch, than the Saints can spend what is likely to be a high first round pick to fill another of their countless team needs. If he doesn’t play well, than New Orleans is almost forced to spend that Round 1 choice looking for the answer at the quarterback position.

Defensive Consistency

New Orleans has been far better on defense than offense throughout their first 10 games. However, the Saints have been wildly inconsistent on this side of the ball. Whether it’s being bullied by opposing rushing attacks one week or suffering breakdowns in the pass rush or coverage another, New Orleans has found different ways to lose games on defense.

A young New Orleans secondary has been this team’s best unit on the entire team so far. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Quincy Riley, Jonas Sanker, and Alontae Taylor will now need to eliminate the ups and downs expected from a young group and show they are a position to build around. The team’s pass rush must show that they can consistently disrupt quarterbacks. It’s a major team need that needs addressing this offseason. How highly depends on the performance down the stretch from Chase Young, Bryan Bresee, and Carl Granderson. If this trio can’t do a better job at generating and finishing plays consistently, then the Saints will need to bring in more than one playmaker for their front seven.

New Orleans has been slightly better against the run than they’ve been the previous two seasons, but not good enough. Demario Davis is still a standout defender, but is also 36 and in his 14th season. Pete Werner is certainly not the answer at linebacker, but rookie Danny Stutsman and second-year Isaiah Stalbird might be. They’ll need to get more playing time down the stretch to show if they are. The defensive line clearly needs an upgrade in talent, but Bresee and Nathan Shepherd could show that they are factors for a rebuilding position with better performances.

Offensive Skill Positions

Shough will be under the microscope the rest of this season, but how he performs will also be determined by the production of his wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. The Saints need offseason upgrades at all three spots, but the players on the roster now may determine how much. Alvin Kamara is still the focal point of the offense and the team is reportedly working on a contract extension for Chris Olave. Both Kamara and Olave need to do more for this offense as the unit’s primary weapons.

While Kamara and Olave are almost sure to be with the Saints in 2026, the same cannot be said for some of the other skill positions on this roster. Can Juwan Johnson eliminate his drops and inconsistencies to finally become a steady threat at tight end? Will either Devaughn Vele or Brandin Cooks step up to be a valid complementary receiver. Can Devin Neal develop into a legitimate backfield threat? These questions, along with improved production of Kamara and Olave, need watched closely over the last stretch of games into the offseason.

Coaching

New Orleans needs a talent upgrade at several positions before the 2026 season. Wide receiver, interior offensive line, and defensive line are musts, while quarterback, linebacker, and edge rusher is dependent upon players currently on the roster. The Saints can only play now with the cards in their deck. However, these coaches have at least as much to prove if not more.

The Saints have been out-coached in virtually every game this season. On defense, Brandon Staley and staff have been helpless to make in-game adjustments. Offensively, Kellen Moore should be under much more criticism for unimaginative game plans, questionable (at best) play-calling, and horrid clock management. Neither Moore or Staley have done well in utilizing the best attributes of their top players and are guilty of head-scratching personnel management.

New Orleans has very winnable games against the Falcons (twice), Dolphins, Panthers, Jets, and Titans over their last seven games. The Saints have at least as much overall talent as each of those teams. If they don’t pull out at minimum a 4-2 record in those six outings, this staff and the players/positions in question above should be under a ton of scrutiny this offseason. Yes, the Saints need more talent. However, it’s also up to these coaches to prove that they are up to the task of molding New Orleans back into a contender.