Let’s start with the good news. The New Orleans Saints are still on top of the NFC South, and they’re going into their bye week with a great opportunity to rest up some injured players (including several key starters). Their weak division keeps them in the playoff picture.
But barely, and here’s the bad news: the Saints are not in a strong position. They’ll come out of the bye week and face the Atlanta Falcons who are also on bye next Sunday. They’re still a flawed football team that is underperforming its expectations, and it’s worth asking if the coaching staff has what it takes to help the players meet their potential.
Losing to another playoff hopeful like the Minnesota Vikings is a gut punch. Even if the Saints reach the postseason, they haven’t shown they have what it takes to compete with their peers.
That’s a problem for another day. For now, we’ll thank the Arizona Cardinals for breaking Falcons fans’ hearts on a last-second field goal, and take a quick look at the NFC South standings after Week 10:
1
New Orleans Saints (5-5)
2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)
3
Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
4
Carolina Panthers (1-8)
