As New Orleans Saints fans clamor for somebody’s head (Trautman’s, probably) after a disappointing Week 10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, they need to take a page out of Taylor Swift’s album and calm down.
Week 10’s results didn’t change anything for NOLA.
They still hold the 6th seed with a 5-4 record, just ahead of the 5-5 Carolina Panthers.
Here’s what the current NFC playoff picture looks like after Week 10:
- Green Bay Packers (8-2)
- Arizona Cardinals (8-2)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-2)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
- Los Angeles Rams (7-3)
- New Orleans Saints (5-4)
- Carolina Panthers (5-5)
IN THE HUNT: Minnesota Vikings (4-5), San Francisco 49ers (4-5), Atlanta Falcons (4-5)
NOLA’s rivals, the Bucs, drop from the 3rd to the 4th seed while the return of Aaron Rodgers and a Week 10 Packers win slot Green Bay in 1st.
New Orleans Saints remain the 6th seed in the NFC playoff picture
Some other minor changes: the 49ers join the hunt after a dominant victory over the Rams, the Falcons fall out of playoff seeding, and the Panthers jump in at 7th.
The return of Cam Newton helped Carolina defeat the previously top-seeded Cardinals. In just a handful of snaps, Newton recorded two scores for his old team as coach Matt Rhule plugged him in short-yardage end zone situations.
Newton and the rejuvenated Panthers may seriously threaten New Orleans in the NFC South and, by default, in the overall playoff picture, but Newton’s full-game quarterback play has yet to be tested.
As it stands, the Saints would play the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round, which is not a favorable matchup at all for NOLA. The return of Michael Gallup (everybody seems to be “returning” these days) adds a fourth weapon to Dallas’ superpowered offense of CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Dalton Schultz. That may be too much for even the Saints’ D to handle.
Still, there’s plenty of football left in the season and chances are, the Saints’ playoff seedings will change one way or another.
Let’s hope it goes up and not down.