The New Orleans Saints have suffered back to back tough loses at home to start the season, where they were unable capitalize on crucial final possessions. Although the results have fallen short, the squad has shown a lot of fight.
The Saints were expected to endure growing pains during the first year of the new era under head coach Kellen Moore. Now the challenge is to see how quickly the team can build and develop.
Saints analyst Trizzy Trace Girouard believes that the current Saints squad is fairly similar to the 2021 Detroit Lions who finished 3-13-1. The present may be challenging but the future could possibly hold great potential.
Future could be bright as Saints draw comparisons to the 2021 Lions
The Lions endured a lot of struggles in the 2021 season, finding it difficult to close out tight games. The team lost 6 games by one possession. They displayed competitiveness and gave the team a confidence boost for the future in their narrow loses.
More importantly, these growing pains helped establish a culture of toughness and grit that would pay off, turning them into one of the leagues emerging heavyweights. The Saints are also finding it difficult to close tight games in the 4th quarter to start the 2025 campaign, losing both of their first two competitions by one possession.
These slim defeats highlight their inability to finish games in critical moments, which will take time and development for a rebuilding squad. Though things may not seem promising in the first year of the new era, the fanbase must stay patient, as it took the Detroit Lions a few years to reach their current level of success.
Lions 2021 season sparked a future contender
The Detroit had missed the postseason 4 seasons in a row before beginning a new era under head coach Dan Campbell. While results were rough in the first year, Detroit finished the following season with a winning record after a hot close. The organization gradually built a strong foundation that eventually saw them compete in the NFC title game in Campbell’s third season. Their turnaround was indicative of patience and culture change to revive a struggling franchise.
Just like the Lions in the past, the Saints have missed the postseason 4 seasons in a row and have now entered a new era under a first year head coach. Now the hope is that Moore can ignite a similar turnaround with his culture and player development.