The New Orleans Saints have completely turned their season around and are now playing as one of the hottest teams in the league. They earned their fourth straight win, with a thrilling 34-26 week 17 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The late season surge has been impossible to ignore.
The win capped off an undefeated December for the Saints, marking just the third time in franchise history they have accomplished that feat, previously doing so in 1987 and 2020. They now look to close out the final game of the season with a chance to finish second in the NFC South.
During the winning streak, the Saints have shown their ability to make big plays on both side of the ball from their key players. Tyler Shough and Chris Olave have been the heartbeat of the offense while Chase Young and Cameron Jordan have been the driving force of the defense during this four game stretch.
Historic December sweep puts Saints in elite company
Early in the season, the Saints stumbled out of the gate to a 1-8 start with Spencer Rattler under center for the first eight games. While the team remained competitive in many of those contests, the offense struggled to consistently move the ball downfield, sustain drives, and convert opportunities into points.
That narrative began to change once Tyler Shough took over at quarterback. His poise, decision making, and ability to stretch the field brought new life to the offense, allowing playmakers to thrive and finish drives with points. Since the change the Saints have looked far more balanced and confident.
This current Saints team finds themselves in great company as the 1987 and 2020 teams were 12 win teams with legitimate playoffs aspirations. The 1987 Saints achieved their first winning season in franchise history, finishing the regular season on a nine game winning streak. The 2020 Saints followed a similar path capturing the NFC South title and establishing themselves as one of the most complete teams in the league.
Although the team is not yet at that level, sweeping an entire month of competition is an impressive accomplishment that speaks volumes about the direction of the franchise. The Saints late season surge highlights their resilience, growth, and ability to compete at a high level, even in challenging circumstances. Most importantly it provides a strong foundation to build upon, offering optimism that the future is bright and sustained success could be on the horizon.