NFL analysts aren’t completely counting out Saints in 2024 for a surprising reason
The New Orleans Saints will enter the 2024 season having only the belief of the people in the building and some optimistic fans. Outside of those two groups, the expectation is another mediocre season, at best, for New Orleans. Missing the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, analysts argue it’s time for the Saints to rebuild.
While that’s, overwhelmingly, the expectation, New Orleans isn’t being completely counted out. In addition to the reality that anything can happen during an NFL season, David Kenyon, in a recent piece for Bleacher Report, argued every team has at least one reason why they shouldn’t be overlooked in 2024.
For the Saints, the reason was the team’s promising end to the 2023 season.
Saints hoping to carry over momentum from 2023
As Kenyon highlighted, New Orleans ended the season extremely strong, winning four of its final five games, with Derek Carr and the offense, and the defense playing well. If the Saints can start the season like they ended last year, they’ll be a much better team.
"Down the stretch, though, the Saints put together a quality 4-1 run. Derek Carr tossed 14 touchdowns with two interceptions, and the defense held its opponent to 17 points or less in each win. Starting the 2024 campaign in a similar way is imperative but doable."
- David Kenyon (Bleacher Report)
Unfortunately, each season resets. What New Orleans accomplished in the final weeks of the regular season won’t necessarily help them win any games in 2024. That’s especially the case since the team has a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, bringing an entirely new offense.
If anything, the Saints can apply a lesson from last year that they can’t wait too late to get started. Waiting too late last season kept the team a game out of the playoffs. A slow start in 2024 could result in the franchise blowing everything up at the trade deadline. No one wants that, so New Orleans needs to be ready to go in Week 1.
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