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The Saints can be a really good football team, but they are quickly falling apart

The New Orleans Saints have the necessary talent and coaching to win a lot of games, but they may not have the much-needed health.

By Jaleel Grandberry

Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts to making a tackle against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts to making a tackle against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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When the New Orleans Saints started the 2024 season 2-0, with two blowout wins, the entire NFL world checked in on them to see if what they were doing was real, or if it was just some early-season magic. Two weeks later, the Saints are now 2-2, and a lot of people probably think the first two weeks of the season were a fluke.

However, for the people that actually watched New Orleans in every game this season, not just catching the highlights or reading the box score, they should see the Saints can actually be a really good football team. They have a ton of really good players on both sides of the ball, and a quality coaching staff that can put together good game plans on offense and defense.

Unfortunately, New Orleans doesn’t have good health, and that could ultimately keep the team from reaching its potential.

Health could hold the Saints back in 2024

New Orleans entered Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons extremely beat up. Starting center Erik McCoy was placed on injured reserve after a groin surgery, and Cesar Ruiz and Demario Davis were both held out with knee and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave were also injured entering the game, and that was evident, despite fantastic performances from both of them. Kamara, who revealed he played through broken ribs, had 26 touches for 119 yards and a touchdown, but was visibly peeling himself off the ground after every tackle.

Olave, who injured his hamstring in Friday’s practice caught eight passes for 87 yards on Sunday, but limped to the sideline at multiple points throughout the game.

Versatile weapon Taysom Hill also left the game after scoring New Orleans’ first two touchdowns. Sunday was his first game back after suffering a lung injury in Week 2, and he unfortunately left with injured ribs to the other side of his body.

He wasn’t the only veteran that left Sunday’s game in Atlanta. Tyrann Mathieu was pulled early as he was dealing with a calf issue, a lingering heel injury, and a groin injury that he picked up in Week 4. Willie Gay, who was filling in for the injured Demario Davis, also left the game early with a hand injury.

While fans can try to brush this off and say it’s just Week 4, the team will get healthy, the reality is, things are more likely to get worse for New Orleans than they are to get better. The Saints are an old team, and that never helps. Additionally, teams usually pick up more injuries as the year goes on.

The way teams usually get healthy as the season progresses is by sitting guys out entirely, and bringing them back later in the year. Unfortunately for New Orleans, that’s not really a luxury the team has. The Saints’ best players are injured; if they sit them all out, the season could be a lost cause by the team they heal up. However, leaning on injured guys with 13 games left in a 17-game season isn’t really a recipe for success either.

New Orleans has the challenge of trying to overcome an obstacle it can’t control. That could ultimately be the difference in what could be a promising season for the Saints.

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