Saints playoff odds sink after Week 13 loss to Rams

The New Orleans Saints entered Week 13 at 4-7, but there was a glimmer of hope the team could still make something of the season. New Orleans had won two straight games since Darren Rizzi took over as interim head coach, and the team was coming off a bye week that allowed guys to get healthier.

Additionally, the Saints were presented a great opportunity on Sunday, with the Atlanta Falcons losing their Week 13 game. A win for New Orleans would’ve brought them within one game of the division lead. Unfortunately, the Saints fumbled away a winnable game against the Los Angeles Rams, and essentially threw away their last hopes for a postseason bid.

Following Sunday’s results, ESPN’s playoff projections give the Saints less than a 1% chance to make the postseason. Entering the week, New Orleans had a 4% chance to make the playoffs. While that was really low, it’s significantly better than less than 1%, and those odds would’ve greatly improved with a win.

Saints have less than 1% chance to make the playoffs

Of course, New Orleans isn’t mathematically eliminated yet, so there’s still a chance. With the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied at the top of the division with 6-6 records, they aren’t really that far away from New Orleans, especially considering how those two teams have looked.

The problem, though, is how the Saints look. New Orleans still isn’t a consistent team, and guys just can’t stay healthy. Taysom Hill is reportedly joining the other Saints players who are finished for the year, and his impact has been evident this season. The remainder of the season was going to be tough either way for New Orleans, but it definitely will be now that Hill is sidelined.

At this point, it makes more sense for the Saints to lose games and improve their draft pick, because the playoffs are extremely unlikely. However, New Orleans will continue to fight for every game.

READ MORE