Kellen Moore got his first win of his coaching career, and Spencer Rattler is no longer a winless quarterback. The game against the New York Giants was always tagged as the New Orleans Saints' best opportunity to get their first win of the season. The quarterback switched from Russell Wilson to Jaxson Dart, and Malik Nabers' injury led to the Saints being a betting favorite for the first time. Circumstances may not be as expected, but the Saints capitalized on what was in front of them.
There was always an expectation the Saints would start the season winless in the first four games. It was one of the toughest, if not the toughest, stretches on the schedule. The Saints faced teams who have the chance to make the playoffs. When faced with a team "on their level," New Orleans won the game.
This was an important game for Rattler specifically. The tide was beginning to turn against the second-year quarterback. His losing streak had reached double digits, and calls for Shough were beginning to grow louder. Rattler responded with a strong performance highlighted by a deep shot to Rashid Shaheed.
Saints offense saw their first snaps with the lead this year
Coming into Week 5, the Saints were the only team in the NFL to not take any snaps on offense with a lead. They did hold the lead for a little over four minutes against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. That's how long it took for the Cardinals to score a touchdown and take the lead back. From there, the Saints never managed more than a tie.
Once the Saints took the lead, they never surrendered it. After leading for only four minutes and 15 seconds all season long, the Saints led for the final 30 minutes of Week 5. The effort was highlighted by multiple forced turnovers.
The Saints forced five turnovers on the day, and some of them were directly responsible for taking points away. Jordan Howden recovered a fumble with the Giants in scoring position and returned it for a touchdown. The Saints needed this win and they delivered.