The New Orleans Saints pulled off a win against the New York Giants, but man, did they make it interesting. That fourth-quarter collapse had everyone scratching their heads, and honestly, the NFL power rankings are all over the map trying to figure out what to make of it. After three straight losses, this team desperately needed to snap that streak, and they did, but not without giving everyone a heart attack.
Moore’s “Waterloo” Averted (Barely)
Let’s be real, Kellen Moore’s Saints held on by their fingernails to beat the Giants on Sunday. Before this nail-biter, they’d dropped three straight, and word was owner Gayle Benson was absolutely fuming about it. You gotta imagine the “heat from the owner” was intense heading into that road game. USA Today points out this team’s been way better on the road anyway, which is good since they’re off to Paris for the league’s first regular-season game in France against the Steelers. Fox Sports went as far as saying Moore held off what might have been his own “Waterloo” against the Giants. They almost gave up a 24-point lead to J.J. McCarthy, which would have been the kind of defining, awful moment that could have sunk Moore’s coaching tenure in New Orleans. The win might end the losing streak, but Bleacher Report is right: it shouldn’t shield Moore from criticism. This team needs to put together a complete performance, period.
Slow Starts, Shaky Lines, and a “Mirage” Season
ESPN is hammering the Saints for some serious issues: the running game, protecting QB Tyler Shough, and those excruciatingly slow starts. Seriously, dating back to Week 1 of the 2025 season, they rank dead last in first-quarter points. This season, they’re tied for 30th! They did find some life against the Giants, scoring twice in the final minute of the first half, but Moore needs to figure out this slow-start problem ASAP. Yahoo Sports went deep, calling their promising start this season a “mirage.” Turns out, their hot finish last season was mostly against “weak competition,” with Shough only facing one winning-record team (a 34-10 loss to the Rams, yikes). Blowing a game to the Raiders at home and getting absolutely blown out by the Falcons makes that hot streak look more like a fluke from a soft schedule. The offensive line has done a poor job protecting Shough, the running game is ineffective without the injured Travis Etienne Jr., and the defense got picked apart by the Falcons. They’re basically a fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens away from being 0-4. The one tiny bright spot in all this chaos against the Giants? Tyler Shough didn’t take any sacks, which is something, I guess, given the overall O-line struggles.
Looking ahead, the Saints are off to Paris to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. A win there would give them a much-needed boost heading into their bye week. But with how shaky that defense looked nearly throwing away the game against the Giants, FOX Sports isn’t betting on it. Keep an eye out for rookie WR Jordyn Tyson; USA Today says he might even get on the practice pitch in France. What do you think, can Moore right the ship?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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