The New Orleans Saints are looking to pick themselves up off the floor after being routed by the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. They host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in yet another pivotal early-season game for the black and gold. Here’s what either outcome could mean for the Saints.
If the Saints win:
A win would garner a collective sigh of relief among Who Dat Nation and restore some of the belief that this team can still win the division this season.
The Vikings have struggled to find the end zone in their
last few games. If the defense can find enough to continue that trend, and the offense can squeeze out enough points against a very impressive Vikings defense, New Orleans will win this matchup.
It’s one that the Saints simply have to have.
If the Saints lose:
One usually wants to avoid such hyperbolic descriptions in early October, but another defeat here could start to spell the beginning of the end of the Saints’ playoff hopes.
With Carolina and Atlanta seemingly trending in the right direction, the division would already begin to feel out of reach. A third consecutive defeat, in three home games, would be beyond gut-punching for Kellen Moore and his team.
Anyone who’s been around this league for a while knows the inherently unpredictable and surprising nature of an NFL season. Writing off this team, especially given the way the quarterback has played, can’t be done at this early stage. New Orleans has been on the wrong end of questionable decisions, faced injuries on both sides of the ball, and could’ve easily been 3-0 after the Raiders game.
But nevertheless, the vibes would be particularly sour, and hopes nearly fully deflated, if the Saints fall to 1-4 this week. Another feature of this league is that it is unforgiving.
Do you think the Saints can get it done on Sunday? How has the opening month of the season affected your outlook for the rest of 2026? Let us know in the comments!
