Things have gone from impressive to lackluster in the span of a week for the New Orleans Saints, now sitting at 1-2 and somehow topping the division, despite a brutal loss to the now 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders.
Now, the Saints enter an extremely important matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, which at this point will be to retain the tie for the division lead and keep them out of the mix for the time being. Both the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans are vying for that top spot at 1-2 each, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Falcons at 0-3 respectively.
A corner needs to be turned rapidly for the Saints, especially when it comes to the run game, offensive consistency, and secondary, all of which have had moments of success but also have held the team back.
While the team is certainly more watchable than it was in the first half of last season, there is a lot of work to be done. With that said, let's take a look at where they rank among media in many different power ranking lists.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 12 (Last Week 14)
From Davis: "WR Chris Olave has been JSN-lite − the most targeted player (36) in the league, his 375 receiving yards trailing only the Seahawks star. But how much more can he give, especially with RB Travis Etienne set to miss time with a bum hammy?"
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:18 (Last Week 18)
From Prisco:"They blew a lead to the Raiders in the fourth quarter, which has to sting. This is a team that can't turn it over as much as they did in that game."
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 18 (Last Week 15)
From Schwab:"The Saints led the Raiders 27-16 in the second half and it looked like they were on their way to an impressive 2-1 start to the season. But their four fourth-quarter possessions ended with: fumble, interception, fumble, fumble. It's the second time in Saints history they've had four turnovers in a quarter, with the other instance coming in the third quarter of a 1990 game against the Lions, according to Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. It was a historic meltdown."
Nick Shook, NFL.com: 16 (Last Week 14)
From Shook: "Instead of putting it all together in the fourth quarter as they had in their first two games, the Saints inverted on Sunday, falling apart in spectacular fashion in a loss to the Raiders. Tyler Shough’s fourth-quarter clutch gene disappeared in a wild game that should serve as a bit of humble pie for an upstart team that could benefit from such a lesson in late September."
The Score: 19 (Last Week 19)
From The Score: "The Saints finally have a good offense again, and now their defense is struggling. After years of the opposite mostly being true, New Orleans has allowed more than 30 points in two of its first three games. Tyler Shough isn't blameless - he had three turnovers in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Raiders - but by and large, he continues to show signs of a franchise quarterback."
Kristopher Knox,Bleacher Report:16 (Last Week 13)
From Knox:"New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had played like a viable MVP candidate through most of the first three weeks. Unfortunately, he had a critical fourth-quarter interception on Sunday that led to a lead-extending Las Vegas Raiders touchdown, and he had another fumble after that.
The Saints are just good enough that they can beat very good teams when Shough is playing nearly flawless football. However, they're not good enough to consistently hang with playoff-caliber teams—and Las Vegas may just be one of those this season—when Shough makes multiple mistakes.
New Orleans is still trying to find some rhythm in its ground game and more consistency from a defense that is allowing just over 27 points per game.
If the Saints can do those things, they can make a run at their first NFC South title since 2020. Until then, they must be considered fringe contenders at best."
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports: 15 (Last Week 15)
From Vacchiano: "They are so close to being a 3-0 team, and yet they are 1-2 and really so far away. Their latest … um … fumble came against the Raiders when their last four possessions ended with three fumbles and an interception. That spoiled what was previously a brilliant game by QB Tyler Shough.
With Shough, WR Chris Olave, and head coach Kellen Moore's offensive mind, New Orleans will always score points (though the hamstring injury to RB Travis Etienne hurts). The Saints belong in the top 15. To stay here, they have to stop their stretches of playing stupid."
Conor Orr,Sports Illustrated: 21 (Last Week 14)
From Orr:"The Travis Etienne hamstring injury is definitely going to scramble the equation for the Saints, though this team is still my overwhelming favorite at this point to eventually take charge of this miserable division."
ESPN: 18 (Last Week 19)
From Katherine Terrell: "Shough was No. 17 among QBs in our draft rankings, but his 69.38 fantasy points ranks third at the position, behind only Josh Allen and Brock Purdy. Shough is currently second in passing yards (917), tied for third in passing TDs (eight), first in attempts (132) and first in completions (91). While there have been negatives (three turnovers versus the Raiders and tied for second in sacks), Shough has consistently put up big fantasy numbers every week."
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL power rankings round-up 2026: How do Saints fare entering Week 4?
