NFL power rankings don’t know what to make of the New Orleans Saints’ fourth-quarter collapse against the New York Giants, but a win is a win. This team needed to end their losing streak ahead of a pivotal international game with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. With their much- needed bye week on the horizon, here’s where they stand.
USA Today: 21 (Last week: 20)
A team that's been infinitely better on the road this season heads to Paris for the league's first regular-season game in France … and might even get rookie WR Jordyn Tyson on the practice pitch.
ESPN: 24 (Last week: 26)
The Saints have had issues all around (running the ball and protecting QB Tyler Shough are two other key issues), but the slow starts have persisted since the beginning of last season. Dating to Week 1 of the 2025 season,
they rank last in first-quarter points. In 2026, New Orleans is currently tied for 30th in that category. The Saints found momentum last week by scoring twice in the final minute of the first half against the Giants, but coach Kellen Moore needs to figure out a solution as soon as possible. -- Katherine Terrell
FOX Sports: 24 (Last week: 27)
Kellen Moore held off what might have been his own Waterloo when his Saints held on by their fingernails to beat the Giants on Sunday. Before that, they had lost three straight, and that seemed to have Saints owner Gayle Benson fuming. Now they’ll all head to Paris for a game against the Steelers, feeling at least a little better about things. A win there would give them a nice boost heading into their bye week. But the way their defense nearly threw away the game against the Giants, I wouldn’t count on that.
CBS Sports: 26 (Last week: 26)
With the heat from the owner, they won a tough road game against the Giants. But they sure did make it interesting.
Yahoo Sports: 23 (Last week: 18)
It seemed like the Saints were off to a promising start to this season after the second half of last season went very well. But it doesn't look as good after Monday night's blowout loss to the Falcons. New Orleans is a fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens from being 0-4. Its offensive line did a poor job protecting quarterback Tyler Shough, the running game without injured Travis Etienne Jr. was ineffective and the defense was picked apart by the Falcons.
The one concern about taking the Saints' hot finish to last season and projecting it to this season was that it came against weak competition. In Shough's starts last season, the Saints faced just one team with a winning record, and they lost that game 34-10 to the Rams. Almost beating the Lions and then defeating the Ravens made it look like the Saints would carry over their hot streak from last season. After blowing a game to the Raiders at home and being blown out by the Falcons, it looks more like that start was a mirage, and last season's second half was a product of a soft part of the schedule.
Sports Illustrated: 25 (Last week: 25)
Kellen Moore pulling his starters (because of Paris, which is a fine reason in retrospect) and nearly giving up a 24-point comeback to J.J. McCarthy was very nearly the move that would have defined Moore’s coaching tenure in New Orleans.
Bleacher Report: 24 (Last week: 25)
The New Orleans Saints came close to putting together a statement game, but the New York Giants turned it into a fourth-quarter nail-biter.
The win shouldn't shield head coach Kellen Moore from criticism. His team still needs to put together complete performances.
Tyler Shough didn't take any sacks against the Giants, which is ideal for a quarterback playing with two broken bones in his non-throwing hand (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter).
New Orleans can gain some momentum with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. If the Saints pull that off, Moore would quiet his critics for now. -- Maurice Moton
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: NFL power rankings don’t know what to make of Saints’ Q4 collapse
