It took a while, but the New Orleans Saints got back into the win column this week and improved to 4-7 on the year so far. They’ve got six games left on their regular season schedule, plus a much-needed bye week, and time is running out on their hopes of getting back into the playoff picture.
But if Dennis Allen is going to turn this thing around, he has to win this week. Every game left on their schedule is a must-win. The weak state of the NFC has thrown the Saints a lifeline, but they can’t afford to get into a position where they’re hoping other teams can bail them out (as was the case last year).
And they’ve got their work cut out for them. The Saints are going to fly out to the West Coast for a road game with the San Francisco 49ers before traveling to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida the next week; they’ll finally get a late-season bye week after those two away games. Then it’s at home in the Caesars Superdome against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons, following by another two-week road trip for cold-weather games with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. The Carolina Panthers are closing out the season in New Orleans yet again (having done so in 2018, 2019, and 2020).
So what is your prediction? Where do the Saints go from here at 4-7? Can they find a winning record? We asked fans for their takes, and they’re all over the map: