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The Saints OWN October!
Consecutive Wins in October – Active Streak
*Saints – 14
Packers – 5
Ravens – 5
Rams – 4*Their last loss in October was in 2016 😳 pic.twitter.com/hGc2j2wZ2H
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) October 13, 2020
One of the more underrated (and telling) stats of the Sean Payton era is how successful the New Orleans Saints are in October. Historically slow starters, they usually slump through the opening weeks in September before course-correcting and going on a run in the next month. New Orleans is 40-13 in October games, going back to Payton’s first year on the job in 2006.
They’ve won 14 consecutive games in this month after dispatching the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. You have to go back to 2016 to find their last October loss — that was a close 27-21 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, and even then the Saints went 3-1 over the course of the month.
It’s not that the Saints magically flip a switch and find competency in October. Payton’s staff has done a great job in the past of identifying their strengths and vulnerabilities, and adjusting. They clearly still have room to improve. New Orleans has allowed a league-leading 15 touchdown passes (tying with the 0-5 Atlanta Falcons, who just cleaned house) and their offense stalled in too many critical moments against L.A.
But a win is a win. And getting the reigning Offensive Player of the Year back in the lineup should cure a lot of what’s ailing the Saints offense, so long as Michael Thomas can keep his temper from getting the better of him in practice and avoid sucker-punching any teammates. Things are trending up in New Orleans after their back-to-back wins, and the bye week has arrived at the right time to keep that momentum going.
Up next: Payton’s former proteges Teddy Bridgewater and Joe Brady, the quarterback and play-caller for the new-look Carolina Panthers, on Oct. 25.
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