Walk down Bourbon Street in New Orleans and you’ll see all sorts of signs about voodoo. They might as well move those signs a mile or so away to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. After all it seems like the New Orleans Saints are cursed.
At least since they won the Super Bowl 10 years ago and especially the last three years. Sunday’s overtime playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings was just the latest crushing hit to a proud franchise with a rabid fan base. It’s happened in historical fashion.
According to ESPN, the Saints became the first team to have six straight playoff losses by one score and the second team since Green Bay (2013-15) to lose in three straight postseasons on the final play of the game.
Remember the “Minneapolis Miracle’’? Everyone in New Orleans sure does. That was two years ago when Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs caught a walk-off touchdown pass.
Last year was even worse. That was the NFC Championship Game loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In that game, Los Angeles defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman blatantly interfered with New Orleans receiver Tommylee Lewis on a play that could have put the Saints in the Super Bowl.
Sunday’s loss won’t prompt coach Sean Payton to force any rule changes, the way he convinced the league last year to make pass interference and non-calls reviewable. But the loss to the Vikings wasn’t any less painful than last year. The Saints got stabbed twice in overtime. First, there was a 43-yard pass from Kirk Cousins to Adam Thielen that took the Vikings to the 2-yard line. Cousins followed that with a touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph to win the game.
So where do the Saints go from here?
“It might get worse before it gets better,’’ a scout for another NFC team said. “They have a lot of older players. People have to understand that they have to get younger and that comes with growing pains. With them, it’s not a total rebuild but they have to get younger in some spots.’’
What spots? Let’s take a look at what the scout suggested the Saints should do this offseason.
Get a young cornerback
“Janoris Jenkins and Patrick Robinson are old,’’ the scout said. “They need to draft a cornerback.’’
Marshon Lattimore is in his prime and Eli Apple, who missed the game with an injury, still has upside. But the Saints need to add a cornerback early in the draft to keep up with the likes of Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in the NFC South. Adding Janoris Jenkins late in the 2019 season is a stopgap at best.