[sendtonews_embed video_id=”DXl5zIzAgN-1080835-7498″]
Back-to-back losses have taken a lot of the shine off the New Orleans Saints despite their 10-3 record, and it’s seen them fall again in the latest NFL power rankings.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield acknowledged that while the Saints defense showed plenty of fight in a close game with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the time it took for Drew Brees to knock off the rust in his first game back from injuries might have been too costly in the hunt for coveted playoff positioning:
“Now the bad news: The loss drops them a full game behind the Green Bay Packers in the hunt for the first-round bye in the NFC, and with the Packers owning the tiebreaker due to their Week 3 win in New Orleans, that is in essence a two-game lead for the Packers with two to go.”
New Orleans slipped down to the No. 7 spot after idling at No. 5 a week ago in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings, trailing only the Green Bay Packers (No. 2) among their peers in the NFC. But it’s a very thin line between the Saints and other NFC teams in the top ten, with the Seattle Seahawks (No. 8) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 9) nipping at their heels. The Saints can’t afford to drop a loss to the Minnesota Vikings on a short week and end up playing for the NFC South title in Week 17.
However, USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis took a more optimistic spin on the state of the Saints. He dropped them from No. 3 to No. 4 in his NFL power rankings, also slotting the Packers at No. 2 while the Seahawks (No. 7) and Buccaneers (No. 8) climbed a little higher. He’s seen the Saints in this sort of position before, writing:
“They’re staggering down the stretch, but New Orleans historians will recall a similar December 11 years ago that ended with a Lombardi Gras party.”
Maybe the Saints can recapture some of that 2009 magic in time for the postseason. But they’re so short-handed on offense these days that it’s tough to see New Orleans elbowing its way back into the race for the NFC’s top playoff seed. We’re entering what may be the final weeks of Brees’ career, and there couldn’t be much more on the line than this. Let’s see if he and his teammates rise to the occasion on Christmas Day.
[listicle id=41728]