The color purple filling the Superdome’s field-level stands near the visitors’ sideline as time wound down in the New Orleans Saints’ Week 5 loss to the Vikings was hard to miss.
asserted
time → fill → Vikings
So, too, were the visiting, red-clad fans triumphantly chanting, “A-T-L!” during the anticlimactic final minutes of a Monday night home loss to the rival Falcons in Week 4.
asserted
chanting → visit → Week
If the traveling Raiders fans were less noticeable in Week 3, it was only because they also wear black.
asserted
they → travel → black
The Saints (1-4) will leave New Orleans this week on the heels of three deflating home losses that have transformed them from emerging hopefuls to win the NFC South into a team that looks increasingly desperate to avoid falling out of playoff contention for a sixth straight season.
asserted
that → leave → season
“Losing the way we have lost these last three games is gut-wrenching,” said Saints first-year guard David Edwards, a high-profile acquisition in free agency who was expected to bring with him a winning mentality from his previous team, Buffalo.
asserted
who → lose → team
“It sucks.
asserted
It → suck → ?
The competitor in you wants to smash your face against the wall,” Edwards added before stressing that, rather than inflict self-harm, the Saints instead should figure out how to move forward “in a way that’s constructive and positive and moving people together.”
asserted
that → want → people
After an overtime loss in Week 1 and a comeback victory at Baltimore in Week 2, the Saints were tied for the NFC South lead and a return to NFL relevance appeared possible.
asserted
return → tie → relevance
Edwards stressed that those games provided hard evidence of the Saints’ ability to play well when there is the requisite level of synergy, focus, discipline and effort across the roster and staff.
asserted
games → stress → roster
Without it, the Saints merely show flashes of potential amid a flurry of inconsistency that has resulted in a blown second-half lead against Las Vegas, followed by double-digit losses to Atlanta and Minnesota.
asserted
that → show → Atlanta
“Sometimes, you go through storms,” second-year Saints coach Kellen Moore said.
asserted
Moore → go → storms
“Inevitably, storms end.
asserted
storms → end → ?
But we’re going through a little bit of one.”
asserted
we → go → one
“This is the NFL; no week’s going to be easy,” Moore added.
asserted
Moore → go → ?
“Our guys got to keep sticking together, keep working, and I think we’ll come out of this thing in a positive way.”
asserted
we → got → way
They can only hope their prospects for this season look a little less scary by then.
asserted
prospects → hope → season
What’s working
The Saints’ defense ranks 11th in the NFL against the pass, allowing just 212 yards per game through the air.
asserted
defense → work → air
None of their first five opponents has passed for more than the Las Vegas Raiders’ 227 yards against them in Week 3.
asserted
None → pass → Week
However, opposing teams haven’t had to play from behind very often and therefore haven’t been pressed to abandon their running games.
asserted
teams → oppose → games
What needs help
The running game, which accounted for 55 yards against the Vikings.
asserted
which → need → Vikings
That was the third time in five games this season that the Saints have rushed for 65 or fewer yards, including just 50 in their lopsided Week 4 loss to Atlanta.
asserted
Saints → rush → Atlanta
The offense as a whole struggled on Sunday, gaining just 142 yards — 156 yards less than any of its previous four games, and 327 yards less than in Week 1.
asserted
offense → struggle → Week
Moore, who designs and calls the offense, was quick on Monday to blame himself, primarily, for not mixing in enough play-action fakes or screens to counter opposing pass rushes.
asserted
who → design → rushes
“Obviously got to do a better job there,” Moore asserted grimly.
asserted
Moore → got → job
“I have to create more opportunities to be in the play action and screen game.”
asserted
I → have → game
Defensive end Carl Granderson returned from a one-game absence because of an ankle injury and had 1 1/2 sacks of Kyler Murray to go with two tackles for loss and two QB hurries.
Stock down
Kicker Daniel Carlson, signed just before the start of the regular season, missed an extra point, after which Moore said: “We just got to look at that.
asserted
We → return → that
Obviously, he missed an opportunity.”
asserted
he → miss → opportunity
Carlson also has missed two field-goal attempts, albeit from 50 or more yards.
asserted
Carlson → miss → yards
Kick returner Jayden Price, a 26-year-old, third-year pro out of North Dakota State who made his NFL regular-season debut this season, fumbled during a kickoff return to open the second half, leading to a go-ahead TD for Minnesota.
asserted
who → make → Minnesota
The Saints did not appear to have any significant injuries against Minnesota, but Shough’s left, non-throwing hand appeared to be bothering him at times.
asserted
hand → appear → times
The second-year quarterback declined to say whether his left hand was broken and asserted that the Week 4 injury has not hindered his ability to operate under center.
asserted
injury → decline → center
Key number
14 — The number of games the Saints have lost in the Superdome out of the 19 times they’ve played in their home stadium since Week 3 of the 2024 season.
Next steps
The Saints travel to play the New York Giants (3-1-1), and then head directly from there to Paris, where they’ll serve as the home team against Pittsburgh in the first NFL game played in France.
asserted
they → lose → France
The Aporia
