Despite the Loss, Saints Rise in Week 15 Power Rankings

Here we’ll look at five major NFL news outlets and their weekly Power Rankings to see where the New Orleans Saints stack up week-to-week. Here’s where ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, Bleacher Report and NFL.com rank the Saints after their Week 14 loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

ESPN - #6 (+1)

The Saints' running game has been a revelation this season, with both Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram ranking in the top five for yards per rush. As a team, they have 19 rushing touchdowns, their most since the 2009 Super Bowl season (21).

CBS - #4 (+2)

That was a tough one last week at Atlanta, with some questionable officiating calls, and now they have to re-group but are still in first place in the division.

Yahoo - #6 (+/-)

We’ve sung Drew Brees’ praises often in this space, but he can’t get a pass for that interception last week. He forced a throw that was picked off by Deion Jones with the Saints in range to kick a game-tying field goal. It was a terrible mistake. That loss could loom large in the playoff picture.

Bleacher Report - #5 (+/-)

This was one of the most unimpressive games New Orleans has played all season.

Consider this, though: The Saints were without their best offensive lineman in Andrus Peat, and they lost their best player in Alvin Kamara on the opening drive. While cornerback Marshon Lattimore was back in the lineup, he wasn't completely back in game shape.

I'm still a big believer in the Saints overall. Believe it or not, my one question is whether the passing attack can carry the team against elite defenses when the run game is struggling. With Kamara out, the ground game was ineffective against Atlanta, and Drew Brees was unable to deliver a win.

Still, this is one of the better teams in football and one that is capable of winning the Super Bowl.

NFL - #6 (+/-)

Alvin Kamara leaving the game early last Thursday night with a concussion changed everything. He's that important to what the Saints do. Does Drew Brees force that ball into the end zone if he has Kamara (who has been an absolute stud in the red zone) at his disposal? Is Deion Jones even in the deep middle with Kamara running wide? Was Mark Ingram less effective without his tandem-mate? Got into an argument with a few NFL Media colleagues the other day. My take: If Kamara were to pick up the pace statistically a little bit, he could be a dark-horse MVP candidate. They felt that New Orleans utilizing Ingram more was just as crucial to the Saints' resurgence. Nope.

Average Power Ranking Composite: #5 (+1)