Saints Week 10 Power Rankings: Takes mostly temperate after bad loss to Falcons

The New Orleans Saints had good news and bad news on Sunday. The good news is that nearly every team ahead of them in the NFC standings suffered a loss, often at the hands of an opponent many presumed to be inferior. The bad news is that the Saints also lost Sunday, at the hands of an opponent many presumed to be inferior.

Surprisingly, quarterback wasn’t a problem position for the Saints in Sunday’s 27-25 loss. Rather, receivers couldn’t seem to catch anything thrown their way. After conducting a strong comeback after being down 24-6, the Saints’ offense watched helplessly as the Falcons won the game on Younghoe Koo kick as time expired. Now, the 5-3 Saints are entering a particularly nasty part of their schedule, starting Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

ESPN - #11 (From #10)

The Saints’ first-round pick in 2018 has battled injuries and inconsistent production throughout his career. But Davenport has shown flashes of dominant potential when healthy — especially this past summer. And he is poised to finally go on a tear over the second half of this season for a Saints team that will rely heavily on its defense to keep its playoff hopes alive. Davenport has two sacks in four games this year. He will have at least six more over the final nine games. — Mike Triplett

USA Today - #14 (From #12)

Given they’re 1-2 at the Superdome, should be a plus New Orleans will play four of the next six ... away from New Orleans.

CBS - #10 (From #6)

They lost a tough one at home to the Falcons as big favorites with Trevor Siemian in his first start. He struggled early, but came on late. They will need more against the Titans this week.

NFL - #13 (From #8)

The Saints deserve credit for staging a dramatic comeback against the Falcons at a delirious Superdome on Sunday, but the disappointment of the game went beyond the late Cordarrelle Patterson catch-and-run and Younghoe Koo kick that sealed their fate. Trevor Siemian stepped in for Jameis Winston and got very little help from his pass catchers, who had five drops before the game reached halftime. Neither Siemian nor Taysom Hill would be classified as electric throwers of the football, so New Orleans can’t afford to kick away opportunities to make chunk plays like they did repeatedly against Atlanta. Michael Thomas is not walking through that door — leaving the Saints with a problem they may not be able to address until the spring.

Bleacher Report - #15 (From #11)

Last week, the New Orleans Saints upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite the loss of starting quarterback Jameis Winston.

New Orleans wasn’t so fortunate in Week 9.

To be fair, it wasn’t Trevor Siemian’s fault that the Saints lost to their division rivals. He played well, connecting on 25 of 41 passes for 249 yards and two scores without an interception.

Surprisingly, the defense was a letdown against the Falcons. New Orleans allowed a big game from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan even though Atlanta didn’t have top wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The loss made New Orleans’ stay atop the NFC South a short one. It should serve as a reminder that while the Saints are a good team, the loss of Winston and absence of top wideout Michael Thomas leaves New Orleans with little margin for error offensively.

Things won’t get any easier. New Orleans faces the surging Tennessee Titans next week, and home dates with Buffalo and Dallas loom.

Yahoo - #11 (From #9)

I’d like to know why Sean Payton went with Trevor Siemian over Taysom Hill, a player he has forced into games for years. It seems too hard to believe that Payton bought into Siemian after watching the Saints play well and beat the Buccaneers; it’s not like Siemian was lights out. He was fine. Then on Sunday the Saints really struggled into the fourth quarter and a rally wasn’t enough to overcome it.

Sports Illustrated - #T-12 (From #14)

This was a season in which Sean Payton may have cemented his legacy as one of the game’s great coaches. Despite a slew of injuries and a high-profile quarterback retirement behind him, Payton and New Orleans are surging toward another playoff berth despite a carousel of passers. Dennis Allen’s work on the defensive side of the ball cannot be overstated.

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