Five questions before Week 10 vs. the Steelers

The Saints season has passed the halfway point and it has gone in a direction that no one expected. 3-6 is the worst 9-game start for the Saints since 2005. Saying it is a must-win week is an understatement. The New Orleans Saints need a win or changes will need to be made. But what are the biggest questions heading into Week 10?

1. Is Dennis Allen on the hot seat?

It is definitely getting warmer and warmer. His catchphrase has become “another bad day at the office”, but how many more bad days at the office can the Saints have before it's someone’s last. I think we are getting close. Especially against a struggling Steelers team, this week needs to be a win.

2. Should Jameis Winston get another shot?

Absolutely. Dalton has shown flashes of potential in the Saints' offense but those have come and gone. The point of starting Dalton has been because of his calming influence and lack of turnovers. But as of late, we haven’t seen both of those aspects to be particularly strong. If Dalton continues to struggle, Winston deserves a 2nd chance.

3. What’s going on with all the injuries?

Most of the big injuries have been soft tissue injuries that just happen when you play football. The Saints have been extremely unlucky these past couple of seasons in terms of health. The Saints' medical staff has been under a lot of fire with a lot of recent injuries. It has also raised the question of why the Saints haven't placed some of these injured players on injured reserve.

4. Do the Saints still have a shot at the playoffs?

The Saints are 3-6 and still are somehow still in the NFC South race. The Saints still play each NFC South opponent near the end of the season, so the season will be decided within those games. If the Saints can sweep those games or even go 2-1, they would have a chance to win the division. But as of now, it is not looking great.

5. Is Sean Payton a lock to return to coaching?

Most Saints fans are rooting for Sean Payton to return to coaching, and it is looking like a high probability. Only time will tell if he actually does return, but it seems like there is a new clip of him flirting with a comeback every week. In this week's Manning Cast, Sean Payton was a guest and he said he is looking forward to being a “free agent at the same time as [Lamar Jackson]”. Now obviously Sean Payton isn't a free agent, so he will get some say in where he goes but an interesting quote regardless.

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