Saints power rankings: Week 11

The New Orleans Saints have now dropped two in a row after a shutout victory in Week 9 that looked like a turning point. That game against the Raiders seems like an eternity away now, as the Saints sit at 3-7, tied for the worst record in the NFC. A quarterback change may be in our future as well, as Andy Dalton has struggled in the last two games, leading the offense to just 23 total points. Two straight losses and a 3-7 record likely mean the Saints will now be near the bottom of the barrel in most power rankings across the league.

ESPN - #24 (From #21)

Who was on the hot seat in preseason: QB Jameis Winston

Temperature of seat right now: Hot

Jameis Winston was injured in Week 1, and the team sat him in favor of Andy Dalton in Week 4 after Winston’s several failed attempts to play through it. But with the team’s record in free fall and two straight weeks of offensive struggles, it doesn’t seem out of the question that Winston could play again this season. For now, Winston is in limbo, both for 2022 and his future in New Orleans beyond this season. — Katherine Terrell

USA Today - #29 (From #21)

Seems like an overdue quarterback change is coming for a team that’s lost four of five.

CBS - #24 (From #20)

They are one of the flops of the season. They looked like a playoff team in August and now they are in survival mode.

Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

NFL - #23 (From #20)

The Saints are not a very good team right now. We were reminded of that again on Sunday in Pittsburgh, where New Orleans struggled to run the football, make dynamic plays in the passing game or avoid self-inflicted errors in a 20-10 loss to the Steelers. The drumbeat will begin to grow louder for the return of Jameis Winston, though it’s hard to say how much of a difference the quarterback can make behind a beat-up offensive line. Said Dennis Allen: “There’s just a lot of different areas that we’ve got to improve on.” It’s fair to wonder if Allen’s job could be in danger if New Orleans doesn’t get better down the stretch.

Bleacher Report - #29 (From #20)

Not that long ago, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen was adamant that Andy Dalton was the team’s quarterback. However. After Dalton struggled mightily against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Allen wasn’t quite so emphatic.

‘’I know we’re all looking for answers there, but I’m not going to go there right now,’’ Allen told reporters. ‘’We’ll evaluate where we’re at, and we’ll have a plan for the upcoming week.’’

For his part, Dalton was the first to admit he and the Saints didn’t play well in Pittsburgh.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t make enough plays,’’ Dalton said. ‘’That’s what it came down to. We weren’t able to sustain drives, and that led to us not scoring enough points.’’

The question becomes what (if anything) the Saints can really do about it. The offense didn’t look any better under Jameis Winston, and he was even more prone to turning the ball over than Dalton. The reality is that whoever the Saints roll out under center is going to be more liability than asset.

And in the 21st century NFL, it’s next to impossible win with any consistency if you have to overcome poor QB play on a weekly basis.

PFT - #29 (From #24)

Why isn’t Taysom Hill the starting quarterback?

Sporting News - #26 (From #20)

The Saints have seen the offensive wheels come off as they have hit the wall with Andy Dalton starting at quarterback. Just as concerning is the run defense downfall under Dennis Allen.

Average ranking: 26

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