Streak Gives Saints Hope

By Jim Gazzolo

The expected disaster has been averted in New Orleans.

A season with little expected has given hope to the Saints and their fans.

While there is no miracle run toward the playoffs, this season has not been lost as many predicted.

If fact, the light at the end of this dark rebuilding tunnel is growing brighter with each passing week.

The Saints finished the home portion of their schedule last Sunday by thumping the New York Jets 29-6. It was a well-rounded performance by a team that has not mailed the second half of its season despite a dismal start.

The victory was the third straight for the Saints, who began the year looking like one of the worst teams in professional football. 

At 5-10, the Saints have survived an ugly beginning, one that saw them win just twice in their first dozen games. All this under a first-time head coach, Kellen Moore, who seems to be more prepared each week.

“We talked about making December football meaningful and I feel our guys have jumped on that opportunity,” said Moore. “To win a few down the stretch here, it’s really, really special. We are focused and creating better habits.”

Most promising has been the continued improvement play of quarterback Tyler Shough. The rookie from Louisville had a big day against the Jets.

Shough finished 32 of 49 for a career-high 308 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over as he took what the defense gave him. 

And the Jets' defense gives quarterbacks a lot. 

Since taking over the starting job, Shough has shown signs that he could be a solid quarterback. Whether he is a franchise-type QB remains to be determined, but his play has given the Saints some hope that their rebuild is headed in the right direction. 

This season was never about wins and losses but rather growth and education for the Saints. It was important to see the players they have get better, especially the young guys they want to build around. It was also important that the coaching staff and management find out what the Saints still need.

That is the only way the organization can determine what direction it needs to go in during the offseason.

“We are just having fun,” said Shough. “We all understand that how we finish is the character of this team.”

With two games remaining, the Saints play at Tennessee and at Atlanta, two suddenly winnable football games. It would be a real feather in the team’s helmets to put together five straight victories to close out the year. That would give the Saints real momentum and confidence heading into next season.

It would also mean they won all three games against their division rivals over that stretch. With a few added pieces to the puzzle, New Orleans could contend for a title in the very weak NFC South as early as next year. 

The team will have money to spend in free agency and is still in line for a decent draft pick or two. 

Back as recently as Thanksgiving, all that would have been hard to imagine. Now it seems possible.

Really, that’s more than most Saints’ fans expected this season, but now at least they do have hope.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which airs weekly on CBS Lake Charles.