NFL power rankings have never felt more useless than they seem to be right now. Sure, they’ve never really mattered — standings aren’t impacted by them, and most teams don’t have time to even give them a glance for bulletin board material. It’s just filler to pad out the time between games and newsworthy roster moves.
Still, it’s baffling to see the New Orleans Saints spoken of so highly only to drop in these rankings. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, for example, lauded the job Sean Payton has done coaching his team on the road for a month and beating Bill Belichick’s Patriots in New England this weekend — only to drop the Saints a spot, contradicting his own writeup. This is a common theme throughout the NFL media landscape. See for yourself:
Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports: 12
Last week: 15
“How unfamiliar is New Orleans amid a 2-1 start? Not one player is averaging even four catches or 40 receiving yards per game.”
Nick Wojton, Touchdown Wire: 12
Last week: 17
“The jury is still out on Jameis Winston a bit. He wasn’t asked to do a ton once again against the Patriots, but a win and two touchdown passes in New England is a good day at the office.”
Dan Hanzus, NFL.com: 18
Last week: 19
“For a decade and a half, the Saints’ greatest strength was obvious: Put the ball in Drew Brees‘ hands and let him go to work. The legendary quarterback has moved to the broadcast booth, leaving Sean Payton to find a new identity for the current Saints. In two of the three weeks this season (the first rule of the 2021 New Orleans Saints: don’t talk about the Panthers game), the focal point has been a defense that rattles quarterbacks and sets the tone. We saw that on Sunday, a 28-13 win that featured three Mac Jones interceptions, including a Malcolm Jenkins pick-six. After an endless road trip prompted by Hurricane Ida, the Saints are ready for a joyful homecoming against the winless Giants.”
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 15
Last week: 18
“In the Saints’ two wins, Jameis Winston has seven touchdown passes but just 276 total yards. Seems sustainable.”
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 14
Last week: 13
“Winning at New England is a testament to Sean Payton as a coach. They had a lot to deal with to open this season, yet they are still 2-1. Impressive.”
Greg Bishop, SI.com: 18
Last week: 18
“New Orleans is another team that could be higher. I believe that Jameis Winston will improve, particularly with his accuracy, under Sean Payton. I could see the Saints in the playoff mix. But I just don’t see enough overall firepower there.”
Bleacher Report, NFL Staff: 15
Last week: 19
“Three weeks into the 2021 season, there isn’t a harder team to gauge than the New Orleans Saints.
In Week 1, the Saints blasted the Packers in Jacksonville. New Orleans followed that up by getting waxed by the Carolina Panthers. In Week 3, it was back to the blasting, with a decisive win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium spurred by big plays on defense and special teams.
There’s a theme running through all three games. If Saints quarterback Jameis Winston plays a clean game, New Orleans wins. If he turns the ball over, not so much.
However, while Winston didn’t throw a pick against the Pats, it wasn’t for lack of trying. The first overall pick in the 2015 draft made a number of questionable decisions with the ball in Week 3, and one of his touchdown passes was thrown up for grabs, and fortuantely for him, Marquez Callaway came down with it.”
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