Here’s where the New Orleans Saints rank within the five major power rankings after their (much needed) bye week.
NFL.com -15 (+1)
“Your NFC South leaders are a curious lot. On paper, the Saints look pretty good — and maybe the most likely team to finish first. But they’re also surprisingly underwhelming compared to other contenders. New Orleans’ wins have come against Ryan Tannehill (injured/benched), Bryce Young (struggling rookie), Mac Jones (benched? benchable?), Gardner Minshew (backup/lower-end starter) and Tyson Bagent (undrafted rookie backup). If the defense isn’t quite as good as we thought — especially against the run — maybe the Saints can crank up a passing game that should be better.