Why are the Saints out of the playoffs? Exploring 3 turning points in New Orleans' 2024 season

The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New York Giants in Week 16, eliminating the New Orleans Saints from NFL postseason contention. New Orleans went on to lose 34-0 to the Green Bay Packers later that week.

The team has now missed out on postseason qualification for the fourth consecutive season. New Orleans has not advanced to the playoffs since the final season of legendary quarterback Drew Brees in 2020.

In addition, this is the longest playoff absence for New Orleans since its four-year postseason drought from 2002 to 2005.

Here's a look at three reasons the New Orleans Saints won't be playing postseason football in mid-January.

Why are the New Orleans Saints out of the playoffs?

#1, Seven-game losing streak from Week 3 to Week 9

The New Orleans Saints were off to a great start after beating the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys handily in their opening two games of the season. However, the team had a devastating collapse following the second game, losing seven straight games for the first time since 1999.

New Orleans coach Dennis Allen was fired early in November after the Saints suffered their seventh straight defeat, a 23-22 loss to the struggling Panthers, whom New Orleans thrashed 47-10 in its season opener. Darren Rizzi, who served as the special teams coordinator, was then promoted to interim head coach for the rest of the season.

#2, Injuries to key players

Injury issues to key starters are one of the many reasons why the Saints, a team that appeared so promising following landslide wins in Weeks 1 and 2, fell off dramatically.

Since Week 3, New Orleans’ starting lineup has been seriously marred by injuries, especially on offense. The team was impacted not only by the number of injuries they sustained but also by the players who sustained those injuries.

Among those injured were three offensive mainstays: quarterback Derek Carr, center Erik McCoy and versatile tight end Taysom Hill. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the team's top two receivers, were also sidelined at some point, and right guard Cesar Ruiz missed time due to a knee injury.

These players are essential to the team, and many teams in the league — if not all of them — would struggle with similar injury issues.

#3, Defensive inconsistency

The defense's decline has been one of the most displeasing aspects of the New Orleans Saints, which is surprising considering that the defense was always strong in previous years, even when other parts of the team were merely subpar.

The defense has struggled, particularly in stopping the opposition's running game. In games against the Philadelphia Eagles (172 rushing yards), Kansas City Chiefs (139), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (277), Denver Broncos (225), Atlanta Falcons (181) and Los Angeles Rams (156), among others, the team demonstrated its weakness in rushing defense.

Most opponents have outlasted and pressured this Saints defense, so the team's main objective this offseason must be to address this problem.