2018 NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Eagles earn tough win in Carson Wentz’s return
By Dan Parzych
8. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints know that every contest against the Atlanta Falcons always has the potential to go right down to the wire, and seeing how Sunday’s game went into overtime backs up that statement, as Sean Payton’s team should be thrilled for escaping with a win. Even though there’s still plenty of football remaining, the NFC South is already showing signs of being the toughest division in the NFL, meaning every win is going to be extremely important for all teams.
When considering the Saints already lost their first game of the year to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another loss within the division to the Falcons would have put the team in a tough position. Finishing Atlanta off in overtime may not have been the preference for New Orleans, but the team will take a win in any way possible, even if it involves two rushing touchdowns by Drew Brees.
As for the defense, the Saints better figure out what’s going on with their unit when looking at how much of a difference things are from last season after seeing all of the points this team has given up in three weeks. Defense was a main reason behind the success of New Orleans throughout the 2017 season, and it would be a shame to see them return to the struggling unit from a few years ago, but hopefully this won’t be that much of an issue.