New Orleans Saints Feel the Pressure After Abysmal Start

The New Orleans Saints are off to about the worst start one could have reasonably expected in 2026. The Saints are 1-4 after an offseason of expectations led many to believe they could go from worst to first place in the NFC South.

The pressure is being felt, and perhaps being applied, by the Saints organization after the unsuccessful start to the year. Saints' owner Gayle Benson's comments have dominated the New Orleans news cycle for the last couple of days.

She made the following comments on the team's poor start to the year.

“I will not make excuses, and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard. I am committed to making the decisions necessary to improve this team. Everyone in this organization understands the urgency. We must prepare better, execute consistently and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games.

Everyone in this organization understands the urgency. We must prepare better, execute consistently and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games. Words will not restore our fans’ confidence. Our performance must do better.

Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform. Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success. Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution. I am responsible for holding this organization accountable.”

The words were strong but reflect how Benson appears to feel about the first five games. This level of play won't cut it, and Benson is not letting the Saints feel at ease based on the way they have started the year.

How the players respond to the comments is still to be seen, but the comments are out there and indicate players will be held accountable for how they play, as will coaches for how they coach.

Some of the Saints' issues involve luck. The ball has not always bounced New Orleans' way. The problem is how often bad bounces have been induced by the Saints.

New Orleans did not protect the football in a 23-13 loss to the Vikings. They squandered points with a missed extra point on special teams and gave Minnesota more points with turnovers. The players know those mistakes are not acceptable.

The next test for New Orleans is getting back in the win column against the New York Giants. They will hope to bring a better performance this weekend and secure an elusive second win of the year.