Where do Atlanta Falcons fall in NFC South rankings after week five?
By Nick Halden
3. New Orleans Saints
The Saints may have the same record as the Falcons and be only a game behind the surprising Bucs but don't be fooled. This is a Saints offense that has struggled and a defense that is due for a healthy level of regression. Derek Carr has already shown the reasons why the Raiders wanted to move on and the Saints offense rarely all seems to be on the same page.
New Orleans has been solid on defense but clearly is an aging team that is going to be forced to rebuild soon. The Saints have been putting off a rebuild since Drew Brees walked away and that will catch up to them. In a terrible cap situation in the years ahead and with few young building blocks on the roster it is going to be another year of being average for this team.
Yes, it appears they can hang in the wildcard and division race but even if they managed to get into a playoff spot this isn't a team capable of competing for anything meaningful. New Orleans best path remains to blow it all up and attempt to build another long-term contender.