Saints Record 2024: A Season That Tested New Orleans and Revealed What Comes Next

The New Orleans Saints entered the 2024 season with ambition. A veteran core, young talent pushing for bigger roles, and a division that looked winnable on paper. But football has a way of reminding every team that potential doesn’t always translate into consistency. By the end of the year, the Saints were left with a 5–12 record, a handful of hard lessons, a few bright spots that deserved more attention, and enough turning points to analyze for months.

Even in tough seasons, there’s always something worth examining closely. New Orleans had stretches of grit and moments where they looked like a team ready to break through. They also had long spells where execution slipped at the worst times. Understanding the 2024 record means taking everything together — the highs, the lows, and the parts that quietly shaped the entire campaign.

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1. A Clear Snapshot of the 2024 Record

The Saints finished 2024 with a 5–12 record and landed at the bottom of the NFC South. They scored 338 points, allowed 398, and struggled to dominate any one phase of the game for long stretches. Some losses were lopsided. Others were frustratingly close. Those one-score games matter, and they tell you more about a season’s DNA than the final record ever could.

The team wasn’t blown out of most contests. They hung around in many. But hanging around doesn’t move you up the standings. It was a year where the margin between winning and losing consistently tilted the wrong way.

2. The Season’s Flow: Momentum Without Consistency

From Week 1 to Week 18, New Orleans rode a rhythm that felt almost seasonal. One week, the defense punched above its weight and kept opponents in check. The next week, the offense found openings through the air or on the ground but couldn’t string enough drives together. The challenge wasn’t effort — the team absolutely competed — but rather the timing of execution.

There were drives that looked beautifully coordinated, only to be followed by long droughts. There were defensive stands that kept the Saints in games, only to be undone by short fields or stalled offensive possessions. It was a year that showed potential in flashes but demanded the utmost discipline that never fully took hold.

This inconsistency didn’t make the season predictable; if anything, it created a unique uncertainty around every game. Fans went in hopeful because the team showed just enough to keep hope alive. But football rewards the teams that ensure reliability, and that’s where New Orleans struggled the most.

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3. What Actually Went Right in 2024

It’s easy to look at 5–12 and assume everything fell apart. That wasn’t the case.

Promising defensive stretches

Several games featured a defense that refused to break, even with tough field position. Pressure packages showed real bite. The red-zone unit — at times — made critical stops that kept New Orleans within striking distance.

Young players taking steps forward

A few younger contributors seized meaningful snaps. Their growth didn’t always lead to wins, but it showed signs of the future foundation. Development isn’t glamorous, but it shapes where a team heads next.

Competitive edge in tight games

The Saints weren’t outclassed weekly. They lost multiple one-score games. That doesn’t excuse the losses, but it signals that the roster wasn’t far off from flipping those results.

These positives didn’t define the full season, but they mattered enough to keep the campaign from feeling directionless.

4. What Went Wrong: Issues That Shaped the 5–12 Finish

While the Saints did have bright spots, the problems were substantial enough to tilt the season downward.

Offensive rhythm never settled

The offense struggled to maintain consistent momentum. When drives extended, they looked sharp. But too often, series stalled quickly, especially when penalties or pressure disrupted timing. Sustained rhythm is the lifeblood of every offense, and the Saints didn’t generate enough of it.

Red-zone struggles

Scoring opportunities slipped away. Field goals replaced touchdowns far too often. Losing five or six potential points in tight contests adds up quickly.

Receiver availability and spacing issues

The receiver group saw weeks of instability. Without reliable spacing and healthy contributors, timing became harder. That affected play calling and decision-making from top to bottom.

Momentum swings that hurt badly

The Saints had quarters where they looked like a playoff-level team — and quarters that erased that confidence instantly. Football is about stacking good plays. The team couldn’t ensure long enough stretches of mistake-free football.

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5. How the Season Unfolded: A Condensed Walkthrough

Breaking the year into four chapters gives a better sense of how the record developed:

Weeks 1–4: Early optimism with cracks beneath the surface

New Orleans opened the season with enough promising moments to keep expectations alive. The defense looked sharp. The offense showed flashes. But inconsistency crept in quickly, and a few missed opportunities hinted at what was coming.

Weeks 5–8: Troubles compound

Turnovers, stalled drives, and missed red-zone chances began piling up. The team didn’t lose identity, but the cracks widened. Competitive games slipped away by slim margins.

Weeks 9–12: The season’s emotional midpoint

These were defining weeks. Execution dipped, and the Saints struggled to deliver a full four-quarter performance. Depth issues emerged. The margin for error grew tiny. Opponents capitalized on small mistakes New Orleans couldn’t overcome.

Weeks 13–18: Fighting through the finish

Even when the playoffs were out of reach, the Saints played hard. They stayed competitive, showed effort, and continued to lean on younger players. But competitive isn’t the same as victorious, and the final stretch reflected that.

6. Moments That Defined the 2024 Season

Every season has pivot points. For New Orleans, several stood out:

– Injuries and lineup shuffling

– Losses in winnable matchups

– Depth pushed further than planned

– High-pressure moments that slipped away

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7. Player Performance Breakdown: A Year of Mixed Outcomes

Quarterback play

The quarterback position saw a blend of strong moments and stretches where timing didn’t align. Pressure disrupted rhythm at critical times.

Ground game

When the Saints controlled tempo and managed down-and-distance, the run game had real impact. But game scripts often forced them into pass-heavy sequences.

Pass rush

The defensive front provided pressure in several games, creating disruptions and forcing quarterbacks into quick decisions.

Secondary performance

Coverage had weeks of strong resilience and weeks where communication lapses created openings.

The roster had talent — enough to stay competitive — but the collective execution needed more stability.

8. A Full Look at the Stats: What the Numbers Say

Points Scored: 338

Points Allowed: 398

Point Differential: –60

Red-Zone Efficiency: A major weakness

Divisional Record: Below expectations

These numbers reveal a team that hovered within striking distance but rarely controlled full games.

9. How the 2024 Season Set the Stage for 2025’s Early Struggles

The patterns from 2024 carried into 2025.

By Week 12 of the 2025 season, New Orleans sat at 2–9 and was officially eliminated from playoff contention. Their two wins came against the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.

Additional context:

– Tyler Shough stepped in at QB and provided a mild spark

– Rashid Shaheed’s trade impacted spacing

– A 24–10 loss to the Falcons underscored ongoing issues

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10. What New Orleans Can Take Away From 2024

– Close games define everything

– Consistency must rise above flashes

– Depth needs strengthening

– Momentum management is essential

These takeaways form the blueprint for improvement.

11. A Season That Revealed More Than the Record

No team aims for 5–12. But even in challenging seasons, there’s value in what remains. The Saints played with pride, stayed competitive, and left behind enough glimpses of promise to spark the right conversations.

Improvement rarely starts with comfort. It starts with truth. And the truth from 2024 provides the insight needed to build upward.

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