The New Orleans Saints opened the 2026 season with a promising two-game start in which they fought back from a 21-0 deficit against the Detroit Lions to force overtime and defeated the Baltimore Ravens on the road. But since then, they have lost three consecutive games and dropped the last two by double digits. That stretch of football did not sit well with owner Gayle Benson.
Speaking at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club on Tuesday, Benson lit a fire under the team when she expressed her disappointment with the 1-4 start.
"That is not acceptable to me, and it falls short of what our fans truly deserve," Benson said. "I hear the frustration directed toward our team and our organization. It is not lost on me. Our fans invest their time, their money and their hearts in the Saints. They are right to expect more than we have delivered.
"As an owner, the responsibility does start with me. 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. Words will not restore our fans' confidence; our performance must do that."
The first two losses aged poorly, as the Lions went on to lose two of their next three games following the overtime thriller and the Las Vegas Raiders dropped both of their two ensuing contests. The third loss stung particularly hard because it came by 21 points to a division rival, the Atlanta Falcons, on the day the Saints celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the Superdome's reopening, no less.
The most recent defeat was perhaps the most frustrating yet, because the typically prolific passing attack fell silent in a game where the defense played some of its best football of the young season. Quarterback Tyler Shough passed for a season-low 96 yards against the Minnesota Vikings and their stout defense after crossing the 250-yard threshold in each of his previous four outings.
If there is anything to build upon, it would be the seven-point win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. That generated no momentum in the moment, though.
"Our obligation to deliver better football remains very clear," Benson said. "To the coaches here today, you all know what leadership requires when your team struggles. You confront the problems, make corrections and hold yourself to the same standard you demand of others. That is what I expect throughout our organization."
Following a promising final stretch of the 2025 season in which New Orleans won four of its final five games, it appeared as though then-first-year coach Kellen Moore was turning a corner. His offensive prowess carried over into 2026, but the wins did not. The Saints rank 16th in scoring (up from 28th a year ago) and 20th in yards (up from 23rd) but stand in a tie for third place in a wide-open NFC South, which they entered the year with hopes of winning.
The Saints are now on pace to finish Year 2 of the Moore era with a worse record than in Year 1.
"To our fans, I hear you very loudly," Benson said. "I understand your disappointment, and I share your determination to see this team succeed. Your support deserves a response you can see on the field. We cannot change the results of our first five games. We are responsible for what we do next. I expect better, our fans deserve better, and I am determined to see that we do it for them."
