Will Saints' Soul-Searching Pay Off?

The Saints were given some days off following their loss to the Cardinals. They're back at it on Monday, so will the time away help them deliver a different results?

The NFC South is a mess, which means the Saints are still very much in the hunt. The division is reminiscent of the NFC East from not so long ago. Things are just pretty bad all around. Naturally, lots of rumors are starting to swirl about Saints players and their futures, but they are just those right now. It's hard to imagine New Orleans trading anyone if they still have a shot to make something of their season. Of course, it's worth noting that the NFL's trade deadline is quickly approaching on Nov. 1.

The hope here is that the Saints get healthy enough to string together something over the next several games. That seems to be the glue that's holding things together right now. That optimistic attitude coupled with the locker room still believing they can get this thing fixed is encouraging, but ultimately actions and results are going to speak louder than words.

We talked about the time running out for the team to fix their season, and the Saints don't have the luxury of looking ahead on the schedule or dwelling on the past. If they want to get back into this thing, they're going to have to start with a win at home against the Raiders on Sunday. At this point, they're going to have to win the division to get into the postseason.

Perhaps the impassioned Alvin Kamara locker room speech following the loss to the Cardinals gets things going in the right direction and got some players do some soul-searching. After all, Dennis Allen did give the team off a few days, and they're back at things on Monday. That didn't go over well for a good bit of fans. We won't know for certain if Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Marshon Lattimore will be back in the mix until practice on Wednesday, but again, the optimism is there for at least Thomas and Lattimore.

The biggest question on everyone's mind is what if it doesn't work? Where do things go from there? Could the Saints blow it up and move into a rebuilding mode? Would Dennis Allen be on the hot seat?

Embracing a rebuild would certainly goes against the team's M.O., but there are going to be tougher questions to ask if they can't get a win on Sunday with all the key pieces back in place. In essence, there's no other excuses to make. No one really thought the Saints would be in this space. They could just as easily be on the winning side of things right now as it could also be way worse.

Regardless of who the Saints turn to at quarterback on Sunday, the only thing that matters is winning. We haven't seen the full effects of what Jameis Winston can bring to the table, and Andy Dalton has been able to at least help form an identity. It's a tough call right now, but if Winston doesn't start, we're under the belief that it's because he's not totally healthy, although he says he's getting there.

A win won't fix everything for the Saints on Sunday, but it certainly could turn the tide. Whether you're a skeptic, critic, or supporter, you're going to find out one way or another what New Orleans is really made of this week.

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