NFL Week 9: The Saints Risk Alienating Fans By Not Sending a Clear Message

The Saints keep losing, and they're going to lose more if they don't send a clear message soon.

Nov 3, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (30) spikes the ball after scoring against the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

CHARLOTTE -- The Saints' powers that be don't have much of a leg to stand on anymore after the team's latest blunder. Honestly, they can't come back from this. This is unfamiliar territory, but not necessarily uncharted territory for New Orleans. It's borderline comical how they keep finding these new ways to lose football games, and now we wait to see what happens over the next 24 hours, if anything.

Put aside all of that for the moment and just look at this as a 2-7 team who has lost seven straight games. Those business results get coaches fired in today's NFL. It's always been a 'what have you done for me lately' type of league, and the results on the field aren't there for the Saints. How can they continue to justify what's being sold to them?

Dennis Allen is now 18-25 as the Saints head coach and 26-53 in his career. That's winning 33% of the games overall, and now just 41.9% of the games with New Orleans. If the Saints don't take action, then they risk alienating their fanbase more than what they have already done. They've been fed up. Fans have expressed their displeasure with how things are going. Shoot, even the coaches and players have acknowledged the fan frustration. But it's become commonplace and it shouldn't any longer.

Fan attendance will plummet in the Superdome, regardless of what happens over the next 24 hours. Maybe the Falcons coming into New Orleans and taking over the place might actually wake some people up. The Saints are about to make a big home stand, having three straight home games. Fans I've talked to have already sold off tickets or are planning to. That's where we are it. How have we got to this point?

The Saints fans are proud and passionate, and they have every reason to be. They're proud because of what they have faced and what they have overcome to be in New Orleans. People literally had to rebuild from scratch. At the time, so did the Saints way back when. Something beautiful was being built and then it's become rundown, old and decrepit. The joy and passion has been sucked out of them, and they just want to know that they're seen.

It's been said multiple times: If you love New Orleans, it'll love you back. Right now, there's not much love for their football team, and in a lot of ways, it's been their own doing that has got them there.