Saints Slip-Sliding Away in the NFC South

It could be said that the New Orleans Saints are no longer dominant and haven’t been for nearly 4 years; but it seems that at least in the NFC South, their return to eventual prominence will be a painstakingly uncertain climb.

For years the Saints exercised their will on division rivals like the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers while scrapping it out with the Atlanta Falcons like two siblings over who was king of the hill.

But now that page has turned and the two castaways in the NFC South have written a new chapter that could be the bedtime story for New Orleans.

Starting the 2015 season, the Saints had hoped to take care of the Falcons in an impressive fashion while quieting the hype of the Panthers and feasting on a rookie quarterback that was allegedly a joke with the Buccaneers Jameis Winston.

Oct 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) loses the ball when hit by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) in the fourth quarter of their game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints won, 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

While they did have a convincing win over the then undefeated Falcons, the Saints were merely a quick stop on the Panthers hype train and Winston was the one who left the Mercedes-Benz Superdome laughing.

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Speaking of laughing, I tend to break into a chuckle with some saying that New Orleans will come out with a victory over the Panthers in just a few weeks although it is a home game for the Saints.

On second thought it really doesn’t make a difference if it’s a home game or not…Titans anyone?

The same can equally be said for upcoming road games against the Bucs (December 13th) and Falcons (January 3rd), so if you think the Saints will march to a sure victory then please prepare yourself because with this current team nothing is a given.

Currently, the Panthers are still undefeated after beating the brakes off of the Washington Redskins 44-16; the same Redskins team who just handed the Saints one of their worst defeats in recent memory with a similar score last week (47-14).

Carolina who was once at the bottom of the NFC South will more than likely claim their third straight NFC South championship title and playoff appearance in a row — and all while setting a new standard for the division and likely the NFL itself.

The Falcons, who just lost to the Indianapolis Colts, are behind the Panthers at 6-4 with the Buccaneers trouncing the Philadelphia Eagles to bump them to 5-5 for the season as they try to catch Atlanta for a piece of the pie.

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; New Orleans Saints players pause for a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France prior to their game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile the Saints sit at 4-6 and now in LAST place in the division, with an outlook on the remainder of the season that once was promising that now looks anything but.

If anything, the Saints’ once mighty grip upon the NFC South, is slip-sliding way.

"Slip slidin’ away Slip slidin’ away You know the nearer your destination The more you’re slip slidin’ awayPaul Simon (with the Oak Ridge Boys), 1977"

Regardless if Saints fans want to admit it or not, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton looks more imposing every week and Winston seems to be steadily improving as both of them threw for five, yes five, touchdowns a piece on Sunday.

Nov 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) throws the ball as Washington Redskins outside linebacker Trent Murphy (93) defends during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Another thing that will likely be equally frustrating for Who Dats is that this scenario probably won’t change for next season, or possibly even the season after that.

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To add to the recent struggles of the team, tack on looming questions about the future of two names that helped bring the franchise back to prominence in head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees.

Payton’s name has been associated with reports that he may be looking for a way out of New Orleans to another team like the Miami Dolphins or Indianapolis Colts to name a few.

These reports have been shrugged off by both Payton and the fanbase, but local writers that cover the Saints like NOLA.com’s Larry Holder suggested that there could be some validity to it since they’re coming from reputable sources such as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and not out of thin air.

While nothing is concrete, the theory has been put out there by several that Payton will see how this season pans out and get a direction of the team before arriving at that decision when his contract expires at the end of the 2017 season.

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton answers questions during the post game press conference after an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Brees is another matter all together since he is locked into the team for next year which is the final of his current contract.

Conventional wisdom at the beginning of this season said that the Saints would offer Brees an extension during this offseason to prolong his tenure in New Orleans at least a few more years.

But even that is not assured as injuries have been a factor for Brees in 2014 and arguably several games this season leading to more questions about durability rather than the original “arm strength” debate.

Nov 8, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Garrett Grayson (18) before a game against the Tennessee Titans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The drafting of Garrett Grayson this year only accelerated the notion that the team was already preparing to let Brees ride into the sunset in the next few years.

While change is good, the departure of both Payton and Brees would bring to the forefront the future stability of the team which would mean a brand new staff if Payton were to depart.

Ohhh Joe Vitt and Bill Johnson we knew ye not well…

That would then raise the huge question of who exactly the Saints would bring in as a head coach and also if he would be willing to accept Grayson as the crowned heir apparent.

While the decline of the Saints’ division dominance may be a bitter pill to swallow, no spoonful of sugar is going to help that medicine go down any easier — as the window for success slowly begins to close shut.

It would appear that the Saints’ once mighty grip upon the NFC South, is slip-sliding way…..