The New Orleans Saints head into Week 10 fresh off an overtime victory against the Cleveland Browns, improving to 3-5 on the season and moving into a tie for first place in the NFC South. New Orleans will have an opportunity to take sole possession of the division lead with a win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and could potentially have its RB1 back in the fold after recently welcoming back two of its young stars in rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

That said, the Saints still have plenty to figure out, as inconsistencies on both sides of the ball have plagued the team throughout the season. However, getting healthy at this point in the year should provide New Orleans with a much-needed boost as it looks to address those issues and potentially make a playoff push down the stretch.

Despite their up-and-down start to the season, the majority of major media outlets have New Orleans ranked among the league's bottom-20 teams, and rightfully so, given their recent momentum and position in the NFC South standings.

Here's a look at where the Saints stand in the latest Week 10 NFL power rankings.

Is Audric Estime the guy to energize a 26th-ranked run game? Sunday's 72-yard effort was the second best of his three-year career − and came six days after the Saints brought him back via a successful waiver claim.

It's clear there's no front-runner in the NFC South right now, and with a backloaded divisional schedule, the Saints' playoff chances might come down to Week 17 or Week 18 (versus the Buccaneers). It's a toss-up as to which game is more important, but Atlanta is the Saints' biggest rival and already beat them in humiliating fashion in primetime. New Orleans would badly like to turn the tables near the end of the season. -- Katherine Terrell

They beat the Browns on Sunday to get their third victory, which ties them for first place. They face a big one this week with Carolina. Can you believe that?

The Saints really needed that win over Cleveland coming out of their bye week, no matter how squeaky it was. They’ve now beaten the Browns and Giants — think of them as two mid-majors — over their last three games. And while the Saints haven’t looked great, they’ve got a golden opportunity to take a measure of control in the NFC South when they play the Panthers in New Orleans on Sunday. In a division where eight wins will likely be enough, every division game matters.

I do love that some Saints fans, amid the internet’s seedy underbelly, are taking Harold Fannin’s rumbling touchdown from Sunday as evidence of a choreographed phony and not—as they should—that the Saints just can’t tackle.

The Saints started 1-4, got close wins over the Giants and Browns (they needed to stop a 2-point conversion in overtime to beat the Browns, using backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders, at home) and all of a sudden New Orleans is tied for first place.

The Saints still haven't shown much, but they could end up being the best team in the division. Receiver Jordyn Tyson, the eighth overall draft pick, made his debut Sunday after recovering from a hamstring injury. He had just 30 yards but he will make an impact as the season goes on. Also, running back Travis Etienne Jr. will return at some point from a hamstring injury. Those two players can transform an offense that desperately needs playmakers other than Chris Olave. In a bad division, that might be enough to get the Saints to the top.

The New Orleans Saints came out of their bye with a more aggressive mindset.

New Orleans' defense generated pressure on nearly 48 percent of the Cleveland Browns' dropbacks Sunday, according to NFL Next Gen Stats (h/t Daniel Oyefusi). The Saints blitzed 45 percent of the time. Some of this approach is due to facing Shedeur Sanders after the quarterback made certain remarks during the practice week. But New Orleans also failed to close during multiple games this season. 

In fact, Cleveland nearly made a comeback during this latest outing. However, the Saints will be far better off by remaining aggressive to try and dictate terms after three one-score losses through the first eight games. -- Sobleski