"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."

That's Gayle Benson, two weeks ago at the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club meeting after a 1-4 start by the team she inherited from her husband eight years ago.

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After that stern talking to, the team she owned has won on the road, then collapsed again in a nationally televised "home" game in Paris.

You can point to the statistics that are signs that this team is heading in the wrong direction, or you can listen to people who have played for the Saints and have a history with the Black and Gold, like the Honey Badger.

Since the Sean Payton era ended in 2021, the Saints have had one winning season, Dennis Allen's second, a 9-8 record. Under the leadership of general manager Mickey Loomis and the coaching of Allen and now Kellen Moore, the team has

• recorded 29 victories in four-and-a-half seasons,
• not come close to approaching the playoffs in what most consider the weakest division in the NFL,
• had some wins and losses in the draft, including Chris Olave on one end and Trevor Penning on the other,

It is not knee-jerk to say this Saints franchise is not the well-oiled machine of the Drew Brees-Sean Payton era. Instead, it seems to be an organization that is searching for answers that they have yet to find.

While the man that put this team on the map is being successful in Denver, the man who quarterbacked said team to its only Super Bowl appearance and victory is making bold suggestions for the 2026 team to follow.

"I feel like it's been pretty predictable. First downs, lots of runs."

"I still haven't seen the Saints put together a good drive yet. I want to see tempo, I want to see play action, I want to see them taking shots, I want to see them being more aggressive. I think it's been way too conservative up to this point."

"You gotta have answers."

This is the Saints' bye week. It is typically when a team makes moves that help map its future for the season and sometimes beyond. And it comes at an opportune time with the NFL trade deadline less than two weeks away, so the team announced some bold moves this week.

• Re-signed offensive tackle Alan Herron to the practice squad
• Terminated the contract of practice squad wide out Kyrese Rowan

Status quo is where this Saints squad stands at this moment.

Moore said this week that he and his coaches will be "self scouting," looking at all aspects of the organization, instead of taking a bye week break.

His boss should be doing the same, following up on her promise. Because if nothing else is done besides moving a couple of pawns on this Saints chessboard, then the Cleveland Browns home game in a week-and-a-half will have Saints fans making the move toward checkmate.

Saints Mailbag

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