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New Orleans Saints: Despite huge loss, there is still hope

By Rebecca Mills

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints fumbles the ball while being sacked by Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 14, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Max Unger #60 of the New Orleans Saints recovered the ball on the play. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints fumbles the ball while being sacked by Everson Griffen #97 of the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 14, 2018 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Max Unger #60 of the New Orleans Saints recovered the ball on the play. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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After a shocking loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints should still have hope for the upcoming 2018 season.

Heartbreaking is an understatement to describe the New Orleans Saints game-ending loss to the Minnesota Vikings. After playing dynamically in the last two quarters, the team lost on a blown tackle and the rest is essentially history. For Saints fans though, it’s a memory they’ll never forget. Even so, there’s still some hope in the wake of the loss.

What really stood out was the team’s ability to overcome adversity. At halftime, the Saints were down by 17 points and rallied to go ahead. There were a few mistakes before the final one, but the team managed to come together when necessary.

A lot of credit goes to both Drew Brees for rallying the offense and Cameron Jordan for rallying the defense. Heading into the second half, Alvin Kamara was able to execute some much-needed runs and wear the Vikings down a little bit. Kamara was an incredibly bright spot in the regular season and their postseason run.

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Kamara is easily a lock for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. He also notched a touchdown against the Vikings. He has yet to truly meet his equal when it comes to offensive rookies this season. Kamara’s legacy in New Orleans is just getting started and that’s something to be hopeful about.

Despite the missed opportunity by Marcus Williams, there’s still a lot of hope around the Saints defense. From worst to one of the top units, the Saints D completely turned it around. Cameron Jordan is finally getting the credit he deserves and they have some young talent to carry them into next season.

The Saints also had an incredible draft class this year. Their first-round-pick, Marshon Lattimore, has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best and held his own. Ryan Ramczyk played in all 16 games this regular season, too. Even with his faux pas, Williams has been dynamic Add in Kamara, Alex Anzalone, Trey Hendrickson and Al-Quadin Muhammad, the Saints had an incredibly productive class.

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Obviously, the sting of the loss is still there. It will be for a while, but considering where they started, it’s hard not to be proud. The Saints have overcome a lot of adversity and made this season into a success. They might not be stamping their ticket to the Superbowl yet, but it will come soon enough.

Here’s to another productive offseason, an NFC South championship and another winning season in 2018!

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