NEW ORLEANS (AP) \u2014 When the New Orleans Saints last played at home in the Superdome, the price of some seats being re-sold online dropped to $16 \u2014 about the same as a beer in the stadium.<\/p>\n
The relative lack of demand to see the Saints play was evident back when the NFL\u2019s regular-season schedule came out last May and New Orleans was not selected for any nationally televised night games.<\/p>\n
The Saints (2-8) haven\u2019t made the playoffs since a run of four straight postseason appearances that ended in 2020, and there would not appear to be any high-stakes home dates left this season, either.<\/p>\n
New Orleans entered its Week 11 bye tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the NFC.<\/p>\n
The good news for rookie coach Kellen Moore, as he manages what has become a wholesale rebuilding project, is that player morale appears healthy \u2014 particularly after a convincing\u00a017-7 victory over the improved Panthers\u00a0at Carolina last Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy this group. I enjoy this team,\u201d said cornerback Alontae Taylor, who wondered whether he might be dealt before the NFL\u2019s Nov. 4 trade deadline. \u201cI know we\u2019re in a rough patch right now, but I love going to work with these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
His response to learning last week that he\u2019d remain with New Orleans this season was to make a tackle for a loss on a key third-down play last Sunday before making his first interception of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad to be here, super excited to finish out this season,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After winning a Super Bowl as Philadelphia\u2019s offensive coordinator last season, Moore elected to take his first head coaching job with a franchise that looked destined for a challenging rebuild.<\/p>\n
The Saints\u2019 5-12 record in 2024 was their worst since 2005. Then veteran\u00a0QB Derek Carr retired unexpectedly\u00a0because of degenerative condition in his throwing shoulder, and the club went into the season with no QBs who had a victory as a starter to their name.<\/p>\n
Second-year pro Spencer Rattler, who opened the season as the starter, didn\u2019t win his first game until\u00a0Week 5 against the Giants\u00a0and went 1-7 before Moore elected to turn to rookie Tyler Shough \u2014 the club\u2019s second-round pick last spring.<\/p>\n
After a difficult\u00a0debut against the contending Rams in Los Angeles, Shough hit his stride at Carolina, completing 70.4% of his passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.<\/p>\n
Shough became the first Saints rookie QB to win a game he started since Dave Wilson in 1981. The victory also was the Saints\u2019 first in team history with a rookie at QB and first-year coach on the sideline.<\/p>\n
Although much of Moore\u2019s focus will be on figuring out which veteran players to keep in 2026, which young players he wants to continue developing and which players don\u2019t fit in with his plans, he also wants to win.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s eager to see if his team\u2019s victory going into the bye provides any momentum coming out of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to use it to our advantage and put ourselves in position to kind of attack this back end of the season,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
Statistically, the Saints still have plenty of apparent flaws to address.<\/p>\n
They haven\u2019t scored as many as 20 points in any of their past five games, although they likely would have in Carolina, had they not elected to run out the clock from inside the Panthers 10.<\/p>\n
The Saints still haven\u2019t scored as many as 30 in a game all season, topping out at 26 in their Week 5 win.<\/p>\n
But the remainder of the schedule would appear to give the Saints an opportunity to be more competitive.<\/p>\n
They resume play at home in Week 12 against Atlanta (3-6) and also will play the New York Jets (2-7), Miami (3-7) and NFL-worst Tennessee (1-8).<\/p>\n
Shough said he expects the Saints to return to practice with \u201ca sense of urgency\u201d and to continue \u201clearning from our mistakes and then just not letting up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of ball to be played,\u201d Shough said eagerly. \u201cI think we\u2019ve got a lot ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Denver Broncos received tough news Friday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As NBC Sports noted, NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport reported that running back\u00a0J.K. Dobbins\u00a0will amiss Sunday\u2019s matchup against the\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0due to a significant foot injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rapoport added that Dobbins is \u201cbelieved to be out for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n
His placement on injured reserve remains a real possibility as the team evaluates its options.<\/p>\n
\u201cDobbins is still working through options, and while there is no final determination, IR remains a possibility,\u201d Rapoport said.<\/p>\n
The report came from himself and Tom Pelissero.<\/p>\n
The development marks a quick escalation from earlier in the week, when Dobbins missed Wednesday and Thursday\u2019s practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that point, the team had not revealed the full severity of the injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dobbins\u2019 injury stems from a hip-drop tackle last Thursday against the\u00a0Raiders, a play that left him frustrated enough to take to X and call for the move to be banned.<\/p>\n
Dobbins ranks fifth in the\u00a0NFL\u00a0with 772 rushing yards and has been a huge part of Denver\u2019s offense so far this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Dobbins has officially been ruled out for Week 11, the next major decision comes quickly.<\/p>\n
The Broncos must determine by Saturday afternoon whether to place him on injured reserve.<\/p>\n
If he is moved to IR before Sunday, the Chiefs game will count toward a required four-game absence.<\/p>\n
Placing Dobbins on IR would sideline him for matchups against the Chiefs,\u00a0Commanders, Raiders, and\u00a0Packers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He would be eligible to return Week 16 against the\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars.<\/p>\n
Head coach Sean Payton acknowledged that discussions are ongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing has been decided yet, and at some point there will be more clarity with him and some of these other players,\u201d Payton said earlier this week.<\/p>\n
Denver\u2019s Week 12 bye gives the team a small cushion, but if the injury is significant enough to keep him out multiple weeks, the IR designation becomes more likely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith JK Dobbins potentially headed to Injured Reserve, all eyes turn to RJ Harvey,\u201d Rapoport said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
RJ Harvey\u00a0has already flashed his dynamic potential in limited work.<\/p>\n
Payton praised Harvey\u2019s running style, durability, and readiness to step into a larger role:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we drafted him, it was his running skillset, and he had a lot of touches at Central Florida,\u201d Payton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are starting to see him grow in front of our eyes, and he will have more opportunities in this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyler Badie\u00a0will likely mix in as a third down guy, while\u00a0Jaleel McLaughlin\u00a0could be active as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s divisional matchup against the Chiefs carries major playoff implications for both teams and Harvey has a huge opportunity to step up and flourish in the RB1 role.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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