It’s been three seasons since the New Orleans Saints have made the playoffs. They’ve come close, going 9-8, 7-10, and 9-8 in the last three years, but close isn’t good enough in sports. In fact, close often leads to people losing jobs. That may be what’s at stake for New Orleans in 2024. If the Saints have another mediocre season, there could be a lot of changes for the franchise.

However, New Orleans may not have to worry about that, because there’s a belief that the team is equipped to make the leap to contender status. Gary Davenport, in a recent piece for Bleacher Report, ranked the 10 most likely teams to make the jump to legitimate contender next season. Ranked seventh on the list was the New Orleans Saints.

Saints ranked as a likely team to make playoffs in 2024

Davenport explained how New Orleans has hovered just outside the playoffs with the team’s near 500 records. Concluding the take, Davenport simply stated, “The Saints aren’t a bad team. With some breaks, a 10-win season and NFC South title could be theirs. However, New Orleans is also a flawed team that could go 7-10 just as easily.”

That’s the best way to put it. Saints fans, who are the team’s harshest critics, will admit that the team isn’t bad. They just aren’t good either. That’s arguably the worst spot to be in; a purgatory of mediocrity. Too bad to win anything, but too good to make dramatic changes that may be necessary. Davenport even detailed how Mickey Loomis believes it’s too early to judge Dennis Allen as a head coach.

The clock has to be on in New Orleans, though. The Saints will either get back to their winning ways, making the postseason, or they’ll miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year, and the franchise will be forced to make those dramatic changes.