The New Orleans Saints’ road win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 kept their playoff hopes alive for just a few more hours. They were eventually eliminated from playoff contention in the NFC after the Green Bay Packers clinched a home victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
The Saints opened up their regular season schedule with a 1-0 record after they notched a double-digit win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, but they never again boasted a winning record over the year. The NFC South side will not feature in the NFL playoffs for the second consecutive year, and it will also cap off the campaign with a losing record for the first time since the 2016 season.
For Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, the team’s failure to finish off multiple games was a major reason why it did not lock up a playoff spot.
“Sadly, we also got eliminated, which sort of feels like the run of the Saints' situation the last year or two,” Jordan said during a press conference ahead of Week 18. “You can't ever let somebody else control your destiny, and that's on us from not beating Tampa the first or the second time, that's on us from somehow losing to the Niners when we felt like we had control of the game.
“That's on us for Carolina the first time we played them.”
The Saints’ woes on offense marred their performances against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers in the first half of the season. More so, they blew a 13-point lead in their Week 13 road loss to the Buccaneers.
The Saints have strung together a three-game winning streak, and Jordan hopes to finish the campaign on a promising note with a win over Carolina in Week 18.
“At this point, being eliminated, it hurts and at the same time, we've got one game left,” Jordan said. “So you have to put that stamp of approval on this game. There is no fold over, there is no backing down from this. We've got to go out and take this win. … Finish this five-game strong and head into the offseason knowing that you can be better for the next year.”
New Orleans currently holds a 2-3 record against NFC South opponents this season.
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