The New Orleans Saints are 0-4 on the season. That's not where the team expected to be right now and it's going to be an uphill battle to get back on track.
We're about a quarter of the way through the 2025 season. Right now, the Saints are the only winless team in the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in first place at 3-1, but are no longer undefeated after losing against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Atlanta Falcons are 2-2 on the season after beating the Washington Commanders this weekend. The Carolina Panthers are now 1-3 after being blown out, 42-13, but the New England Patriots on Sunday. The Saints are 0-4 after losing against the Bills, 31-19.
With all of that being said, here are four takeaways from Sunday's matchup against the Bills:
Progress was made ... kind of
Around the NFL, the expectation certainly was that the Saints would lose against the Bills. Buffalo was 3-0 and is one of the top contenders in the NFL and has the reigning MVP in Josh Allen. But, the Saints put up a good fight. It was a one-score in the fourth quarter at one point, but the Bills pulled away. A loss is a loss in the standings whether it was by one point or 50. But, this team did show on Sunday that it can hang around with some of the top teams in the NFL, which was positive after a Week 3 embarassing loss against the Seattle Seahawks.
The running game took another step forward
Alvin Kamara had 15 carries while Kendre Miller wasn't far behind with 11 carries. Kamara had 70 yards to Miller's 65 yards, but he had a touchdown. It was surprising to see an almost split backfield with these two, but both looked good overall against the Bills' defense. Spencer Rattler had 49 rushing yards of his own as well. The offensive line was in better shape and it created holes. The Saints will need this trend to continue to get into the win column.
Spencer Rattler continues to impress, but not excel
Rattler has strung together some solid performances despite an 0-4 record. He takes care of the ball and doesn't lose the game for the Saints. But, he hasn't proved it can take over and win a game for New Orleans as well. Take a look at Allen, for example. There are games throughout the season in which he simply can win a game for Buffalo. That maybe wasn't the case early on in his career, but it's where he's at now. Rattler hasn't gotten there yet, although it's also not fair to compare him to the reigning MVP.
Alvin Kamara's passing game usage remains odd
Kamara has been known as one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. He had four catches on Sunday for two yards. This season so far, the Saints have been missing him in that role and that continued on Sunday.
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