The New Orleans Saints did not play last week, but they still rose in several power rankings throughout the NFL’s orbit. The Carolina Panthers couldn’t finish a comeback attempt at Washington, while the Atlanta Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, strengthening New Orleans’ lead on the NFC South title. The Saints are seen as a top-four team in the NFL by observers and outlets all across the nation.
USA TODAY
3. Saints (3): Drew Brees can reach two more milestones this Sunday — TD pass No. 500 and beating the only team he’s never vanquished … the Ravens.
ESPN
4. New Orleans Saints
Record: 4-1
Week 6 ranking: 4
CBS Sports
2. Saints (+2)They have made big strides on defense the past two games. Coming off the bye, they have a tough road game at Baltimore against a good Ravens team.
Washington Post
2. New Orleans Saints (4-1) | Last Week’s Rank: 3The Saints return from their bye week as the clear top challenger to the Rams in the NFC. They’re on a four-game winning streak and QB Drew Brees is the NFL’s newly crowned king in career passing yards. But they face a tough test Sunday in Baltimore, starting a rugged five-game stretch in which they face the Ravens, Vikings, Rams, Bengals and Eagles.
Sporting News
3. New Orleans Saints 4-1 (last week: 3)Drew Brees will get his 500th career touchdown pass out of the way quickly after the bye before the team starts to resemble the running game and defense monster of last season.
SI.com
3. New Orleans Saints (4-1)
Last Week’s rank: 4
Points in poll: 267
Highest-place vote: 2 (4)
Lowest-place vote: 7 (1)
Last week’s result: Bye
Next game: at Baltimore
Bleacher Report
3. New Orleans Saints (4-1)
High: 2
Low: 3
Last Week: 3
Week 6 Result: Bye Week
Things are looking pretty good for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints head into the bye week fresh off an impressive Week 5 win over the Washington Redskins in which Brees became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards. His next scoring strike will put Brees in the 500-touchdown club.
In news that should surprise exactly no one, the Saints have been dominant offensively—third in total offense, fifth in passing and first in the league in scoring at 36 points per game entering Week 6.
But the defense has also picked it up of late. Yes, the Saints allowed 48 points in a stunning Week 1 loss to Tampa and 37 in a win over the Falcons in which zero defense was played by either team. But in allowing just 19 points to the Redskins last week, the Saints played arguably their best game of the season on that side of the ball.
They allowed fewer points to the New York Giants and Cleveland, but the only people afraid of those offenses are those teams’ fans.