5 Things I Learned From Week 10 of the NFL Season

The NFC South Is a Mess

We all know that a team's record isn't always an indicator of how good that team actually is. For the Saints, this may be the case.

As I said in the intro, the Saints ranked 10th in the league according to our metrics entering the week - they had the eighth-best passing attack and the second-best rushing attack. The defense, the side of the ball that's been a huge issue for the team this year, ranked 28th.

But the offense is good enough to make up for the ineffective defense, which is why they graded out so well in our analytically-driven power rankings. The reason they have such a poor record is because they can't win close games.

It started in Week 1 against Atlanta, where the Falcons won by a field goal. Week 2 saw the Saints lose by just two points to the Browns and, in Week 7, New Orleans fell to Detroit by a single point. And, obviously, the Saints lost by a field goal in overtime in yesterday's contest.

The only Saints loss this season by more than three points came against Dallas in Week 4.

Because of their inability to close games, New Orleans is below .500 in what should be considered the worst division in football. The good news for the Saints is that they're still playing like a top-15 team in the NFL, while their division rivals are all bottom-10 squads.

After this week, I'm sure the numbers will still like New Orleans to win the division. After all, despite their 4-4 record prior to Week 10, New Orleans had the fourth-highest chance to win the division, per our metrics.