The get-in price for the Bucs-Saints game Sunday was $7.
That’s right. You could buy a ticket on the secondary market to see the game for less than a smoothie.
And for the resilient souls who sat through Tampa Bay’s 23-3 demolition of the Saints, $7 probably seemed high.
Whatever cost of admission Saints fans paid was too much for this stinker. On a chamber of commerce day in New Orleans, there were plenty of better ways for them to spend their fall afternoon.
Alas, this is where the Saints are midway through the 2025 season. Their 1-7 start is tied for the worst in the league and is the club’s worst since 1999, the dark days of Ditka and the Billy Joes.
For all intents and purposes, the Saints have become either an afterthought or a laughingstock, depending on your point of view.
“Frustration,” is how Saints head coach Kellen Moore described the Saints' postgame locker room. “We’ve got to play cleaner. We’ve got to play to a higher standard.”
No one in attendance at the Superdome Sunday would argue, especially after being forced to watch the team’s anemic, mistake-prone offense operate. The unit has lacked explosiveness and suffered from self-inflicted mistakes all season and has regressed as the season has progressed.
Sunday marked the sixth time in eight games that the Saints have failed to score 20 points. It was also the sixth time the Saints have trailed essentially from start to finish, failing to lead for a single minute.
It was the third consecutive game the Saints haven’t had a run of more than 10 yards.
Only one of the Saints’ 71 plays covered more than 16 yards.
“We didn’t do enough good on offense to give ourselves a chance,” Moore said. “We’ve got to find a way to move the ball consistently.”
The game’s only redeeming value came in the second half, when Moore finally turned the keys to the Saints offense over to Tyler Shough.
The rookie quarterback responded with a few flashy throws to give Saints fans a much-needed glimmer of hope for the future. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 128 yards, mostly on throws underneath the Bucs’ conservative coverage. But otherwise, that was about the extent of the positivity from this one.
On a day when the Saints committed four turnovers and 11 penalties, they were no match for their NFC South Division rivals. Once the Bucs received their wake-up call at halftime, they pretty much did what they pleased against the Saints. They scored on their first four second-half possessions to quickly quash any potential upset hopes the Saints might have entertained.
By the 9-minute mark of the fourth quarter, the Dome had largely emptied out. Mercifully, the Bucs finally put an end to things with a sack of Shough on the game’s final play. It was a fitting end to a forgettable afternoon for the Saints.
Whether the quarterback switch proves to be permanent or simply a one-off remains to be seen. Moore was non-committal afterward, saying he and the team’s brain trust “have to make some decisions in the next 48 hours” and “evaluate this whole thing.”
“I’m not into flip-flopping quarterbacks,” Moore said. “I love Spence. I love Tyler. These (decisions) are never easy. We’ve got to find a formula that works to our advantage.”
The benching of Rattler felt significant, though.
After a solid start to the season, the second-year passer has regressed in recent weeks. He committed four turnovers against the Chicago Bears last week and followed that up with two more in the first half against the Bucs. His fumble on the Saints’ opening drive took potential points off the board. His interception in the second quarter resulted in a touchdown.
In seven possessions, he led the offense to only seven first downs and 121 total yards. The Saints’ only points came after a sack-fumble forced by Demario Davis just before halftime. Otherwise, the offense couldn’t get out of its own way.
The offensive inefficiency wasn’t all Rattler’s fault. Between the penalties, dropped passes and anemic rushing attack, the entire unit was a bumbling mess. But clearly something had to be done, and giving Shough a chance to provide a spark was the right -- and popular -- call.
“We need to find a way to get this thing going,” Moore said. “We’re not there yet.”
At this point, it’s fair to wonder if Moore and the Saints will ever get there during what has become a lost and forgettable season. The Saints aren't getting better. They're getting worse.