Worst to First: What Saints must do to go the distance in 2026

In other words, no team has made that jump with a second-year head coach over the last five years. That doesn't mean the Saints should close up shop and go home in Moore's second season. It just means no one else has done it yet.

So what specific improvements did those teams make? The Jaguars offense ranked dead-last in scoring in 2021, ranking bottom-10 in yards gained per play with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggling to lift a mistake-prone offense. Jacksonville ended more drives with turnovers than every team but the New York Giants while also ranking in the top half of the league with 104 penalties. Defensively, Jacksonville finished among the 11 worst teams for yards per play, penalties, and for drives ending in opposing scores and turnovers. The next season, when they won the AFC South under Pederson, the Jags improved across the board by cutting down on penalties and turnovers, and making better of their talent after a free agency spending spree. Sound familiar?

It was a similar story for the Texans, who took that crown from Jacksonville after finding their quarterback (C.J. Stroud) and coaching up their defense. In 2024, the Bears fielded a modest defense that did a good job taking away fumbles and interceptions to make up for a weak run defense (allowing the fifth-most rushing yards in the league), while the Patriots just couldn't get hands on any turnovers and ranked tenth-worst in rushing yards. Both teams were bottom-four in yards gained per play on offense despite having a couple of highly-drafted quarterbacks. Turnovers were more of a problem for Drake Maye's unit than Caleb Williams and the Bears, but it didn't keep the Pats from reaching the Super Bowl.

So what can the Saints take from this? Like those other teams that went from worst to first, they invested in a supporting cast for their inexperienced quarterback. Now they've got to build on what went right in 2025. Brandon Staley's pass defense gave up fewer passing yards than both New England and Chicago, but a vulnerable run defense must improve in 2026. More disciplined snaps on passing downs will help, too; New Orleans was penalized more often than both teams (ninth-worst). That discipline extends to offense, too. The Saints lost as many fumbles as the Patriots and Bears did put together (12) and they ranked ninth in penalties due to a ton of procedural issues like false starts and illegal formations.

And that's where they can find an edge. Better practice habits hammering on staying disciplined can cut down on mistakes. More effectively using personnel -- and maximizing the new talent acquired this offseason -- can turn things around in a hurry. The Saints think they've found their quarterback in Shough just like those other teams did. If they can make the same gains those worst-place finishers did, maybe New Orleans can join them in the exclusive club by climbing up to first place in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: How can the Saints go from worst to first in the NFC South in 2026?