New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has observed a “mental shift” since the team changed coaches midway through the season.
“When you hear from up top that you’re changing the head coach position, there’s one of two ways you go,” Jordan said this week, as the Saints (4-7) prepared to play the Los Angeles Rams (5-6) on Sunday.
Teams can either “tank,” or improve, Jordan explained.
At the Saints’ training facility, he added: “It looks like everybody wants to be better, play better.”
The Saints’ season has been strange. It’s still possible to turn things around, but they must win most, if not all, of their remaining six games.
Earlier this year, the Saints dominated their first two games and were the talk of the NFL. However, they then went on a seven-game losing streak while dealing with numerous injuries to key players, including starting quarterback Derek Carr.
After the seventh loss, the team fired third-year coach Dennis Allen. Since then, his interim replacement, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, has led New Orleans to two consecutive wins.
“Their record is misleading,” Rams coach Sean McVay said about the Saints. “They’ve done a good job of winning the last two games, and they’re coming off their bye. … But I do know this: I’ve seen, especially in the last couple of weeks, a good football team.”
The Rams were beginning to look like a good team when they won three straight games from mid-October to early November. However, they’ve lost two of their last three games. Last week, they were dominated by Philadelphia.
Los Angeles can stay in the hunt for the NFC West title with a win, but a seventh loss at this point could seriously hurt their playoff chances.
“It’s all about creating the understanding and the honest perspective of how we move forward and what’s in front of us,” McVay said. “All we can do is the next right thing. … We are looking for more consistency, obviously.”
