“People are just fed up”

Oh, when the Saints march out.

The Caesars Superdome was packed with fans eager to see Sean Payton and Drew Brees inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame at halftime. By the middle of the fourth quarter, most of them had left, worried about the eventual 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Things got bad early for the Saints as they struggled to move the ball and allowed four consecutive shots on goal as the visitors took a 16-3 halftime lead. The second half wasn't close, and Denver took a 26-3 lead in the fourth quarter. The New Orleans fans were not afraid to boo throughout the contest before eventually leaving early.

“I’ve been here eight years and I’ve never seen the Dome get so empty,” running back Alvin Kamara said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “If I were a fan, I would go too. To be honest. It’s just that people are fed up.”

Fans are tired of the Saints' five-game losing streak. After an impressive 2-0 start to the season, elimination could spell doom for Dennis Allen's team.

It's not just about the losses mounting, but also about the context of the collapse.

New Orleans has scored 17.2 points per game and allowed 30.2 over the last five games. The Saints scored 27 points (+3 turnover differential) in the second quarter of a 51-27 home loss to Tampa Bay in Week 6, but have just 10 points (-4 turnover differential) in seven other quarters from Weeks 6-7.

On Thursday, the Saints scored 10 or fewer points in a home game for the sixth time since 2021. The Saints only had four such home games with Brees as the starting QB from 2006 to 2020. It was the first time since the 16th-17th. Week 2001 that the Saints lost two consecutive home games by more than 20 points.

Payton suffered two losses by more than 20 points in 15 seasons at home. Allen had two last week.

The offense is missing key weapons. Derek Carr (oblique), Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee) were ruled out on Thursday. Likewise, the defense was missing some parts and Paulson Adebo was injured during the fight. Most concerning to the defensive-minded head coach, however, is the collapse of the defense, which has given up a total of 983 yards over the past five days.

Despite the run of bad luck and difficulties, Allen insisted he wasn't worried about his job status.

“No,” Allen said when asked if the condition of his workplace was a concern.

Allen said the injuries weren't “excuses,” just the reality of the hand the Saints were dealt. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler started his second game Thursday night and struggled before eventually being replaced by backup Jake Haener on the Saints' only touchdown drive, which cost little time.

“We have to step up and lead,” Allen said. “We are the only ones who can get us out of here. It’s not like there’s a draft in the middle of the season, there’s no one coming along that’s going to be our savior.”