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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 05: Tyler Shough #6 of the New Orleans Saints passes against Samson Ebukam #52 of the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter of the game at Caesars Superdome on October 05, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Saints had every reason to walk away from the facility on Tuesday. Less than 24 hours after an embarrassing 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, the players were given a scheduled day off following the late-night game. Some of them seem to have other plans.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore revealed on Tuesday that many players still showed up at the team’s facility. Some need treatment or rehabilitation, while others work in the weight room or study film. After watching his team fall to 1-3 in disappointing fashion, Moore appeared buoyed by how many familiar faces he saw.
“Yeah, it’s a nightly game and you saw a lot of guys in our building trying to get better today,” Moore said. “So whether that’s rehab, treatment, or in the weight room and film room, definitely, I’ve seen a lot of faces.”
It’s a small development, but potentially a significant one for a team facing its first major test of adversity this season. No one forced those players to spend their day searching for answers after Atlanta took control of Monday night’s game. The Saints were beaten so badly that simply moving forward without analyzing what happened was troubling.
The Saints Need a Day-Off Response to Bring Into Sunday
Moore has been open about New Orleans’ problems since the final whistle. He called the loss disappointing and acknowledged that Atlanta played better, while quarterback Tyler Shough described the performance as embarrassing. The Saints gave up 45 points, gave up 205 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns and managed just 50 yards on the ground.
Tuesday’s showing won’t erase any of that. New Orleans still needs to prove that its response matters when the scoreboard comes back up. But for Moore, seeing players willingly get back to work offers at least one encouraging sign about how his locker room is handling a brutal loss.
That’s important because the schedule doesn’t give much time for the Saints to figure things out. The undefeated Minnesota Vikings visit New Orleans on Sunday, giving Moore’s team another significant challenge on the heels of its worst performance of the young season. Falling to 1-4 will make a tough start even harder to overcome.
The Saints need better execution, quicker starts and big defensive improvements. None of those problems can be solved by just showing up on a day off.
Still, Tuesday’s turnout says something about the response inside the building. After being humiliated by a division rival on national television, several Saints players didn’t seem interested in taking a break. Now they have to do that extra work on Sunday.
Anthony G Halkias II Anthony G. Halkias II is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy Sports. He also serves as Lead Writer for SteelerNation.com and has covered college football and basketball for Sports Illustrated. More about Anthony G Halkias II