Words of wisdom and hope from Pope Francis needed merely a little twisting to veer toward the topic of how rough the New Orleans Saints are looking these days.
Whomever tweets for The Pope decided to drop this nugget about a saint’s arduous journey to finding God whilst deploying the a straight-up “Saints” hashtag. Now the tweet composer is learning the hard way that a #Beatitudes or #God would’ve gone over far better and not mixed in discourse about an NFL team.
The #Saints are formed by the Beatitudes: poor, meek, merciful, hungering and thirsting for justice, seeking peace. They are “filled with God” and incapable of remaining indifferent to the needs of their neighbour. They bear witness to paths of light that we too can trod.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 1, 2024
No exposure is bad exposure, though, right? Kind of a low-key genius move for Pope Francis’ X/Twitter admin to link up with a big cluster of Who Dat Nation. In retrospect this might be a truly savvy social media scheme. However, with the spotlight comes scrutiny, and let’s just say the New Orleans Saints are catching some brutal strays in the comments.
Not to be that guy, but I’m not even sure your blessings are gonna help that team right now
— P.K. Pajak (@PK_Pajak) November 1, 2024
Praying ain't gonna save Dennis Allen
— Dave Rappoccio (@DrawPlayDave) November 1, 2024
Pope got one look at Spencer Rattler and was like man this franchise needs some prayers
— Danny O'Rourke (@Dorke1994) November 1, 2024
@ChazTenenbaum tbh they should be incapable of remaining indifferent to stopping the run
— Kevin Delavega (@kevindlv) November 1, 2024
You fired Benedict, why you can’t #firedennisallen too?
— Concept of A Plan (@JohnEHagan) November 1, 2024
He has to chuckle every time he uses that hashtag, like he knows we’re gonna talk about the football team that’s doing awful this year.
— Jerry Trosclair (@TrosclairTweets) November 1, 2024
https://t.co/1KAHlFeAeo pic.twitter.com/1ieB1UPcgS
— Pratik (@PatelESPN) November 1, 2024
Even the Pope can’t save this team https://t.co/dC42QrGpLb
— Hold The Mayo (@snowlikejonn) November 1, 2024
Couldn’t in good conscience not feature this reply from a more betting-minded, optimistic Saints opiner
Saints might be an immortal lock this weekend. Sure they started 2-5 but you know who else faced a 2 and 5 challenge they overcame through divine power? https://t.co/wwH6Ntj4jK pic.twitter.com/40ivJINR12
— Paycut P (@notthefakejmt) November 1, 2024
Don’t know about divine intervention saving the Saints’ season, but the football gods couldn’t be much less on their side. They’ve been ravaged by injuries, including to starting quarterback Derek Carr, who may be back this week. Might be too little, too late. New Orleans’ hot 2-0 start to the year in which their offense scored 91 points seems like a distant memory amid a six-game losing streak. Head coach Dennis Allen is indeed on the hot seat, and Carr is playing for his career as a starter as he knows it.
Good news for the Saints? Only one of their next five opponents has a winning record at the minute. If they can get healthier and have Carr operating that offense anywhere near what it was in Weeks 1 and 2, there’s a faint chance these Saints could march back toward playoff contention. Sounds like a big ask to me if I’m being honest.
Another reason the general public likes to dunk on the Saints? They kick the can down the road on the salary cap every offseason in increasingly hilarious ways. Their effective cap space in 2025 is projected at nearly $71 million in the red. That means restructuring a s**t ton of contracts, making tough cuts, possibly trading a star player, and a whole lot of overtime for certain Saints employees. I spam Over the Cap’s calculator, which allows you to simulate how teams manage their individual salary cap. You, reader, ought to try it with the New Orleans Saints in the event that you have some free time and want a good laugh.
If managing New Orleans’ cap is that chaotic in a rather straightforward simulation, I can’t imagine the headache it is in real life for the front office. Alas, keep doing it to themselves. If you don’t draft well consistently and shell out for a lot of aging veteran players, things are gonna go a little sideways.
Here’s hoping the Saints get as healthy as possible soon. They were electric to watch when they routed the Panthers and Cowboys in the first two weeks. It’s good for football and a win for everyone save for the Saints’ opponents if they get back to being a high-end offense. Would love to see it. Most of the Internet and sports world are counting the Saints out all the same. Having Pope Francis as a de facto advocate can only help the general vibe, or so I’d think.
