Hey, there's nowhere to go but up. ESPN's Seth Walder shared a look at the first NFL Football Power Index (FPI) rankings ahead of the 2025 preseason, which has the New Orleans Saints at the very bottom -- ranking at No. 32 among the league's 32 teams.
FPI, which is updated regularly in the offseason and daily during the regular season, is defined as "a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule."
It's just the latest sign that the Saints have a lot of work to do in cleaning up their image. They need to prove their doubters (of which there are many) wrong and win a lot of games this year. But that's easier said than done, especially with a new head coach and no sure thing at quarterback.
If you're curious about the rest of the NFC South, the Saints were joined in the bottom tier by the Atlanta Falcons (at No. 26) and Carolina Panthers (No. 28), but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 14) are expected to hold onto the division title.
But did the FPI rankings get it right last year? They were too bullish on a San Francisco 49ers team that ranked first but suffered too many injuries and only won six games. Like everyone else, they ruled out the Washington Commanders (at No. 28) who stunned the football world by reaching the NFC Championship Game. And in the NFC South specifically, they called down years for the Saints (No. 26) and Carolina Panthers (No. 32) while overrating the Atlanta Falcons (No. 15), who went into the year with a comfortable lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 22). Maybe this year's story plays out differently.
