The Saints are no stranger to losses early in a season.
In fact, despite winning more games than any other team over the past three four years, each campaign has been marred by at least one or two head-scratching September losses.
What's been equally consistent is the winning streaks that came after those losses.
"When you poke a bear, you punch a bear, you get bit back," Alvin Kamara said ahead of a Week 3 matchup with the Patriots. "So I think it’s football, it’s the NFL, it happens, you lose games. But I think we do a good job of responding around here."
Continuing that trend is what this year's Saints plan -- and expect -- to do after a meager offensive showing and loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.
BOUNCING BACK
2017
- Start: 0-2 (L at Vikings; L vs Patriots)
- After: 8 straight wins
2018
- Start: 0-1 (L at Bucs)
- After: 10 straight wins
2019
- Start: 1-1 (W vs Texans; L at Rams)
- After: 6 straight wins
2020
- Start: 1-2 (W vs Bucs; L at Raiders; L vs Packers)
- After: 9 straight wins
2021
- Start: 1-1 (W vs Packers; L at Panthers)
While Kamara himself isn't the actual bear in his metaphor, he did play like one during the 2019 season. That was the most trying set of circumstances the Saints faced after an early-season loss, with Drew Brees lost for significant time due to a thumb injury suffered during a loss to the L.A. Rams.
They were headed on the road to face the vaunted Seattle Seahawks and with backup Teddy Bridgewater starting at quarterback. Not only did the Saints win, they dominated Seattle with a late score making the final result appear closely than it actually was. Kamara was everywhere in that game after being stifled in the loss a week earlier, with 161 total yards, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the 33-27 win.
The same held true a week later, with Kamara and the Saints defense leading the charge in a 12-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. That win streak continued for six games. Over the last four seasons the Saints have followed up losses with win streaks of six, eight, nine and 10 games.
"I think that’s where we get cocky at and where we kind of have an ego. We take pride in being able to win games and not lose very often," Kamara said. "I take pride in that. I don’t see us going out and losing two games, three games in a row. If we lose, all right cool, it’s the NFL, anybody can lose any given Sunday. But I guarantee you we win the next game.”
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But it hasn't always been an immediate course correction. In the 2020 season a Week 2 loss to the Raiders was followed by another disappointing result against the Green Bay Packers a week later. The 1-2 start meant doom and gloom takes were commonplace. But, as usual, the Saints showed why they've been the NFL's most consistent group for the past half-decade, they did nothing but win from Week 4 through Week 13, even with Brees missing 3.5 of those games.
The Saints will hope to avoid that fate this time around and get things back on track starting in Week 3. But whatever the bounce-back looks like, it's not a product of changing the approach. In reality, it's about consistency -- and consistently despising the feelings after a loss and making sure they don't happen again.
"I know Sean [Payton] takes it personal, for sure. I know he takes it personal when we lose, just like I take it personal, just like Demario [Davis] takes it personal, Cam [Jordan], all them leaders on this team," Kamara said. "And, you know, I feel like when we lose, whatever the next game is, the next 10 games, we want to let people know like, ‘we’re not losing.’ At least that’s how I feel."
The Panthers poked the bear. If all goes to plan, it'll be the Patriots trying to survive the bear's teeth.
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