The New Orleans Saints couldn't find enough winning plays to end their season on a high note, falling 19-17 to the Atlanta Falcons in the season-finale, a result that ultimately sent the Panthers to the postseason as the NFC South champions.
But as much as a sweep at the hands of a rival stings, the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert was weighing in the positives in his post-game rant on WWL.
"It’s frustrating, because you always want to beat your rival," Hebert said. "But I think if we can look at the big picture, it’s not necessarily going to be a bad thing, because I think we can build upon these certain things that we've accomplished this season."
Hear the full postgame rant from Bobby Hebert in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
One of those things was limiting star RB Bijan Robinson as well as anyone has all year. Fresh off a 229-yard day in a win over the Rams, Robinson only managed 43 total yards in Week 18 and 2.2 yards per carry, his lowest output of the season.
Considering the Saints will have to contend with Robinson twice a year, that's certainly a positive trait for Brandon Staley's defense. Robinson did account for 107 total yards in the Week 12 matchup, but that's still among the lesser impacts he's produced this year for Atlanta.
“He ain’t done jack against us," Hebert continued. "As great as Bijan Robinson is, we are Bijan killers, and that’s something, because he ain’t going nowhere. He’s gonna be around.”
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough also had a solid performance despite virtually all of his traditional WR and RB weapons unavailable. Of the second WRs and RBs active for the game, none of them were on the roster in Week 1.
Shough went 23-35 passing for 259 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He also ran for a touchdown and accounted for 34 yards on the ground. The turnover was costly, though, coming in the red zone late in the 4th quarter with the Saints driving for a potential go-ahead score.
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"I was like, who is playing? It’s like a preseason roster, our offense. I’m not talking about the defense. On offense, who we had out there would be like guys trying to make the team and it might be your first or your second preseason game
Beyond that, the loss ensured optimal draft positioning with the Saints now locked into the No. 8 overall selection, as well as a 4th place schedule and some easier matchups in 2026.
“It just goes to show you," Hebert said. "I mean, we should hold the organization’s feet to the fire and, hey, we should win the NFC South next year, because if we could somehow figure out how to have a winning record or double-digit wins, you could end up being division champs and hosting a playoff game.”