NFL: Top 5 losing teams with playoff aspirations

With week 7 of the NFL season in the books, it’s time to look at which teams with a losing record at present still have legitimate aspirations of making it to January’s playoff tournament.

#5 New Orleans Saints

Don’t look now, but this Saints team is starting to look a little frisky in October. Written off in September after a surprising 0-3 start, Drew Brees has finally got something going on offence, the team registering back to back wins for the first time this season whilst putting up its two highest points tallies of the season so far in the process.

It’s a long road back to relevance for Sean Payton’s squad; they are, after all, three games off the pace in the division. However, while the Falcons appear to be flying at 6-1, their last three games have been far from convincing. Two close wins against the sub-par Titans and Redskins, and a ten point loss on Thursday Night Football to these New Orleans Saints.

The momentum, for whatever that is worth in the NFL, is now in the Saints’ favour. Drew Brees looks like he has put his week two shoulder injury firmly behind him, winning three of his last four contest, while Mark Ingram looks like he’s back to 2014 form.Ben Watson, filling in for the departed Jimmy Graham at Tight End, looks ten years younger than his 32 years and is playing the best ball of his career.

It isn’t all in their hands, however. The Falcons have a very easy schedule down the stretch, and if they can win their next four games and push their record out to 10-1 (Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Minnesota), it’s going to be very tough for New Orleans to respond.

However, as things stand after 7 weeks, the Saints are showing some fighting spirit and can’t quite be counted out just yet.