The regular season is officially in the rearview mirror, and if you are asking what is the score of the Saints, the answer isn't a live ticker anymore—it's a final tally on a year that felt like a fever dream.
The New Orleans Saints closed out their 2025-26 campaign on January 4, 2026, with a 17-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was a heartbreaker. Honestly, it was the perfect microcosm of their entire year: flashes of absolute brilliance from a rookie quarterback followed by a crushing, late-game defensive lapse that left fans staring at the ceiling.
They finished with a 6-11 record, landing them at the bottom of the NFC South.
Breaking Down the Saints Final Game Score
When people search for the latest Saints score, they’re usually looking for that Week 18 slugfest. It wasn't pretty. The Falcons took an early lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Drake London. New Orleans fought back, though. Rookie QB Tyler Shough, who has become the unexpected face of the franchise's future, clawed them back into it with a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
The kickers basically ran the show for the rest of the game.
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Atlanta’s Zane Gonzalez was a machine, knocking down four field goals, including a 38-yarder with under three minutes left that eventually sealed the deal. Shough managed to find Ronnie Bell for a 16-yard score late in the fourth to make it 19-17, but the comeback stalled there. It was a "too little, too late" situation that New Orleans fans have become all too familiar with lately.
The Shough Factor and a Strange Second Half
If you look at the raw numbers, 6-11 looks like a disaster. But there is nuance here. The Saints actually went on a wild tear late in the season. After a miserable 1-9 start that had everyone calling for a total teardown, they won five of their last seven games.
- Week 14: Beat the Buccaneers 24-20
- Week 15: Edged out the Panthers 20-17
- Week 16: Smothered the Jets 29-6
- Week 17: Toppled the Titans 34-26
Tyler Shough finished that final Falcons game with 259 passing yards, a touchdown, and a rushing score. He's been the silver lining. Kellen Moore’s offense finally started to click in December, which makes the 17-19 final score in the finale hurt even more because a win could have potentially shifted the momentum heading into a crucial offseason.
Why the Saints Score Matters for 2026
The reason everyone is so obsessed with what is the score of the Saints right now isn't just about gambling or fantasy football. It's about the draft order and the coaching carousel.
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Because they finished fourth in the NFC South, their 2026 opponents are already set. They’ll be facing a "fourth-place schedule," which sounds insulting but is actually a massive gift. It means they get to play other teams that struggled in 2025, like the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Interestingly, the Saints are slated to play seven games in 2026 against teams with brand-new head coaches. That is a statistical anomaly. Usually, you might face two or three. Facing seven teams in "rebuild mode" while the Saints are finally finding stability with Shough at QB could be the break they need.
Hard Truths from the Stat Sheet
The defense was actually... good? It sounds weird to say about a 6-win team, but the Saints' defensive unit finished ranked 5th in the league against the pass. They only allowed about 196 yards per game through the air. The problem was the run game. On offense, they were 28th in rushing. If you can't run the ball, you can't control the clock, and you end up losing games 19-17 because your defense is gassed by the fourth quarter.
Justin Reid, a big-money free agent, saw his production dip slightly this year, finishing with 72 tackles. He missed some time with a knee injury, which definitely played a role in those mid-season collapses.
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What Happens Now?
The season is over. No playoffs in New Orleans this year. While the Falcons, Panthers, and Bucs all finished 8-9 (a remarkably mediocre division, let's be real), the Saints were just two games back from a potential division title despite that horrific start.
If you are tracking the Saints' progress, the next big dates aren't on the field. They are in the front office. With Shough established as the starter, the focus shifts to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Immediate Next Steps for Saints Fans:
- Monitor the Injury Report: Keep an eye on Alvin Kamara’s MCL recovery. His absence was a massive vacuum in the offense during the stretch where they couldn't buy a win.
- Draft Position Scouting: The Saints are currently locked into a top-10 pick. Watch the collegiate offensive line prospects; that’s where this team was won and lost in the trenches.
- Free Agency Watch: The Saints have some cap gymnastics to do, as usual. They need to figure out if they can keep the defensive secondary intact while adding a veteran power back to complement Shough’s mobility.
The 17-19 score against Atlanta was the end of a chapter, but for the first time in a few years, it feels like the next one might actually be worth reading.