Saints look to band together in London for Week 4

 The New Orleans Saints (1-2) head on the road to host a home game in London. The team's offense fails to get going until the second half, but the defense holds firm in shutting out their opponent for a 20-0 victory. 

No, this isn't poorly written fanfiction about what's going to happen this coming Sunday as the Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings in the U.K. It's a history lesson from the 2017 season when the Saints went to London and faced the Miami Dolphins in week four of that NFL season. The win ushered in an eight-game winning streak and kickstarted their four-year reign as NFC South champions.

The Saints are 2-0 all-time in London. The team first played internationally on October 26, 2008, defeating the San Diego Chargers 37-32. 

Of course, things are different for the team now than when they last played a game overseas. They no longer have the luxury of Sean Payton's play calling or Drew Brees' ability to read a defense. The Pete Carmichael-Jameis Winston brain trust hasn't paid dividends thus far as the team's offense has sputtered out the gate, and the run defense is the most porous it's been since the unit's historically bad 2012 season.

For a team still forging their own identity, escaping the echo chamber of New Orleans' sports talk where the sky is falling on the Saints, could ultimately be just as much a positive for this team as it was back in 2017.

"Being in London together, all we have is each other," said veteran running back Mark Ingram. He was on that 2017 team and led them in rushing against the Dolphins, totaling 45 yards on 14 carries.

Ingram is keeping a positive mindset despite the rough start. "We'll get this thing going the right way," he said. If history is an indicator, their itinerary has them on the right path.