Saints' 155-Game Touchdown Streak Snapped vs. Texans

Since his arrival in 2006, quarterback Drew Brees has helped give the New Orleans Saints one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. The franchise maintained a near-historic level of consistency.

With Sunday's 24-6 defeat to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, the Saints went without a touchdown for the first time in 155 games—the second-longest streak in NFL history—dating back to 2006. New Orleans fell 12 games short of besting the Cleveland Browns, who went 166 games with a touchdown between 1957 and 1969, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info).    

"There's a number of losses that get you frustrated," said head coach Sean Payton after the game, per Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. "So let's not look for the 'most frustrated ever' headline. It's disappointing to lose a game like that and it's certainly disappointing not to score a touchdown."

Brees went 25-of-44 for 228 yards in the defeat, with Mark Ingram rushing for 52 yards on nine carries. As a team, the Saints gained 268 yards, well below their season average of 414.5 yards a game.

The combination of Brees and head coach Sean Payton has transformed the Saints and brought the franchise its first Super Bowl. In addition, the Saints offense has remained among the best in the NFL under Payton, per Pro-Football-Reference:

Season	Record	Yards Per Game	Points Per Game	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
2006	10-6	1st	5th	19th	1st
2007	7-9	4th	12th	28th	3rd
2008	8-8	1st	1st	28th	1st
2009	13-3	1st	1st	6th	4th
2010	11-5	6th	11th	28th	3rd
2011	13-3	1st	2nd	6th	1st
2013	11-5	4th	10th	25th	2nd
2014	7-9	1st	9th	13th	3rd
2015	4-7	2nd	7th	17th	2nd

But New Orleans could be on its way to a second straight losing season, the first time that would happen since 1999.

The Saints may finally have reached the end of their arc as a Super Bowl contender as currently constructed. Brees turns 37 in January, and he and New Orleans' other stars on offense can no longer compensate for the team's defensive failings.

Plus, his massive salary handcuffs the team in terms of making significant improvements to the roster.

The end of their TD streak illustrates in small part how the Saints' fortunes have turned for the worst.