The next five seasons failed to meet the raised expectations of fans and media. The 2001 season established a trend of team inconsistency from week to week; though the Saints engineered a stirring comeback from several touchdowns down to beat the Rams on the road, they also collapsed at the end of the season, losing their last four games by embarrassing margins to finish 7-9. New Orleans was outscored 160-40 in its final four games and shut out 38-0 by San Francisco in the finale at home in the Saints' final game as a member of the NFC West.