(Photo credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson gave a vote of confidence to general manager Mickey Loomis as he has come under fire for the team's 2-8 start to the season, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Friday.

Loomis has been the Saints' GM since 2002, adding the title of executive vice president in 2013.

The team's issues include an offense that ranks toward the bottom of the NFL with 297.2 yards gained per game. Only two teams are worse than New Orleans' 15.5 points per game.

Quarterback Spencer Rattler has averaged 198.3 yards passing through eight games. Only five quarterbacks that have appeared in at least eight games are worse.

On defense, the Saints are 13th in the NFL with 317.5 yards per game, although they are in the bottom third of the league with 25.0 points allowed.

'It may not be what fans want to hear, but as far as firing Mickey Loomis, that's ridiculous,' Benson told the newspaper this week. '(He) does a great job.'

The Saints' 1-8 start was the worst in franchise history since 1980 before they earned a 17-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday that was led by the defense. The victory ended a four-game losing streak, with the only other win this season against the New York Giants.

The Saints have missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and are all but assured to not see a postseason game this year.

'You don't think Mickey Loomis is losing sleep at night over all of this? He is,' Benson said. '... It's not an easy job. It's not like he's sitting on his butt, not worrying about things.'

Loomis put together a team that won the Super Bowl following the 2009 season. It started a run where the Saints advanced to the playoffs in eight of 12 seasons, before the current postseason drought began.

The Saints have nine regular seasons with double-digit wins under Loomis after having just five in franchise history before he took over the GM role.

--Field Level Media