It's been a long absence from the NFL playoffs for the New Orleans Saints, or at least 2 years feels like a long time compared to what the team had gotten its fans used to.
So will that change in 2023? If it does, the Saints could send a thank-you note to the schedule-makers for what really does look like a soft slate of games, at least in May.
Scroll below for breakdowns and predictions for each game of the 2023 season.
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WEEK 1
TITANS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Sept. 10
- Last meeting: 2021 - Titans 23, Saints 21
- Titans lead 9-6
- Score: Saints 21, Titans 20
- Why: The Saints rebuilt their interior defensive line with a pair of free agents and a first round pick. They’ll get eased into the action with about the toughest matchup possible. Derrick Henry will be fresh (considering it’s Week 1), and Tyjae Spears will also be making his NFL debut. Still, I think the hype around Derek Carr’s first start with the Saints will win out. The offense needs to be efficient and keep Henry off the field, which I think it will be with everyone healthy. Ryan Tannehill could be the x-factor, but I expect the Saints to limit him well with a WR group that doesn’t exactly strike fear into anyone. As will be the case all year, Alvin Kamara’s status will be a key element. Does he miss the first six games? If so, this will also be a trial by fire for Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller in their Saints debuts.
Record: 1-0
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WEEK 2 (MNF)
SAINTS AT PANTHERS, 7:25 p.m., Sept. 18 (ESPN)
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 18) - Panthers 10, Saints 7
- Series history: Saints lead 29-28
- Score: Saints 24, Panthers 12
- Why: One of two things will happen in this game. Either the Panthers have already made the shift from Andy Dalton to No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, or they’re sticking with Andy Dalton. Either way I like the Saints’ chances, even on the road in Carolina. The Panthers defense is always tough to handle, but Dalton won’t strike fear into the Saints secondary. Miles Sanders has been a pest for New Orleans previously, but that was in an Eagles system that ran the Saints defense ragged for a lot of reasons. He’s no slouch, but he’s also no Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers could be a contender in the NFC South this season, but I don’t think they’re going to be peaking in Week 2, and the Saints catch this matchup at the right time.
Record: 2-0
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WEEK 3
SAINTS AT PACKERS, Sept. 24, noon
- Last meeting: 2021 - Saints 38, Packers 3
- Series history: Packers lead 17-10
- Score: Saints 24, Packers 17
- Why: Both of these teams will still be in discovery mode by this point as they incorporate new starting quarterbacks. Both have defenses that will make plays and muddy the waters, but I think this is one of those games you signed Derek Carr to go win. Jordan Love might be way ahead of where I think he is after two seasons to learn behind Aaron Rodgers, but I’m betting on the veteran in this one. If this game was later in the season both from a Love perspective and a cold weather perspective, I might feel differently. Thankfully for the Saints, they won’t have to answer that question. A 3-0 start is pretty optimistic – probably too optimistic – but I think the schedule has for once set up in a nice way for New Orleans early in the season. It’d be the first time since 2013 they started with wins in their first three games. It won’t be quite as smooth sailing the whole way, but I expect the Derek Carr offense to get off to a running start, particularly as other teams see it for the first time.
- Record: 3-0
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WEEK 4
BUCS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Oct. 1
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 13) - Bucs 17, Saints 16
- Series history: Saints lead 39-24
- Score: Saints 28, Bucs 3
- Why: The Saints go to Florida and dominate defensively, it’s just what they do. And that won’t change with Baker Mayfield leading the crash for Caleb sweepstakes. Tampa will still be trying to win at this point in the season, but it couldn’t be more apparent what they’re trying to do. Saints keep the good times rolling here.
Record: 4-0
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WEEK 5
SAINTS AT PATRIOTS, noon, Sunday, Oct. 8
- Last meeting: 2021 - Saints 28, Patriots 13
- Series history: Patriots lead 10-5
- Score: Patriots 31, Saints 24
- Why: The Saints finally stumble on the road, and they’re due. The offense struggles and puts up points in garbage time, but the Patriots grind the clock with their effective run game and the Saints never really get off the bus.
Record: 4-1
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WEEK 6
SAINTS AT TEXANS, noon, Sunday, Oct. 15
- Last meeting: 2019 - Saints 30, Texans 28
- Series history: Saints lead 3-2
- Score: Saints 28, Texans 24
- Why: Man, I didn’t come into this aiming to be a hopeless optimist, but here I am. The Saints again get a matchup with a young QB who isn’t ready to win quite yet (this time it’s C.J. Stroud, assuming he’s even starting over Davis Mills). The Texans have a lot of intriguing pieces, but I think they’re 1 or 2 years away. Still, this is going to be closer than you’d like it to be on the road.
Record: 5-1
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WEEK 7 (TNF)
JAGUARS AT SAINTS, 7:20 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 19
- Last meeting: 2019 - Saints 13, Jaguars 6
- Series history: Saints lead 5-2
- Score: Jaguars 17, Saints 14
- Why: It’s a short week and the Saints are due for a loss at home. Who knows how the injury picture stacks up this year, but this is the time when it really started to hit in the previous two. If Kamara gets a six-game suspension to start the year, this is the week he’d be back, but I still think you’re due for a loss. Honestly, if the Saints avoid all the pitfalls, it's not impossible they complete this stretch at 7-0. It's unlikely, of course, but this really is about as soft as you could've drawn it up in the front half. The perks of finishing third in the division, I guess?
Record: 5-2
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WEEK 8
SAINTS AT COLTS, noon, Sunday, Oct. 29
- Last meeting: 2019 - Saints 34, Colts 7
- Series history: Saints lead 9-5
- Score: Saints 24, Colts 21
- Why: I’m conflicted on this one because I honestly don’t know what to expect out of Shane Steichen as the Colts head coach. What I can say is this team is still a bit in the woods as far as its starting QB is concerned. If the Saints end up facing Anthony Richardson, there’s another plus matchup against a young QB who probably isn’t ready to win. If it’s Gardner Minshew? Even better, considering the success this defense has had against him. There’s a long break going into this game. I like the Saints' odds to avoid back-to-back losses.
Record: 6-2
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WEEK 9
BEARS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Nov. 5
- Last meeting: 2021 - Saints 21, Bears 9
- Series history: Saints lead 18-15
- Score: Bears 24, Saints 21
- Why: For the opposite reason I’m OK with betting against Anthony Richardson, I think Justin Fields is just coming into his own as the exact type of hyper-athletic QB that the Saints haven’t been able to do anything against the past few seasons. Is he perfect? Nope. But he’ll do enough in this one -- and run all the over year -- and the Saints drop a winnable game at home.
Record: 6-3
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WEEK 10
SAINTS AT VIKINGS, Noon, Nov. 12
- Last meeting: 2022 - Vikings 28, Saints 25
- Series history: Vikings lead 24-13
- Score: Vikings 30, Saints 24
- Why: This is a toss-up to me, but the Vikings have been a thorn in the Saints’ side for a long time. Maybe this is where the Saints get right. They do have the advantage of watching Minnesota face all three NFC South teams before this game, which is helpful from a scouting perspective since they’d be burning that tape anyway, but it’s a tough place to play and until I see Marshon Lattimore hold up better against Justin Jefferson that he did the first time around, I’ll give JJettas the edge. This is also going to be an interesting point in the season from an availability perspective. Is Alvin Kamara suspended, or did you get him back already? Is Michael Thomas still healthy? How about the other side of the equation for the Vikings? Those variables could obviously swing things, but there’s no way to know right now. I think the Saints end up losing back-to-back game heading into the bye, which is annoying, but you’ve started well enough that you can stomach it. The bye comes at the right time.
Record: 6-4
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WEEK 11: Bye
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WEEK 12
SAINTS AT FALCONS, noon, Sunday, Nov. 26 (Fox)
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 15) - Saints 21, Falcons 18
- Series history: Tied 54-54
- Score: Falcons 21, Saints 14
- Why: I don’t expect the Falcons to win a ton of games this season, but I do expect them to show up for this one. The wild card will be Desmond Ridder’s development, assuming he wins the job out of camp over Taylor Heinicke. The Saints spent big this offseason and there will be motivated players on the defensive side in Kaden Elliss, David Onyemata and also new Falcons DC Ryan Nielsen. I think this is a game where the Saints struggle to match the energy and fall short, maybe a few turnovers swing the result. I think the Bijan Robinson experience hits hard and fast and this becomes a very frustrating week to be a Saints fan. That strong start has turned into a month without a win, and things don’t get easier from here.
Record: 6-5
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WEEK 13
LIONS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Dec. 3
- Last meeting: 2020 - Saints 35, Lions 29
- Series history: Saints lead 14-12-1
- Score: Saints 30, Lions 27
- Why: In another season I might feel differently about this matchup. Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn are coming back to town for the first time since leaving the Saints, oh, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson is now in the Detroit DB room. Thankfully this is also the year the Saints have Jamaal Williams in the locker room, and he'll certainly bring the juice. This is a massively important game and a multi-faceted revenge plot folded into one. Jamaal runs for three TDs and the Saints FINALLY get back on track.
Record: 7-5
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WEEK 14
PANTHERS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Dec. 10
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 18) - Panthers 10, Saints 7
- Series history: Saints lead 29-28
- Score: Saints 21, Panthers 18
- Why: If you faced Andy Dalton the first time around, here’s where you get Bryce Young. This will be a game where you can see the soon-to-be-dominant Panthers offense forming in the distance, but it’s just not here yet and the Saints get a critical NFC South win to ease some nerves heading into the home stretch.
Record: 8-5
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WEEK 15
GIANTS AT SAINTS, noon, Sunday, Dec. 17
- Last meeting: 2021 - Giants 27, Saints 21
- Series history: Giants lead 17-14
- Score: Giants 28, Saints 17
- Why: In a perfect world the Saints would go into the final month of the season with a stranglehold on the NFC South, in large part because they’re the only team in danger of winning it. The Bucs will almost certainly oblige, but the other two seem committed to at least pushing for it this year. The Giants, on the other hand, play in the most difficult division in football. It’s grueling, but it does mean they’ll be hardened by this point in the season. They’ve built up the offensive line and Daniel Jones is very, very good when he’s allowed to stand in the pocket. He’s also deceptively fast on the move. I just don’t think this matchup suits how the Saints want to play, and this will be a tough day at home, particularly if the Saints lose the time of possession battle. The positive spin is this is far from the winless Giants team that stunned the Saints in 2021, even with a lot of the same faces, so it won’t be quite as depressing.
Record: 8-6
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WEEK 16 (TNF)
SAINTS AT RAMS, Thursday, 7:20 p.m., Dec. 21
- Last meeting: 2022 - Saints 27, Rams 20
- Series history: Rams lead 43-35
- Score: Rams 28, Saints 14
- Why: Another short week and a trip out west? That’s an ugly recipe for the Saints this late in the year. Who knows exactly where the Rams will be this season after the disaster of 2022, but they’re going to be the pick in this one.
Record: 8-7
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WEEK 17
SAINTS AT BUCS, noon, Sunday, Dec. 31
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 13) - Bucs 17, Saints 16
- Series history: Saints lead 39-24
- Score: Saints 28, Bucs 12
- Why: The soft schedule comes to the rescue right when the Saints need it most. Who knows who is starting for the Bucs by this point, but it’s a dead-end tenure regardless. The Bucs are tanking, the Saints roll in a game they need to have.
Record: 9-7
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WEEK 18
FALCONS AT SAINTS, time TBD, Sunday, Jan. 7 (FOX)
- Last meeting: 2022 (Week 15) - Saints 21, Falcons 18
- Series history: Tied 54-54
- Score: 35-7
- Why: The Falcons are eliminated and the Saints still need a win to guarantee the best seeding possible. Atlanta is in tank mode. Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts aren’t out there, who knows who is starting at QB, this is a next-year operation by this point. This could obviously change considering where the Saints have landed in the grand scheme of things by this point, but I think the larger question will be that in an offseason where the Falcons spent so lavishly on free agents and drafted a top-ten RB, is it time for the Arthur Smith era to end in Atlanta?
The Saints, meanwhile, get back the NFC South crown and head to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Record: 10-7
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FINAL THOUGHTS
It wasn't pretty or perfect, at least the vision of the Saints 2023 season that's formed in my mind, but it did answer a legitimate question and gives the Saints confidence that their perpetual-competition machine is alive and well. Until you got back to the postseason without Drew Brees and Sean Payton, it was fair to wonder if this regime could still get it done. So much is going to depend on keeping players healthy -- which has been a constant struggle -- as well as the relative availability of Alvin Kamara. But with lessons learned from 2022, I think this is the year things get back on track.