The NFL released the 18-week schedule for all 32 teams on Wednesday, highlighting a challenging start for the New Orleans Saints. Although the Saints will kick off the season at home against the Carolina Panthers, who had the worst record in the NFL in 2023, their next five games will be difficult. In Week 2, the Saints will head to Dallas to face the Dallas Cowboys, a team that has achieved three consecutive 12-win seasons. They will then host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, a team that has made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons and appeared in two Super Bowls.
In Week 4, the Saints will face another divisional rival, traveling to Atlanta to take on the revamped Atlanta Falcons. While the Falcons have not won more than seven games in any of the past six seasons, they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in the off-season and are favored to win the NFC South.
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In what might be the toughest game of the 2024 season for New Orleans, the Saints will face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium. Known as one of the most challenging environments in the NFL, Arrowhead will add to the pressure as the Saints play on national TV.
For Week 6, the Saints will return to the Caesars Superdome to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won the NFC South in 2023. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had a resurgent 2023 season and may be the team’s starter for years to come. The Saints split their games with the Buccaneers last season, with a crucial Week 4 loss contributing to their playoff miss.
The Saints gained momentum late in the 2023 season during a playoff push and will aim to carry that into the start of the 2024 campaign. However, with a challenging first-half schedule, New Orleans will need to secure wins as underdogs to stay in playoff contention.
