Tag: opponents

Saints will compete against former coaches Allen, Kubiak in 2025 road games

The Saints will go up against two of their recently-hired coaches on the road in 2025, with Klint Kubiak on the Seattle Seahawks and Dennis Allen on the Chicago Bears:

Two former New Orleans Saints coaches were recently hired to new teams in recent days. These were 2024 offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak who moves on to be the offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, and former head coach Dennis Allen who will become the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator. This leaves the Saints without a head coach or offensive coordinator at this point in time, as they are now the last team to hire a head coach in the 2025 head coaching cycle.

They will not have to wait long to see either of these former staffers either, as they will be playing both the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks in 2025, both of which are away games.

The last time the Saints played the Seahawks in an away game was back in 2021, which was a Monday Night Football matchup that resulted in a 13-10 Saints victory. This was a slog of a game with neither team gaining any traction on offense and being pretty much lockdown on defense the entire time.

As for when the Saints last played the Bears in an away game, that was back in 2020 which was also a Saints victory, by a score of 26-23 in overtime. Drew Brees would go 31-of-41 for 280 passing yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions in that game, and Nick Foles would go 28-for-41 for 272 passing yards and 2 touchdowns to 1 interception.

None of these three teams are the same anymore however, Pete Carroll has gone from Seattle to the Las Vegas Raiders, Caleb Williams is the quarterback of the Bears, and the Saints are now without both Brees and Sean Payton. It will be interesting to see what route the Saints go with this offseason, and whether or not they are competitive in 2025 or just choose to break things down a bit more.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Former Saints HC Dennis Allen expected to get hired as Bears DC

The Chicago Tribune reports former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is expected to become the Bears’ new defensive coordinator:

The New Orleans Saints moved on from Dennis Allen part way through last season and it does not look like it will take long for him to find a new job in the NFL.

The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs recently shared that multiple sources told him Allen will soon become the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. He held that same role for the Saints from 2015 to 2021 and excelled at it. While his time as the head coach in New Orleans did not go well (his record improved to just 26-53 after going 8-28 with the Raiders), it was not his defensive capabilities that got him fired.

The Bears are in the midst of a coaching overhaul themselves, as they hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to lead their team earlier this offseason. Johnson needed a smart defensive mind to take control of that side of the ball and that is what he will get. Allen will have a lot of responsibility with the Bears, so he gets an immediate chance to build his reputation back up.

Chicago’s defense ranked as the sixth-worst unit in the league, allowing 354.3 yards per games. if Allen can get them back on track while Johnson overhauls the offense, the Bears just might be a problem in 2025 and beyond. The Saints are scheduled to play a road game in Chicago this season so Allen could soon have a chance at payback against the team that fired him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

It won’t be long before Aaron Glenn returns to New Orleans, but with a new team

It won’t be long before Aaron Glenn returns to New Orleans, but with a new team. He’ll be leading the Jets when they visit the Caesars Superdome in 2025:

Sean Payton returned to the Caesars Superdome in 2024 and left with a win. Will Aaron Glenn square off with his old New Orleans Saints teammates and lead to the New York Jets in 2025? We’re going to find out.

Glenn picked the Jets head coaching job over the Saints this week, but it won’t be long before he’s back in the city. The Jets were already scheduled to visit the Saints at the Superdome during the upcoming season. All we’ve got left to find out is when that game will be played.

The Saints have beaten the Jets in each of their last two meetings, both in New Orleans (in 2017) and in New York (in 2021). It’s a new day for Gang Green, but the Jets are 10-24 on the road since the 2021 season. The Saints aren’t much better at home during that span with a 15-19 record.

There will be a lot of questions surrounding both teams involved with this matchup; we don’t know who the Saints head coach will be or who the Jets will have at quarterback, or in his headset calling plays, given Glenn’s defensive background. Both squads went 5-12 this past season but Glenn clearly felt the Jets were a better opportunity for him. It’s just one game, but you have to imagine it would be gratifying for general manager Mickey Loomis to see his team get a win over Glenn’s Jets head-to-head. We’ll just have to wait and see if he can build a team that can accomplish that, and whether it ends up being actually meaningful in the end.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints could play another international game in the near future

The Saints could be set to play another international game in the near future. One of their opponents is hosting a game in Spain, and France looms large in 2026:

The New Orleans Saints could be headed overseas sooner rather than later.

The Saints are set to play the Miami Dolphins in 2025 — the same team who announced in January that they were set to host a game in Madrid in the upcoming season.

It marks the first time an NFL game will be played in Spain as the league continues to bring contests around the world. The venue the action will take place in is the 78,000-seat Bernabeu Stadium.

The opponent has not yet been revealed, but Miami’s list of visitors for 2025 does include the Saints, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington Commanders.

If the opponent is indeed the Saints, it will not be the first time the two teams have faced each other outside of the United States. The Saints and the Dolphins squared off against each other in London, England, back in 2017. New Orleans won a 20-0 shutout over Miami in that game.

And it has been even longer since the Saints have played the Dolphins in Miami, with that game taking place over a decade and a half ago when Saints came out on top, 46-34 on Oct. 25, 2009.

The Saints last traveled abroad to play a game against the Vikings in London on Oct. 2, 2022, losing 28-25 in a close one to Minnesota.

Looking ahead, the Saints themselves could end up hosting their next international game in Paris, France as soon as 2025, though it seems more likely that would occur in 2026. The news was originally reported by Fletcher Mackel of WDSU back in mid-August.

New Orleans holds exclusive marketing rights with the country, and it’s fitting given the state of Louisiana’s strong connections to France and cultural connections that have always been very evident in the state.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Packers’ 2025 opponents finalized: NFC East, AFC North on tap next season

The Packers will play the NFC East and AFC North during the 2025 season.

The opponents for the Green Bay Packers during the 2025 regular season were finalized following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season on Sunday.

The Packers — who finished 11-6 and in third place in the NFC North — will play six games against their division rivals, games against every team from the NFC East and AFC North, plus games against fellow third-place finishers from the NFC South, NFC West and AFC West.

The Packers will play eight games at home and nine on the road next season.

Here are the Packers’ opponents in 2025:

Home (8)

Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders
Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers

Away (9)

Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers
Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos

Cowboys know where they’ll finish in NFC East; watching other division races for ’25 opponents

From @ToddBrock24f7: Dallas will finish 3rd in the NFC East. That starts to bring their 2025 schedule of opponents into focus.

The math has finally caught up with the Dallas Cowboys. Even if they win their final three contests, they know there will be no playoff berth coming at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

But Washington’s come-from-behind win over Philadelphia not only left the NFC East crown in play for both of those squads, it also cemented the Cowboys’ divisional standing.

They’ll finish third in the NFC East, no matter what happens over their final three contests.

And that information, while understandably depressing for Cowboys fans who came into the 2024 season with high hopes, does help firm up the slate of opponents the team will face in 2025.

Somewhat.

As usual, Dallas will play its annual two-game series with Philadelphia, Washington, and the New York Giants, with one game at home and one game on the road.

Per the NFL’s pre-determined divisional rotation, the Cowboys will also square off against all four teams in both the NFC North and the AFC West. Green Bay, Minnesota, Kansas City, and the Chargers will come to Arlington. The Cowboys will travel to play Chicago, Detroit, Denver, and Las Vegas.

But with the third-place spot in the East now locked up, the Cowboys now know they’ll line up against the third-place finishers in the NFC West, NFC South, and the AFC East in 2025.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

While the standings in those divisions are still fluid, ESPN has projected those teams to be, respectively: the 49ers, the Saints, and the Jets.

Dallas will host the NFC West opponent, while the NFC South and AFC East matchups are slated to be road games.

Though Cowboys fans know their place in the final standings is set, they should be keeping an eye on these three other divisions as they start to turn their hopes to 2025.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Saints struggles against quality teams has spilled into 2024

The Saints are one of five teams who have played at least four games against teams who currently have a winning record, but haven’t defeated any:

The New Orleans Saints haven’t beat a team this year that currently has a winning record. They’re one of five teams in the NFL who have played at least four games against teams with winning records but haven’t won any of those matchups. The Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers join the Saints in the 0-4 bunch.

Carolina is one of two teams the Saints have beaten. The other is the Dallas Cowboys. At the time Dallas and New Orleans played, the Cowboys did have a winning record. It was Week 2, and both teams were 1-0. That’s the closest the Saints have gotten to beating a quality team.

As time has gone on, the Cowboys’ status as a quality team looks more questionable. The Saints’ inability to beat a good team sounds just like last season, and the year before that. It has been a recurring theme of the last few years. The Saints are 3-10 against opponents who had winning records since Dennis Allen was hired as their head coach in 2022. New Orleans feasts on bad teams and is feasted on by quality teams.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen’s Saints have an atrocious record against good teams

Dennis Allen’s Saints have an atrocious record against good teams. He’s guided them to a 2-8 record against opponents who had a winning record:

There’s a narrative surrounding the New Orleans Saints that they can’t beat good teams, and Monday night’s  loss to the Kansas City Chiefs only seems to support it. Head coach Dennis Allen said himself that the Chiefs outplayed and outcoached his squad. It’s tough to argue with that.

But it’s just the latest loss in what’s a become a pattern for Allen. Since he was hired as head coach in 2022, the Saints have fallen into a 2-8 record against opponents with winning records. Their wins came against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season and the Gardner Minshew-led Philadelphia  Eagles two years ago.

It’s a concerning trend. Allen and his staff are routinely getting outfoxed by playoff teams and opponents who have seen a thing or two. Just like last season’s demoralizing loss to Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams, the Andy Reid-led Chiefs picked up on their tendencies and picked them apart.

If you’re curious, since 2022 the Saints are 12-10 against opponents who had losing records, and 4-3 versus those who took the field at .500. If you want to be charitable and write off 2022 since Allen didn’t have Derek Carr yet, the Saints are 8-4 against teams with losing records, 2-3 against those at .500, and 1-4 against those with winning records. But that split is gnarly, meaning they’re 8-4 against losing teams and 3-7 against those who were at or above .500.

And clearly that isn’t good enough. There’s no reason to think Allen is going to figure out how to beat better opponents after losing 49 of his first 75 games. He and his staff have real limitations in terms of their vision for the team and how they can win and coach their players, and it’s directly reflected in his record. He is what it says he is. The sooner general manager Mickey Loomis comes to grips with that fact, the better off they’ll be.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen got back to .500 as head coach of the Saints

Dennis Allen got back to .500 as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. One more victory and he’ll have his best-ever win streak:

Dennis Allen’s team improved to 2-0 on Sunday, which means his record as head coach of the New Orleans Saints climbed up to 18-18. He’s back to .500 after a rough start to his tenure left him at 7-10 in his first year on the job. One more victory and Allen will be 3-0 this season, with the longest win streak of his coaching career.

If you want to be technical (and who doesn’t?), Allen is already there. His Saints beat the brakes off the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in  the final two weeks of the 2023 regular season, so you could argue he’s actually won four in a row. And for the sake of argument we’ll fight back against that.

Winning three games in three weeks would be much more impressive than stretching that streak across two different seasons, especially when you consider that it’s another playoff team lining up across from the Saints next Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles just had a laugh at their division rivals’ expense, and you can bet they don’t want to get clowned on SportsCenter like the Dallas Cowboys are right now. They’ll give the Saints their best shot.

Knowing that, it would have to be even more satisfying for Allen to see his team pluck those Eagles out of the sky. A 3-0 start would be the best of his career. He’s been over .500 before with the Saints (they started 2-0 last season, too, and got ahead by a single win on three different occasions). But he’s never been three games ahead. If he can keep this positive momentum going, it would do a lot to push back against the narratives that have trailed him since his ugly 8-28 run with the Raiders all those years ago.

The challenge is clear. So are the stakes. And so is the opponent. It’s a new week. Let’s see if Allen’s team can get the job done.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Here is our downloadable New Orleans Saints 2024 schedule

Here is our downloadable New Orleans Saints 2024 schedule for your desktop or mobile device:

Here is our downloadable New Orleans Saints 2024 schedule for your desktop or mobile device wallpaper, including dates and times for all 17 games on this year’s slate.

The Saints will play three prime time games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers while working to rise above their rivals in the NFC South. While they are tied for the easiest strength of schedule in the league, the Saints themselves aren’t exactly an opponent teams fear of Sundays. They have a lot of doubters to prove wrong in 2024.

Here is our downloadable schedule highlighting star talents like Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Cameron Jordan, and Derek Carr:

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]