Tag: opponents

The 2023 Saints are now 1-6 against teams at or over .500

The 2023 Saints are now 1-6 against teams at or over .500. Dennis Allen’s squad can’t beat opponents who have a backbone:

This is brutal. The New Orleans Saints sold fans a vision of false hope with recent wins over the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants, but they fell crashing back to Earth on Thursday night in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. And the numbers tell the story.

Having taken the field with the same 7-7 record as the Rams, you’d think the Saints were competing on equal footing; but they weren’t. New Orleans came up short against a quality opponent in what’s become a pattern this year. Head coach Dennis Allen’s team has a 7-8 record now, having gone 1-6 against opponents that went into Week 16 at or over .500 themselves.

In other words, the Saints caught the 8-6 Indianapolis Colts at a bad time and escaped with a win, but didn’t enjoy the same luck in losses to the 8-7 Rams, 10-4 Detroit Lions, 8-6 Houston Texans, 8-6 Jacksonville Jaguars, 7-7 Minnesota Vikings, and 7-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints have lost to teams with a combined record of 60-53 (.531).

Instead, the Saints have padded out their schedule by beating up on teams with losing records. The teams they have beaten are a combined 30-68 (.306) going into Week 16’s games, with just a single win over a team that’s at least .500. Allen hasn’t shown he has any answers when going up against opponents with a cohesive gameplan, competent coaching, and playoffs experience.

And that’s disappointing. What more does team management need to see to determine that this isn’t the answer? That there isn’t a path forward here? It’s much the same as it was last year when Allen struggled to lead the Saints to a 7-10 finish. With a winning record nearly out of reach this season, it sure feels like time isn’t on his side.

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New Orleans Saints’ known opponents for 2024 season (so far)

Here are the New Orleans Saints’ known opponents for the 2024 season (so far). One advantage of a poor finish is a better schedule the next year:

One silver lining for a poor finish is knowing you’ll land a better schedule next year — a slate of opponents for a third-place team is, presumably, easier to knock down than a series of first-place squads.

That didn’t matter for the New Orleans Saints in 2023; head coach Dennis Allen had the easiest schedule in the league and still opened December in third place, the same spot he finished with in the NFC South a year ago. But hope springs eternal. Whether or not Allen is coaching the Saints in 2024 is unknown.

What we do know is the matchups and locations for all but three of New Orleans’ games next year, with two home games against the same-ranked teams in the AFC North and NFC West as well as a road trip for the same-ranked NFC North team waiting to be decided.

Another thing known in advance: the Saints will have nine home games in 2024, the first time they’ll enjoy that benefit of the 17-game schedule after relocating their season opener in 2021 to Jacksonville in the wake of Hurricane Ida and playing a “home” game in London in 2022. With extensive renovations to the Caesars Superdome progressing well, fans will finally get the full experience next season. Hopefully the team can give them something to cheer about.

But if current standing hold, here are the teams the Saints will see in 2024:

Predicting the Saints’ 6 remaining games and final record

Predicting the Saints’ 6 remaining games and final record: Can Dennis Allen and Derek Carr get this team to the playoffs?

How does the New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons change your perception of the black and gold? Is any game left on their schedule looking like an easy win? The Saints are still in the hunt despite their 5-6 record, but it’s tough to see a path to the playoffs even with some winnable matchups lined up ahead of them.

There are six games left for the Saints to right the ship and prove they belong in the playoffs. Here are our updated week-by-week predictions for the rest of the 2023 season:

Ranking the New Orleans Saints’ 7 remaining games from easiest to toughest

Ranking the New Orleans Saints’ 7 remaining games from easiest to toughest: Which matchups are most challenging?

We’re about to jump into the back seven games of the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 schedule, and few games look like easy wins given their 5-5 record at the bye week. But while every opponent brings different challenges, it’s worth acknowledging that some teams bring more to the table than others.

With that in mind, here are our rankings for the Saints’ remaining games, ordered from least-worrying to most difficult:

Saints can get their first win against a team with a winning record in Week 10

The Saints can get their first win against a team with a winning record in Week 10. Taking down the Vikings would mean a lot in the NFC playoff race:

We’re going to learn a lot about the New Orleans Saints in their Week 10 game with the Minnesota Vikings — especially with both squads in the thick of a crowded NFC playoff picture. Both teams are 5-4. This is the type of opponent the Saints could expect to host in the first round of the playoffs, should they hold onto their lead in the NFC South.

If not the 5-4 Vikings, it could be the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks or 5-3 Dallas Cowboys coming to town. A good (not great) team presenting unique challenges with a competitive talent level. The Saints need to show they can take care of business and rise to the occasion after they fell down to the quality of their opponent last week in a tight win over a 2-7 Chicago Bears team.

And, critically for the Saints, this is the chance to get their first win over a team with a winning record this season.

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-5): Win
  2. Carolina Panthers (1-7): Win
  3. Green Bay Packers (3-5): Loss
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5): Loss
  5. New England Patriots (2-7): Win
  6. Houston Texans (4-4): Loss
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2): Loss
  8. Indianapolis Colts (4-5): Win
  9. Chicago Bears (2-7): Win

Look at that again. Just one of the teams the Saints have played so far currently has a winning record, and New Orleans lost that game. The Jaguars are nipping on the heels of the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens (both 7-2) for the first seed in the AFC. They have different goals this season than the Saints.

To be frank, they’re a better-coached team than the Saints with greater aspirations. Jacksonville is a Super Bowl contender. The best the Saints can realistically hope for is a home playoff win and a dignified exit in the second round, which would be a better finish than anything fans have experienced in the last three or four years. At the same time, anything can happen in the postseason. We’ve certainly seen it all when the Saints and Vikings are matched up: a Super Bowl berth, a crushing last-second loss, and a stunning upset after a 13-win season.

Minnesota presents a team in similar circumstances with more-comparable goals. If the Saints can leave town with a clean win and improve to 6-4 before their bye week, fans should feel optimistic about what’s ahead for them. Proving they can hang with another team with a winning record would be highly encouraging. And look at the schedule ahead: just one of the seven games remaining after their bye week will be against a team that currently owns a winning record (the 6-2 Detroit Lions). 10 or 11 wins are very much in reach for this Saints team, but they must prove they’re up to the task against the Vikings on Sunday.

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How the Chiefs should gameplan for Week 2 vs. Jaguars

How can the Kansas City #Chiefs come away with a Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville #Jaguars?

The Kansas City Chiefs will look to bounce back after a disappointing Week 1 home loss as they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.

The Chiefs will get a major boost this week with tight end Travis Kelce expected to return from injury and defensive tackle Chris Jones is back with the team after signing a new contract. K.C. will look to avoid dropping to 0-2 for the first time since 2014.

The Jaguars are coming off a 31-21 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Check out our offseason report on the Jaguars, where you’ll find information about their offseason moves and key players. Now, let’s see what it will take for the Chiefs to get into the win column and knock off Jacksonville.

Chiefs 2023 schedule preview: Week 17: Bengals

In this schedule preview our @Nicolas_Roesch takes an early look at the Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 17 opponent, the Cincinnati #Bengals.

We conclude our 2023 Kansas City Chiefs schedule preview with perhaps their biggest matchup of the year, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although they fell short of making it back to the Super Bowl, 2022 was another stellar season for Cincinnati. Things started a little rocky out of the gate with a 4-4 start, but the Bengals would go on to win their final eight games. In Week 17 their game against Buffalo was canceled due to Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin’s suffering cardiac arrest on the field.

The Bengals have made it to the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs for the second year in a row, but this time Cincinnati came out on the losing end by a score of 23-20. The Bengals then kicked off their offseason by signing former Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year contract.

They also signed veterans Nick Scott and Irv Smith Jr., who will start at safety and tight end respectively. Cincinnati’s first three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft were used on defense, selecting defensive end Myles Murphy and defensive backs D.J. Turner II and Jordan Battle.

The offseason didn’t come without a few significant losses, as the Bengals lost both starting safeties, Jesse Bates III and Vonn Bell, as well as running back Samaje Perine. The Bengals still boast a championship-caliber roster, however, and should once again be in contention to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Bengals’ top players and their outlooks for the 2023 season:

Chiefs 2023 schedule preview: Week 15: Patriots

In this schedule preview our @Nicolas_Roesch takes an early look at the Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 15 opponent, the New England #Patriots.

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin the homestretch of their 2023 schedule with a visit to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.”

The Patriots’ offseason began with the return of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, having previously served in that role with the team back in 2011. New England then signed former Chief JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million contract and he is expected to be the Patriots’ top wide receiver this season.

To boost their pass-catching group even more, the Pats signed tight end Mike Gesicki, who has 18 touchdown receptions since 2019. To cap off their offensive additions, the Pats recently signed former All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is still a dangerous goal line back that has scored double-digit touchdowns in three of his last four seasons.

The Patriots also added some key pieces to their defense, including bringing back linebacker Trey Flowers, who played for them from 2015-2018. The Pats spent their first three draft picks on defense, selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive end Keion White, and safety Marte Mapu. Gonzalez has a chance to be a very good NFL cornerback instantly.

New England took a step backward last season, finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs after a 10-7 campaign in 2021. It finished 26th overall in total offense and committed the sixth-most turnovers in the league. The Pats were strong defensively, however, ranking sixth against the run and fourth in sacks.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Patriots’ top players and their outlooks heading into the 2023 NFL season:

Chiefs 2023 schedule preview: Week 14: Bills

In this schedule preview our @Nicolas_Roesch takes an early look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 14 opponent, the Buffalo Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills will continue their rivalry in Week 14 of the 2023 season at Arrowhead Stadium.

Buffalo’s offseason began with a surprising decision from defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take a leave of absence for the 2023 season. Head coach Sean McDermott assumed the role and will pull double duty. The Bills were able to re-sign starting safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde but lost Pro Bowl middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

The Bills also added offensive guard Conner McGovern and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, both of whom are expected to start. Running back Damien Harris jumped from the AFC East rival New England Patriots to Buffalo and will look to get back on track after an injury-riddled 2022 season.

Dalton Kincaid was selected 25th overall by the Bills in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is projected to make an instant impact and could develop into one of the top tight ends in the league. In the second round Buffalo took O’Cyrus Torrence, who is battling with Ryan Bates for the starting right guard job.

The Bills have been considered a Super Bowl-caliber team for the last few years but, instead, they have experienced some serious playoff heartbreak. They were completely outmatched in the AFC Championship game by the Chiefs in 2020 and have lost in the divisional round each of the last two years. Now that the other AFC East teams have seemingly caught up with Buffalo talent-wise, the pressure is on for the Bills to get over the hump.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Bills’ top players and their outlooks heading into the 2023 NFL season:

Chiefs 2023 schedule preview: Week 13: Packers

In this schedule preview our @Nicolas_Roesch takes an early look at the Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 13 opponent, the Green Bay #Packers.

The Kansas City Chiefs return to primetime in Week 13 as they travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on “Sunday Night Football.”

Three straight years of deep playoff runs ended for the Packers after Green Bay flamed out late in 2022. The team finished with an 8-9 record, falling to the Detroit Lions in the final week of the season with the playoffs on the line. For the first time in years, the Packers’ offense was very pedestrian, ranking 15th in rushing and 17th in both passing and overall offense.

This led to one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Green Bay traded future hall-of-fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, ending an incredible 18-year run together. The Packers will now rally around Jordan Love, who they spent a first-round draft pick on back in 2020.

One of Rodgers’ frustrations with the Packers was their unwillingness to spend money in free agency to surround him with more weapons. They continued that trend this past offseason, not making a single significant offensive signing despite moving forward with the young and inexperienced Love.

The Packers did acquire some new receiving options in the draft, selecting tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft as well as wide receiver Jayden Reed. They also did some much-needed work on their front seven, drafting pass rusher Lukas Van Ness and defensive tackle Karl Brooks. Green Bay ranked 26th against the run and 28th in sacks in 2022.

The Packers are a team in transition and have one of the youngest rosters in the league. They have just two players over the age of 30, one being punter Pat O’Donnell. Showing growth and improvement from start to finish will moreso be their major goal rather than contending for a playoff start.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Packers’ top players and their outlooks heading into the 2023 NFL season: