Tag: series

Saints vs. Packers series history: Who owns the all-time lead?

New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers series history: Who owns the all-time lead before Sunday’s matchup at historic Lambeau Field?

We’re in for the third matchup in four years between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, but which team holds the lead in the all-time series history? These teams have kicked off against one another 27 times, and the Packers have won 17 of those games.

But the Saints have made up some ground in recent years. They’ve won three of the last four matchups with Green Bay in 2014, 2017, and 2021 by staggering totals of 44-23, 26-17, and 38-3 each time. The Packers played it close on an uncharacteristically poor day for the Saints defense in 2020, winning 37-30 in front of a scant crowd at the Caesars Superdome during the COVID-19 pandemic, but for the most part the Saints have been in control of these games.

Will that continue on Sunday? The Packers are dealing with a host of injuries to starters on their offense, which doesn’t do inexperienced quarterback Jordan Love any favors. Their defense has also been vulnerable to a committed rushing attack, and they just choked a double-digit fourth quarter lead to the Atlanta Falcons of all teams. So maybe the Saints can pull off an upset on the road and improve to 3-0.

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Saints vs. Panthers series history: Who is ahead in the all-time record?

The Panthers swept the Saints last year, and New Orleans is only ahead in series history by a single game. There’s a lot on the line in Monday night’s rivalry game:

There’s a lot on the line in Monday night’s prime-time game between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. This rivalry series has gotten heated through the years — and the Panthers swept the Saints last season, meaning New Orleans is currently ahead in the all-time history by a single game (29-28).

If the Panthers can pull off an upset win on Monday, they would tie it all up at 29-29 and set up a pivotal rematch at the Caesars Superdome in Week 14 (Dec. 10). But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.

While the Panthers did win each of the last two meetings in Carolina, the Saints won four straight matchups in Charlotte from 2017 to 2020. Even if the Panthers have installed a new coaching staff and a highly-touted rookie quarterback, they’re a team who knows the Saints well and always play them tough.

Quite a few former Saints players are suiting up for Carolina, too: backup quarterback Andy Dalton, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, and strong safety Vonn Bell were all offseason acquisitions.

Dennis Allen’s squad can’t afford to overlook them after the Panthers dropped a two-touchdown loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. They’ve got no room for trash talk having scored just 16 points in a single-digit win themselves.

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Saints’ all-time record vs. each opponent on 2023 schedule

Which opponents have given the Saints the most trouble over the years? Here’s their all-time record vs. each team on their 2023 schedule:

We already know which teams the New Orleans Saints are going to play in 2023, we’re just waiting on the NFL schedule release to confirm the dates and times for each matchup. But which of their opponents have given the Saints the most trouble over the years?

Here’s a quick look at the series history between the Saints and every team lined up on their 2023 schedule, ordered from the lowest winning percentage to the highest:

Sean Payton going to the Panthers would lead to bad blood, but a better trade return

Sean Payton going to the Panthers would lead to bad blood in an established rivalry, but it would also bring the Saints a better return in a trade:

Now that’s one way to send the New Orleans Saints fanbase into an uproar. The Saints greenlit an interview request from the Carolina Panthers for former head coach Sean Payton, who is still under contract with New Orleans through 2024 after stepping down from his post last year. The Panthers have been meeting with head coach candidates throughout the week after interim coach Steve Wilks led them to a 7-10 finish, having dismissed Matt Rhule midway through the 2022 season.

Now Payton is on the radar of an NFC South rival and he could soon be coaching against the Saints twice each year. He still needs to actually meet with Carolina and see what owner David Tepper is willing to offer him, and it would take a lot for him to willingly enter such a fraught situation — but if Tepper is willing to pay him $15 to $20 million a year and give him personnel control, well, that’s a tough offer to walk away from.

But this would definitely lead to bad blood within an established rivalry. The Saints have a narrow 29-28 lead over the Panthers in their series history. While it isn’t as spirited a feud as New Orleans enjoys with the Atlanta Falcons, there’s real passion and vitriol here. Having the greatest coach in franchise history leading a direct competitor would sure add fuel to that fire.

Trading Payton to Carolina would also bring a stronger return to the Saints. A division rival is going to be taxed more heavily than a team in another NFC division, or one hailing from the AFC. While New Orleans hasn’t worked out specific compensation with any team interviewing Payton in the days ahead, general manager Mickey Loomis has said that part of the process in approving those interviews is reaching a general understanding of what is needed to acquire Payton. And that price changes for each team based on their unique circumstances and available trade assets.

Remember, players can’t be involved in coach trades. Teams can only exchange draft picks and cash. And the Panthers could do more to drive up the price than any other team thanks to their stockpile of draft assets. They own selections in the 2023 draft including the ninth overall pick in the first round, a pair of second rounders, a third rounder, and two fourth-round selections. They also have their full allotment of picks in 2024 with a couple of more late-round picks thrown in for good measure.

The only hurdle is Payton himself. Carolina’s situation is not one that matches his ideal description of stable, supportive ownership and an effective front office. David Tepper has been a mercurial force after buying the franchise a couple of years ago, waffling on personnel decisions and pushing them to make ill-advised moves for a series of quarterbacks of varying competence. They still don’t have a quarterback, and Payton’s odds of finding one he wants to work with diminish if the Panthers trade the No. 9 pick for him. Even if Tepper offers him everything he wants, it’s tough to see him taking that offer seriously.

But stranger things have happened than an iconic coach being traded to a division rival. Payton’s own mentor Bill Parcells was once traded from the New England Patriots to the New York Jets. We shouldn’t dismiss this possibility out of hand. The Panthers are obviously willing to pay the price by seeking an interview in the first place. It just comes back to Payton’s willingness to take the job.

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A lot has changed since the last Saints-Steelers game

A lot has changed since the last Saints-Steelers game. Gone are the Hall of Fame quarterbacks, and many of the stars who became household names:

It’s only been four years since the New Orleans Saints last crossed paths with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it feels like a lifetime. Neither team resembles itself after stumbling out of the gate and into 6-loss starts to their season. The 2-6 Steelers and 3-6 Saints are just hoping to avoid a seventh result in the loss column here. It’s been quite a fall from grace; just look at when they last met late in the 2018 season, where it looked like a possible Super Bowl preview.

The 12-2 Saints were hosting the 8-5-1 Steelers, who had just taken down Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in a dramatic 17-10 win to cut off their 3-game losing streak. Pittsburgh had the playoffs in sight and seemed to be moving the ball at will with Ben Roethlisberger’s arm — he finished the season with 34 touchdown passes and 5,129 passing yards, thriving with wide receivers Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster at the height of their powers. Both receivers caught double-digit passes and gained 100-plus yards against the Saints in this game.

Roethlisberger probably gets into the Hall of Fame someday given his consistent above-average performances, and with his teams having won a pair of Super Bowls early in his career. Drew Brees, his opponent that Sunday afternoon, is a first-ballot lock after winning Super Bowl XLIV and owning every major passing record at some point in his career. He completed multiple passes to the likes of Keith Kirkwood and Josh Hill in this game, with Michael Thomas (109 receiving yards, 1 touchdown reception) and Alvin Kamara (97 scrimmage yards, 2 touchdown runs) doing their best to support him in the win.

Now look at them. The Saints made a quarterback change in the wake of Jameis Winston’s injury earlier this season, leaning on Andy Dalton and a carousel of wide receivers while their defense has struggled to find its footing. The Steelers were hopeful Mitchell Trubisky could bridge the gap post-Roethlisberger, but it took just a couple of weeks for Kenny Pickett to unseat him, even if he hasn’t looked any better after taking the wheel.

New Orleans owns the all-time record over the Steelers at 9-7, having won each of their last three meetings. They’re the only team that Mike Tomlin has never beaten as a head coach in the NFL. But that was with Sean Payton at the helm. Now that the Saints have hitched their fortunes to Dennis Allen, it’s possible Tomlin finally gets that win over the black and gold, though Allen beat Tomlin’s Steelers twice when he was coaching the then-Oakland Raiders. We’ll see if he can pull it off in front of an anxious crowd with their yellow towels overhead, spinning like a helicopter.

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Saints can settle the score with the Falcons in Week 1

Dennis Allen can do more than start his tenure off with a bang. A win in Atlanta would be a huge step towards settling the all-time score in Week 1:

There aren’t many more storied rivalries than the New Orleans Saints’ historic feud with the Atlanta Falcons. The two franchises were once condemned to the NFC West, taking turns losing to the legendary San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams squads in their early days. And for a long time they were the only NFL teams in the Southeast, separated only by a seven-hour drive or a 90-minute flight. That proximity helped foster a real hate between the two fanbases, and we’re about to experience the next chapter in the long-running feud on Sunday.

Let’s run through some highlights. The Falcons beat the Saints in their lone playoff game together. To pay them back, the Saints won a Super Bowl championship first. New Orleans won a couple of times on Thanksgiving Day. Drew Brees broke the NFL’s all-time passing yards record in prime time against the Falcons. Atlanta once intercepted Brees five times in a single game; he later shook two Falcons defenders on one spin move to score a touchdown run, then closed out overtime with a goal-line leap to win the day. Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle intercepted Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and stiff-armed him into the turf on the return. Ryan eventually made like fan-favorite wide receiver Julio Jones and quit on the Falcons by requesting a trade out of town. Somewhere, a Saints fan right now is live-tweeting a replay of the Falcons’ 28-3 Super Bowl collapse while pretending like they’ve never seen it before.

Those are just some quick vignettes from a rivalry that’s been running for more than half a century. Annoyingly, Atlanta owns the all-time record by a razor-thin margin of 54-52, including one playoff meeting. A regular season sweep would tie things up for New Orleans, but the Saints need to start off with a Week 1 win.

Sean Payton did a lot to help close the gap between the two rivals. His teams went 21-9 against the Falcons, and the last game he ever coached for the Saints was a regular season finale in Atlanta (which the Saints won 30-20 after Trevor Siemian stepped in at quarterback for the injured Taysom Hill).

But now Payton is lounging with his good friend Jay Glazer and the other FOX Sports studio panelists on Sundays, with the Saints electing to hire Dennis Allen as their new head coach. And Allen has an opportunity to set the tone with his first game in this role. Leaving Atlanta with a win wouldn’t just start his new venture off on the right track. It would put the Saints in position to tie up the all-time series history with the Falcons when they visit New Orleans for a rematch on Dec. 18.

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Every Falcons head coach’s all-time record against the Saints

Every Falcons head coach’s all-time record against the Saints, through 54 years (and counting) of rivalry games:

There isn’t a better NFL rivalry than the New Orleans Saints’ SEC-style feud with the Atlanta Falcons, which stretches back generations and has survived the passage of time (and a league realignment or two). Everyone knows it — it’s why the Saints are opening their 2022 season on the road against Atlanta.

Sure there may be other NFL rivalries with a higher profile on the national stage, but come on; the Chicago Bears haven’t been competitive with the Green Bay Packers in decades, with just two regular season sweeps in my lifetime (2007 and 2005, dating back to 1992, if you’re curious). At least the Baltimore Ravens have recently narrowed the gap with the Pittsburgh Steelers by winning their last four battles in a row, but Pittsburgh is winning the war with a dominant 32-24 overall record. The point is that a strong rivalry should actually be competitive and fun to watch, with real history baked into it.

Compare that to the Saints and Falcons, who have each taken their lumps and enjoyed their highlights over the years, though the Saints haven’t come close to embarrassing their fans the way Atlanta did in blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI. Now, New Orleans is in position to tie everything up with a 2022 season sweep; the Falcons have barely held on to their all-time series lead at 54-52, thanks to Sean Payton torching them with a 21-9 record against Atlanta during his long run as Saints head coach.

But how have the individual Falcons head coaches fared? Let’s run down the list:

Saints are in prime position to ascend NFC South with Week 9 win vs. Falcons

Saints are in prime position to ascend NFC South with Week 9 win vs. Falcons

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There’s going to be a lot at stake when the New Orleans Saints host the Atlanta Falcons this weekend. The Saints are riding a three-game win streak and are in a great position to claim the top spot in the NFC South after knocking out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. It’s just going to be difficult without Jameis Winston starting at quarterback.

But the good news is that the Saints know their next opponent. Maybe too well. The Falcons might be 3-4 but they’re the oldest rival New Orleans has had in the NFL. They’ve had a lot of success against Atlanta with just two losses to the dirty birds since 2017, but the Falcons own the all-time series 53-51. A season sweep could tie it up and set the Saints up to earn tremendous bragging rights in 2022.

Let’s focus on the NFC South right now, though. The 6-2 Buccaneers are resting up during their bye week. The 5-2 Saints are hosting the 3-4 Falcons, while the 4-4 Carolina Panthers are trying to figure out what went wrong after their hot start to the season. A Saints win on Sunday ties Tampa Bay’s division lead, and the saints currently own a tiebreaker from their head-to-head victory. For a time, at least, New Orleans would again stand on top of the division.

Every streak ends eventually, but the Saints have a real shot at extending their unprecedented four-year run in the NFC South. Putting the Falcons in their place at the bottom of the divisional standings would go a long way towards accomplishing that.

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WATCH: Teddy Bridgewater lights up Panthers training camp practice

Teddy Bridgewater endeared himself to the New Orleans Saints as a backup to Drew Brees, but he’s starred at Carolina Panthers training camp.

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Some New Orleans Saints fans may hate-watch this well-produced clip from Carolina Panthers practice, but many more are sure to be happy to see it: Teddy Bridgewater imprinted himself that well on the community. And he’s quickly endeared himself to Panthers faithful as the new face of the franchise under first-year head coach Matt Rhule, between his skill in practice and widely-respected strength of character in the locker room.

But the accuracy with which Bridgewater spins a football is what grabs your attention in this video. The Panthers highlighted one of Bridgewater’s throws from a recent training camp practice session, striking wide receiver Robby Anderson in the back of the end zone for a toe-tapping touchdown. Sure, it’s as impressive as any pass Bridgewater completed in black and gold, but it’s sort of painful to see him thriving for an NFC South rival.

And from the sound of it, Bridgewater isn’t planning to go one-and-done in his new starting gig. He’s eager to prove his five game winning streak with the Saints last season wasn’t a fluke.

“Look at the roster,” Bridgewater said, beaming in his introductory media conference call. “There are a ton of playmakers, a lot guys who bring a ton of energy to the field, a ton of excitement.”

Bridgewater pointed out that his new offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, handled his on-boarding process when the Saints traded for him back in 2018. Then an assistant coach, Brady got Bridgewater up to speed and worked with him after practice each day. Pairing up with him again was a logical decision, even if it meant both men had to go turncoat.

He’s also excited about his supporting cast, saying, “I’ve heard stories of how hard Christian McCaffrey works. I’ve heard how much of a dog D.J. Moore is, Curtis Samuel. I can go down the list. To add Robby (Anderson) to the equation, it’s great to be in the seat that I’m in. I used to always talk about being a kid in a candy store. That’s what it feels like when you have those guys that have been productive in this league.”

But Brady isn’t the only familiar face in Carolina. Bridgewater will be working with former teammates Tommylee Lewis and Keith Kirkwood (once he returns from surgery on a broken clavicle), and facing off against Eli Apple in practice. They’re all part of a group of nine different Saints players and coaches now part of the Panthers organization.

The Panthers have lost six of their last seven games against the Saints, including the playoffs, with the lone victory logged versus Bridgewater and the undermanned Saints in a meaningless Week 17 game. Things seem to have a funny way of working out in the NFC South, because now he’ll be looking to reverse that trend, from the opposing sideline.

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