The New Orleans Saints now know the dates and times of every game on their 2020 schedule, but some are more compelling than others. Whether it’s the storylines that contextualize those games or simply the strength-on-strength matchups that decide who wins, a few games leap off the page. Here are the subplots we’ll be watching this season.
Drew Brees versus Tom Brady
Saints fans have argued for years that Brees should be considered just as much an NFL powerhouse as Brady, even if his success doesn’t quit measure up against the gauntlet of Super Bowl rings Brady has assembled over his long career. Whether it’s the worst-in-NFL-history defenses Brees has been shackled with or the cakewalk schedules Brady has feasted on in the AFC East, there’s reasons to think these two might be more similar than the accolades they’ve won suggest.
We’ll get a quick look at this showdown when Brees and Brady square off in Week 1 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. And fans won’t have to wait long for the second entry in this series, when the Saints travel to Tampa Bay in Week 9 for a primetime game on Sunday Night Football. There’s a lot at stake here, including Brees’ lead on the all-time passing touchdowns record (547) over Brady in a not-too-distant second-place (541).
Teddy Bridgewater turning heel
Oh, Teddy. The heart and soul of the Saints locker room won fans over in a hurry last season; it’s not surprising at all, given his charismatic personality and passion for the game, as well as the rough road he’s taken to get here. Unfortunately, Bridgewater is now one of the enemy, having linked up with ex-Saints assistant coach Joe Brady on the Carolina Panthers. He’ll have some nice weapons to work with in first-year head coach Matt Rhule’s offense. The Saints will have the luxury of their Week 6 bye before playing Bridgewater the first time, but their rematch comes in the regular season finale at Carolina.
The perilous NFC South
Two teams in the division are rebuilding on the fly, with Brady looking to maximize his talent at receiver (through Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, an ascendant player entering a contract year) and tight end (where retiree Rob Gronkowski will be pushing O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate for snaps) in the twilight of his career. Bridgewater is also hoping to lock down his status as a franchise quarterback and discourage the Panthers from looking too hard for his replacement.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons are trying to figure out how they locked themselves in the cellar. They invested heavily in a couple of L.A. Rams washouts in Todd Gurley and Dante Fowler, but otherwise return a similar team to those the Saints have beaten before. Still, playing the Falcons twice in three weeks (on Nov. 22 and Dec. 6) isn’t a challenge the Saints should take lightly.
A back-to-back-to-back road series
The Saints have arguably been a better team away from the Superdome than inside of it in recent years, which bodes well for their changes down the stretch. They’ll hit the road in Weeks 12, 13, and 14, drawing two potential cold-weather games against the Denver Broncos and the Philadelphia Eagles, with a rematch in Atlanta squeezed in-between. While just one of those squads reached the postseason last year, this is the sort of hurdle that can spike a team’s odds at winning the first seed.
Passing the torch to the new class of QB’s
There’s a very real chance that this is the final year for Brees to sling a football in black and gold. While his contract does run through the 2021 season, he’s already made retirement plans with NBC Sports and his heir-apparent (Taysom Hill) already has a starter’s salary lined up after this year. Brees returning shouldn’t be seen as a given.
In light of that, look at all the young quarterbacks on his schedule: Justin Herbert (Week 5), Drew Lock (Week 12), Patrick Mahomes (Week 15), and maybe Jalen Hurts (Week 14). Other young guns like Derek Carr (Week 2), Jimmy Garoppolo (Week 10), and Bridgewater (Weeks 7 and 17) are also hoping to prove they can hold onto their starting gigs. The quarterbacks landscape is in a transition phase, with mainstays like Brees, Brady (Weeks 1 and 9), and Aaron Rodgers (Week 3) on the way out.
Another showdown with Mike Zimmer’s defense
The NFL penciled in just one game for Christmas Day, and it pits the Saints against the Minnesota Vikings (in Week 16). Zimmer has gotten the better of the Saints offense in most of their recent meetings, including an embarrassing playoffs loss last year in which he clipped New Orleans’ wings. Some fans are determined to call out the Saints defense for crumpling in overtime in that game, but how can an offense stocked with so many Pro Bowlers fail to score more than 20 points in the biggest game of the year? Zimmer is the brightest defensive mind in the NFL today, and his history with Sean Payton, an old friend and colleague, has served him well before.
And a rogues’ gallery at the finish line
Three of the final four games on this year’s Saints schedule will come against teams returning from last season’s playoffs tournament, including the Eagles (Week 14), the Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs (Week 15), and the Vikings (Week 16, on a short week). This might be what makes or breaks this Saints squad. If they rise to the occasion and handle their business against three of the best teams in the NFL, we’ll know that New Orleans is ready to make a serious run at another Super Bowl. If not, well, there’s no other way to look back on the last year (or even the last four years) of Saints football as a disappointment.
