We’re just a few days removed from the New Orleans Saints’ unceremonious exit from the race for Super Bowl LIV, which abruptly shut the book on the 2019 season. It’s understandable if fans aren’t ready to look forwards just yet.
That said, we come with good news: the Saints’ strength of schedule projects to be one of the NFL’s easiest in 2020. Next season’s opponents finished the regular season with a combined record of 125-130-1, for a winning percentage of .490. That ranks 24 out of 32 around the league, or ninth-easiest.
Interestingly, only four rival NFC teams place ahead of the Saints, and it’s because they all play each other in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys (.459), Washington Redskins (.465), and New York Giants (.482) will each be debuting new coaching staffs, while the Philadelphia Eagles (.486) face a slightly tougher degree of difficulty after their first-place finish. That bodes well for the Saints, who are positioned to get right back into championship contention — should they have a successful offseason, anyway.
Just five of the Saints’ future opponents made the playoffs after the 2019 season, and they’ll play most of those games at home with matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and San Francisco 49ers. They’ll have to hit the road to Philadelphia for their lone game away from home against a playoff team. All told, it’s not a bad slate for a team that’s won the NFC South in each of the last three years. Are the Falcons, Panthers, and Buccaneers even trying?
