New Orleans Saints' easiest 3-game stretch of their 2024 season after schedule release - quynhlong

The New Orleans Saints have their 2024 schedule. The NFL unveiled the entire NFL schedule on Wednesday evening, and the Saints have plenty of chances to get in the win column in 2024.

Will they return to the postseason? Only time will tell. Dennis Allen better hope so. If they do, it's because they take advantage of a fairly weak schedule in totality. They need to beat the teams they're expected to beat.

What's the easiest 3-game stretch of the Saints' 2024 schedule?

Week 6-8 (October 17th-November 3rd)

This choice was not easy. The Saints don't have a tough schedule, at least predictively speaking, compared to the rest of the NFL. 

Instead of ranking strength of schedule by last year's records, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis bases his rankings on Vegas' projected win totals for the upcoming season. This methodology allows for a more accurate projection of how good teams are expected to be for the season. At the time of this publication, Sharp hasn't updated it to reflect Vegas' updated, post-draft totals. Regardless, He has the Saints' SOS as the fifth-easiest. Only the Atlanta Falcons, Chargers, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets have easier schedules, as pictured below:

Regardless, their easiest stretch probably comes within the first two months of the season. 

In Week 6, the Saints host the Denver Broncos. In week 7, they will visit Los Angeles to play the Chargers. In Week 8, they will play at the Carolina Panthers.

For Denver, they will probably be starting rookie QB in Bo Nix. Sean Payton will pull out all the stops to beat his former team, but the Saints are a much more talented roster at almost every level compared to the Broncos. I'd expect them to come out victorious at home in that matchup.

Next up, the Chargers. Los Angeles  has plenty of hype because of the hire of HC Jim Harbaugh. He's certainly an upgrade, but their roster is arguably worse than it was in 2023. They'll need to heavily exceed expectations in order to make waves in the AFC West. This is a winnable game for the Saints, too.

The Panthers are arguably the worst team in the NFL - still. Bryce Young is not proven, and his pass catchers are among the worst group in the NFC. Their defense lost their top piece in Brian Burns during the offseason, and LB Frankie Luvu will be another important loss to their front seven, too. The Saints need to win both games against Carolina again this year. 

All in all, this 3-game stretch is the most palatable for New Orleans. They will probably be favored in all three matchups, for good reason.