The 2017 Saints season is almost here. Only 5 more days until kickoff and as a fan we are all excited. But how will the team do this year? Honestly, I have no idea what to really think about this team. I could see them going 11-5 but they could easily slip back down to 7-9. After a solid preseason expectations are high but you should approach this season with caution. This is still a team thin at certain positions. This is still a team rebuilding even if no one wants to call it that. This is still a team coming off 3 consecutive 7-9 season in a row. So how do I envision the team doing? Read below…
Week 1: Saints at Vikings MNF
The Saints open the season on Monday Night in Minnesota. The Saints historically during the Sean Payton era have been deadly during primetime games but that hasn’t necessarily been the case the last few years. This will not be an easy game for the Saints. Remember that the Vikings traded for Sam Bradford last preseason after the injury to Teddy Bridgewater and cranked out 5 straight wins before stumbling, three of those wins came against eventual playoff teams. Thanks to a great defense the Vikings weren’t a dumpster fire last season and that could be the case this year. I think the Saints will get to a slow start on offense but the Saints defense will come up big against an awful offensive line. The Saints will have 3 sacks and 1 interception on Sam Bradford and give the Saints their first win of the season.
Score: Saints 17 Vikings 14
Record 1-0
Week 2: Saints vs Patriots
Week 2 will welcome the defending Super Bowl Champs to town. They will bring with them former Saints first round pick Brandin Cooks. The Patriots will have a long break between their Thursday night opener against the Chiefs while the Saints will be playing on a short week. Tom Brady and Drew Brees will get into an offensive shootout that will see the Saints come out on top thanks to a last-minute field gold by Will Lutz.
Score: Saints 31 Patriots 28
Record 2-0
Week 3: Saints at Panthers
The Saints will travel to Carolina on cloud 9 after just beating the defending Super Bowl Champions and carrying a 2-0 record. But they will have no time to celebrate the win as they must prepare for Cam Newton and Co. This will be a defensive game and one that is won in the trenches. In the end, Carolina will come out on top, giving the Saints their first loss of the season.
Score: Saints 10 Panthers 17
Record 2-1
Week 4: Saints at Dolphins (In London)
The Saints will enter week 4 and have to travel across the pond to London for their matchup against the Dolphins. The Saints will be prepared for what will be an improved Miami team, even with Jay Cutler behind center. This will be the week the defense really shows up and causes headaches for Cutler. The Saints will walk away with 4 sacks and 2 turnovers and be putting pressure on Cutler all day. Drew Brees and the offense will start to click and the Saints will easily walk out of London with their third win of the season.
Score: Saints 41 Miami 16
Record 3-1
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Saints vs Lions
The Saints will get an early BYE week to recover from the long trip overseas and get ready to face the Detroit Lions. The Lions have had the Saints number in recent years and I don’t expect that to change this year. The Saints will be fresh and playing at home but come out flat and struggle against the Lions. Matt Stafford will light up the score board and this will be another offensive game that Drew Brees just can’t carry the team far enough to win. Lions will hand the Saints their second loss of the season in a heartbreaker.
Score: Saints 21 Lions 35
Record 3-2
Week 7: Saints at Green Bay
The schedule will start to lighten up for the Saints midseason but not before the Saints have to travel to Green Bay to face Aaron Rodgers. Luckily this isn’t a November or December game, but it will still be cold in Green Bay in late October. The Saints defense will be respectable against the greatest quarterback in football but it won’t be enough to get the win. Green Bay will win it thanks to a last-minute field goal or Hail Mary by Rodgers.
Score: Saints 21 Green Bay 24
Record 3-3
Week 8: Saints vs Bears
After a rough loss to the Packers the Saints will get the opportunity to come back home and face the Chicago Bears who are still in the middle of a rebuild. With a rookie QB the Dome will be too much for him to handle. The Saints defense will have another nice showing and Drew Bress will do Drew Bress things. This will be an easy win for the Saints and keep the fan base from jumping off a bridge. Saints win this in 2011 fashion.
Score: Saints 38 Bears 10
Record 4-3
Week 9: Saints vs Tampa Bay
The Saints will get two home games back to back and will welcome the divisional rival Bucs to the Dome. By this point in the season the Bucs will be leading the NFC South with the Saints right behind them. This will be a game for Jameis Winston to prove he can carry the Bucs to the promise land one day. Both offenses will struggle against the opposing team’s defense for a low scoring game that the Saints will barely get out of alive.
Score: Saints 16 Tampa Bay 10
Record 5-3
Week 10: Saints at Bills
After a rough divisional game the Saints will be on the road to upstate New York to face the Buffalo Bills. The Bills will throw everything they have at the Saints but the Saints will be solid in all three phases of the game for an easy win over the Bills. The Saints will start out slow thanks to the cold weather but will get into a rhythm at half time and have to dig themselves out of a 7 to 3 hole. Fans in New Orleans will finally start having hope.
Score: Saints 24 Bills 14
Record 6-3
Week 11: Saints vs Redskins
Junior Galette has already circled this date on his calendar but mark my words, HE WILL NOT LAY A HAND ON DREW BREES. The improved Linebacker play will help not allow Washington to kill the Saints with Jordan Reed and the Saints will be pumped playing in front of the hometown crowd. The Saints will eek out a victory and be on a three game win streak.
Score: Saints 31 Redskins 27
Record 7-3
Week 12: Saints at Rams
The Saints will be on a three game win streak and head out to LA for a matchup against the LA Rams. But this wont be the same Rams from last year. The Saints will come out sluggish and Aaron Donald will cause nightmares for the offense. The Saints will remind us of the Saints of old as their win streak is unexpectedly brought to a halt as they fall to the Rams.
Score: Saints 10 Rams 14
Record 7-4
Week 13: Saints vs Panthers
The Saints will come back home and host the Carolina Panthers in another important divisional game. The Panthers will be ready for the Saints and force Drew Brees into mistakes. The run game with disappear and the Panthers will force the Saints to be one demential. The Panthers will cause a few turnovers and easily take care of the Saints.
Score: Saints 17 Panthers 24
Record 7-5
Week 14: Saints at Falcons TNF
The Saints will be back in Primetime to take on the hated Falcons in the Saints first trip to the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Saints will be on a short week and the Falcons will take advantage of them. This will come down to who has the ball last and the Falcons will take the win and putting the Saints in a 3 game losing streak. The annual Sean Payton rumors will start after this week.
Score: Saints 27 Falcons 28
Record 7-6
Week 15: Saints vs Jets
The Jets are exactly what the Saints need to help right the ship. The Jets will be on pace for the number 1 overall pick and the Saints will come home after a long week and take out their frustrations on the Jets. The defense will play will swagger causing multiple turnovers and the Saints will cruise to a victory. Everyone in New Orleans will celebrate because at Week 15 we will realize we are not going 7-9.
Score: Saints 32 Jets 3
Record 8-6
Week 16 Saints vs Falcons
The Saints will get to face the Falcons just two weeks after their first matchup and will be ready for the Falcons. They will have just put an ass whooping on the Jets and their confidence couldn’t be higher. The Saints know they are fighting for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and will give the Falcons everything they have. In the end it will be more than enough to handle the dirty birds as the Saints move to 9 wins and close out their home schedule with a bang.
Score: Saints 24 Falcons 16
Record 9-6
Week 17: Saints at Tampa Bay
By the time the Saints meet up with Tampa Bay to close the season these will be two different teams. The Saints will be fighting for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and the Bucs will have secured the Division and clinched a playoff berth. The biggest question is will the Bucs sit their starters to help them be healthy for the following week in the playoffs or will they want to play spoilers to a divisional opponent. The answer is simple, the Bucs will come out to play but the Saints will have more to play for. This will be a team playing with heart and passion. The offense will be lights out and the defense will put together a solid showing. The Saints win and make it into the playoffs.
Score: Saints 37 Tampa Bay 28
Record 10-6
OVERVIEW:
The Saints will play with passion all season long and will have some close games but in the end the Saints will end the season with a winning record. To put icing on the cake, the Saints will not have a losing record at any point in the season. They will finish second in the division behind Tampa Bay. And will boast a top 5 offense and a top 15 defense. The Saints will have 4 players voted into the Pro Bowl (Drew Brees, Mark Ingram, Micheal Thomas and Cameron Jordan) and Drew Brees will throw for over 4,000 yards.
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