The New Orleans Saints are walking into 2026 with something they haven’t had in a while: real expectations.
Tyler Shough’s rise, plus the additions of Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson and David Edwards, have pushed New Orleans into the conversation as a favorite to win the NFC South. That’s a sharp turn from a year ago, when the Saints were 400-to-1 long shots to win the Super Bowl. Now the buzz is about whether they can finally snap a five-year playoff drought.
Here’s how the season could play out, game by game.
It starts with a tough one in Detroit on Sunday in Week 1. The Saints had their six-year streak of season-opening wins snapped last year, and another slow start would be a problem.
The Lions’ offense is one of the league’s most dangerous, and Ford Field has been a tough place under Dan Campbell, with Detroit winning 20 of its last 28 there. The call: Lions 31, Saints 26.
Things get no easier in Week 2 at Baltimore on Sept. 20.
The Ravens are set for their home opener after a trip to Indianapolis in Week 1, and first-year coach Jesse Minter will get his official welcome from a crowd still stinging from last year’s 8-9 finish. In a battle of former Louisville quarterbacks, the edge goes to Lamar Jackson and the home-field crowd.
Ravens 24, Saints 13.
New Orleans finally gets home in Week 3 against the Raiders on Sept. 27, and after an 0-2 start, this one feels urgent. It’ll be the Saints’ first game in the Dome since the preseason opener, and the building should help lift them past a rebuilding Las Vegas team.
Kirk Cousins will have a hard time with the Saints defense. Saints 27, Raiders 16.
The Dome gets another big night in Week 4, when the Falcons come in on Oct. 5 for Monday Night Football, marking the 20th anniversary of the Saints’ historic Dome-coming game in 2006. The setup points to an emotional one, and Atlanta gets cast as the sacrificial lambs. Saints 33, Falcons 20.
Week 5 brings the Vikings to town on Oct. 11, and this is where New Orleans gets back over .500. The Saints are coming off that emotional win on a short week, but Minnesota’s quarterback situation is not exactly reassuring, with Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz or J.J.
McCarthy in the mix. Daniel Carlson wins it with a field goal, and the Saints move above .500 for the first time since Week 2 of the 2024 season.
Saints 17, Vikings 16.
The first rough patch comes in Week 6 at the Giants on Oct. 18.
New York is viewed as an NFC East contender and could be rolling by then thanks to a soft early schedule. John Harbaugh is described as a major upgrade at head coach, and the Giants’ collection of high draft picks gives them plenty of talent.
The Saints arrive on a three-game winning streak, but they’re looking ahead to Paris. Giants 28, Saints 20.
Then comes one of the most unusual spots of the season: the NFL’s first game in France, against the Steelers in Paris on Oct. 25.
There should be plenty of pageantry, and New Orleans is expected to have a home-field edge with thousands of fans making the trip. Still, after a week of celebration, staying locked in sounds tricky.
Steelers 23, Saints 21.
After the bye in Week 8, the Saints come out rested for a Week 9 home date with the Browns on Nov. 8.
Cleveland may already have moved from Deshaun Watson to Shedeur Sanders by then, but either way, the Saints defense is expected to have a field day. Chase Young and company take over.
Saints 26, Browns 9.
Week 10 against the Panthers on Nov. 15 is treated as a familiar mismatch. New Orleans swept Carolina a year ago and is 5-1 all-time against Bryce Young.
In the source’s words, that’s “ownage.” Saints 23, Panthers 10.
The trip to Chicago in Week 11 on Nov. 22 is a tougher ask. The Bears are the reigning NFC North champs, they’re coming off a bye, and they beat the Saints at Soldier Field last season.
This one is closer, but the result stays the same. Bears 30, Saints 27.
Then it’s on to Cincinnati in Week 12 on Nov. 29, where the Bengals are described as their most complete team since the 2022 Super Bowl squad. New Orleans has done well there before, going 5-3 in Cincinnati, but those previous Bengals teams didn’t have Joe Burrow. Bengals 31, Saints 17.
The Saints bounce back at home in Week 13 against the Packers on Dec. 6.
This is one of those spots where timing matters, and Green Bay is caught between games against the Rams and Bills. Advantage Saints.
Saints 33, Packers 31.
Week 14 at Carolina on Dec. 13 turns into another big offensive day for Shough. By then, Dave Canales is expected to be coaching for his job and Bryce Young for his future, and Bank of America Stadium is described as one of the league’s least hostile venues.
Shough posts a career 350-yard passing day. Saints 41, Panthers 16.
The Saints’ trip to Tampa in Week 15 on Dec. 20 ends differently. Shough goes back to the site of his best 2025 performance, but the Bucs are coming off a hard road loss to Baltimore and Baker Mayfield gets the better of him.
Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal at the buzzer decides it. Bucs 24, Saints 23.
Week 16 against the Cardinals on Dec. 27 looks like a reset game. Arizona is called the ultimate get-well opponent and could even be eyeing the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, with Arch Manning mentioned in that conversation.
The Saints are in the NFC South race, and Etienne cracks 1,000 yards with a two-touchdown performance. Saints 30, Cardinals 6.
The season’s final stretch gets wild. In Week 17 at Atlanta on Jan. 3, the Saints see Jack Strand, the undrafted quarterback from Minnesota State-Moorhead who has sparked the Falcons after injuries to Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa.
Strand wins the shootout, and Atlanta clinches its first NFC South title in a decade. Falcons 34, Saints 31.
The finale comes at home against the Bucs on Jan. 10.
The Saints fall behind 10-0, rally late behind Shough, and Cam Jordan finishes it with the game-ending sack of Mayfield, pushing him past 140 sacks in his Hall of Fame career. New Orleans finishes with just its second winning season in six years, but misses the playoffs by one game.
Saints 23, Bucs 18.
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