New Orleans Saints’ 2016 NFL schedule released
By John Buhler
The New Orleans Saints will look to navigate a brutal 2016 regular season schedule in hopes of getting back into the NFC Playoffs after a two-year absence.
The New Orleans Saints went 7-9 in 2015 and failed to make the NFC Playoffs for the second consecutive season. Unfortunately for the Saints, New Orleans is not going to have an easy time getting back into the postseason with their brutal 2016 NFL schedule.
New Orleans will still have to play its six annual games against its NFC South rivals in the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all three teams home and away. All four NFC South teams have some hope of getting into the NFC Playoffs, so do expect another highly competitive year in divisional play in the NFC South.
In the NFC divisional rotation, the Saints draw the NFC West in its entirety. New Orleans will get both the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks at home, while the Saints will have to play the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers on the road.
Out of the AFC, the Saints will have to play the AFC West in its entirety. New Orleans will get both the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders at home, but will have to play the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers on the road.
Since the Saints finished in third place in the 2015 NFC South Division standings, to round out their 2016 NFL schedule for competitive balance, New Orleans will have to play the two other 2015 third place teams in the NFC. The Saints will draw the Detroit Lions of the NFC North at home, but will have to play the New York Giants of the NFC East on the road this fall.
With the strong teams in the NFC South, the NFC West, and the AFC West, the Saints draw the fourth toughest slate of games on their 2016 NFL schedule. The Saints’ 2016 opponents went a combined 140-116 for a .547 winning percentage in 2015.
Overall, New Orleans will need to do more than win shootouts in 2016 if the Saints want to end their two-year NFC Playoff absence this fall. New Orleans has the offense to hold its own in games, but a poor defense and a tough 2016 schedule could make it difficult for Saints to reach the NFC Playoffs in 2016.
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