New Orleans Saints 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 05: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints and Michael Thomas #13 of the New Orleans Saints take the field during the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 05, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – JANUARY 19: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass the ball during the AFC Championship game against the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium on January 19, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs defeated the Titans 35-24. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Home: Kansas City Chiefs

There is no better measuring stick for a team than a matchup with the defending Super Bowl champions. The Kansas City Chiefs hold that distinction after winning Super Bowl LIV in Miami so this game is a good barometer for the Saints.

Some experts thought the Saints would be the team squaring off with Kansas City prior to the season but it didn’t go according to plan. The matchup is finally going to happen this season at the Superdome, which should be an advantage for the Saints.

Even with the home-field advantage, the Saints’ defense will still have their hands full with the Chiefs’ offense. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in football for a reason and Kansas City has retained pretty much all of their key personnel from the title-winning squad.

New Orleans does have the firepower to score with the Chiefs thanks to their own elite offense led by Drew Brees. Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Alvin Kamara, and Jared Cook have the skill to take advantage of flaws in the Kansas City defense in this game.

The matchup should be one of the most anticipated of the season and it would be great for the Saints to find a way to win it. Even if they can’t, it won’t hurt their tiebreaker chances too much since it is not a conference game.

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