The Saints had a very strong regular season in 2019. They finished the year 13-3 but managed to not earn a bye in the first round of the playoffs somehow. Star receiver, Michael Thomas, put up absolutely ridiculous numbers setting the single season record for receptions resulting in him earning the offensive player of the year award. Since, the Saints got snubbed of a bye, they were forced to play on wild card weekend against the Vikings, the team they lost to two years earlier in the playoffs via the Minneapolis Miracle. The Saints got off to an early lead but the Vikings answered strongly in the late second and third quarters. The Saint then made a 10 point comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Unfortunately, the Saints lost the coin toss and the Vikings drove down field and scored a touchdown so Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and company never even had a chance. I personally hate this rule and think both teams should get an opportunity to score in overtime. Many games are decided by a coin flip and last time i checked, the ability to win a coin flip and the ability to win a football game are two completely different skills. Anyway, the Saints certainly have their minds set on the Lombardi trophy this year after a very disappointing end to last season. Brees was resigned to a 2 year, 50 million dollar contract as the 41 year old enters his 20th season in the league and he's got a new offensive lineman in Cesar Ruiz, the Saints first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Below is my regular season prediction for the New Orleans Saints.
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - win
Week 2: @ Las Vegas Raiders - win
Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers - win
Week 4: @ Detroit Lions - win
Week 5: vs. Los Angeles Chargers - win
Week 6: Bye Week
Week 7: vs. Carolina Panthers - win
Week 8: @ Chicago Bears - win
Week 9: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - loss
Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers - win
Week 11: vs. Atlanta Falcons - win
Week 12: @ Denver Broncos - win
Week 13: @ Atlanta Falcons - loss
Week 14: @ Philadelphia Eagles - loss
Week 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs - loss
Week 16: vs. Minnesota Vikings - win
Week 17: @ Carolina Panthers - win
I have the Saints going 12-4 this year which almost guarantees them the division title but definitely guarantees them a playoff birth. The Saints start off as the best team in the league winning their first eight games but I think Tom Brady and the Buccaneers will end that in week nine. I then have the Saints losing three straight in weeks 13-15 which are two tough road matchups followed by the defending Super Bowl Champions. The Saints win in week 16 will be huge. They are playing the Vikings who they lost to in the playoffs last year as mentioned earlier and they also snap the three game losing streak. Two more Saints games were talked about in my 2020 NFL Season Preview. Make sure to check those out by clicking the link: https://bxyfalcon.wixsite.com/website/post/2020-nfl-season-preview
*At the end of this series, once I have gone through every team, I will give my playoff predictions as well as season awards.*
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