New Orleans Saints' Record In Season Openers Against Their NFC South Rivals

The New Orleans Saints and every other NFL team will know the dates and times for their 2024-25 opponents this Wednesday evening during the official schedule release -- Roger Goodell's latest made for TV event.

New Orleans will kick off their 58th season, hoping to break a string of three straight years without a playoff appearance. It'll be the team's third year under head coach Dennis Allen, who has compiled a 16-18 record over his two seasons at the helm.

The Saints have a 21-36 all-time record in season openers, a winning percentage of .368. They are 17-23 at home in openers (.425) while going 4-13 (.235) on the road. Ugly, to be sure, but New Orleans has won five straight games to start a season. Allen has won both of his season openers as head coach of the team.

Here is a list of the Saints out of division opponents and their all-time record against each team in season openers.

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen | Credit:© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

HOME

• Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
• Philadelphia Eagles (0-1)
• Washington (0-3 as Redskins)
• Denver Broncos (none)
• Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)
• Cleveland Browns (2-1)

AWAY

• Green Bay Packers (1-1)
• Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
• New York Giants (none(
• Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
• Los Angeles Chargers (none)

New Orleans will also play home and away games against their NFC South division opponents, as always. The Saints are 6-6 against their division in two years under Allen, going an equally mediocre 3-3 at home and on the road.

Here is the Saints all-time record against their current divisional opponents in season openers.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

• 1-1 all-time
Home = 1-0
Away = 0-1

The Panthers have been a divisional foe of New Orleans since their inception in 1995, when both teams were in the NFC West. Carolina and New Orleans were both placed in the NFC South division upon its creation in 2002.

The Saints hold a 31-28 series lead over the Panthers, including a season sweep last year. Allen is 2-2 against the Panthers as head coach of the Saints.

New Orleans has beaten Carolina the only time they've hosted them in a season opener, a 19-10 win in 1999. The Panthers hold the only victory when these teams have opened the year in Carolina, a 23-20 win to kick off the Katrina-ravaged year of 2005.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

• 3-1 all-time
Home = 2-1
Away = 1-0

Tampa Bay and New Orleans have been division rivals since the formation of the NFC South in 2002. The Saints have a rather commanding 40-25 all-time record against the Buccaneers. They are 27-18 against the Bucs as NFC South rivals. Allen is 2-3 against Tampa Bay as acting head coach of the Saints, including a split of the season series last year.

New Orleans notched the first ever division win between NFC South teams, a 26-20 overtime win at Tampa Bay to start the 2002 campaign. The Buccaneers went on to win the Super Bowl that season, but the Saints won both regular season meetings between the teams.

Tampa Bay handed New Orleans their last defeat in a season opener. The Saints hosted the Buccaneers to kick off 2018, but lost in a 48-40 shootout. New Orleans earned a measure of revenge two years later when they defeated Tampa Bay at home, 34-23, to start off 2020.

ATLANTA FALCONS

• 2-7 all-time
Home = 1-5
Away = 1-2

Division rivals since 1970 in the NFC West, the Saints and Falcons have waged one of the most closely competitive rivalries in all of sports. The all-time series between these bitter enemies is at 55 victories for each team. New Orleans has won 10 of the last 13 games between the teams, including three of the last four.

The Saints didn't get a season-opening win against the Falcons until 2013, a 23-17 victory at home. Before that, Atlanta had defeated New Orleans in six games to open a year between 1970 and 2012. These teams last met in a season opener in 2022, with New Orleans taking a 27-26 win on the road in Atlanta.

New Orleans has played Atlanta more than any other opponent to start a regular season. The San Francisco 49ers (six games) are the second most common opponent for the Saints in regular season openers, with the Rams franchise (five games) being third most commonly played opponent to open a season.