Ranking Every Game on the Saints Schedule From Easiest to Hardest

If one were to go by last year’s records, the New Orleans Saints have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL in 2026. However, following Thursday's schedule release, a quick glance says something different.

Opening the season with consecutive road games against opponents who each were in their respective conference championships as recent as 2023? Playing four road games in five weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas? Going to Paris for an interconference foe?

Yes, there are some interesting aspects of this schedule, and we’re set to rank each game from easiest to hardest and tell you where the Saints could potentially make a run … or struggle.

1 | Week 16 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona is coming off back-to-back three-win seasons and they have a new coach in Mike LaFleur. Who the heck knows who their quarterback will be by Christmas? Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew? Rookie Carson Beck?

Does it matter? If the Saints are still in the running – at all – for a playoff spot at this point of the season, winning this one at home should be an easy one. (Even if they’re not in the running for a playoff spot, Who Dats would hope this would be a cakewalk.)

2 | Week 9 vs. Cleveland Browns

Introducing Street Fighter: CLE!

🕹️ 2026 Schedule Release pic.twitter.com/aFvc1vMGKx
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 14, 2026

Speaking of not knowing who your quarterback might be … we think it will be Shedeur Sanders, but does it matter?

Sure, Cleveland has a top-10 defense, but they might have a bottom-3 offense, and this is a must win for a Saints team that will be coming off a bye week and a trip overseas. Meanwhile, this will be the third straight road game for the Browns.

3 | Week 3 vs. Las Vegas Raiders

This would be No. 1 if we thought rookie Fernando Mendoza was playing instead of the veteran Kirk Cousins, who has many games inside the Superdome.

And while we think this will be a team on the rise (somewhat) in 2026, they still have a long way to go. They have won just seven games combined the past two seasons, and they are on their sixth head coach – former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak – in six seasons.

4 | Week 4 vs. Atlanta Falcons (Monday)

This is Falcons Football: 2026 Compilation pic.twitter.com/JWM7ip9xoW
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 14, 2026

OK, there’s really nothing easy about playing a division rival that swept you last year, but … this will be the 20th anniversary of the Superdome reopening and THE blocked punt that set off the crowd into a three-hour tizzy.

Can’t imagine this won’t be a similar kind of crowd in the first home primetime game since 2022, and it should be one crazy kind of night for Who Dats. Whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa playing quarterback or Michael Penix, this might be one Chase Young and the Saints’ D is amped up for more than any other.

5 | Week 10 vs. Carolina Panthers

We’re starting to realize this schedule isn’t as easy as some “experts” make it out to be, considering we have a game against a division rival that won the NFC South last season here as the fifth-easiest on the docket.

That being said, the Saints defense did have Carolina’s number last season. Even through the bad times, New Orleans has been good against the Panthers, having won five of the past six meetings.

6 | Week 7 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (in Paris)

Someone is going have to explain why this basically is a pick ’em game as of this writing, when the Steelers don’t even know who their quarterback is yet. Even if it is 93-year-old Aaron Rodgers, is that enough to make Pittsburgh better than the Saints?

We certainly don’t think so, and it seems like a tougher spot for the Steelers, who will not only be coming off a road game at Tampa Bay, but will not have a bye when they return in Week 8, and will play a division game against Cleveland.

7 | Week 6 at New York Giants

Winston van Gogh draws up the 2026 Schedule 🎨

Tickets on sale now 🎟️: https://t.co/ysuYTbX1ly pic.twitter.com/yIYaJGTZhr
— New York Giants (@Giants) May 14, 2026

Interestingly, many of the Giants fans are marking this up as an automatic win. Ummm, did they forget that last year they gave Spencer Rattler the only win in his NFL career in 14 starts?

How about the fact the Saints have win three straight in the series – all since Drew Brees and Sean Payton left – and they haven’t allowed the G-Men to score more than 14 points in any of those games? Oh, and New Orleans hasn’t lost at The Meadowlands since 2016.

8 | Week 5 vs. Minnesota Vikings

If you’re going to play on a short week, as the Saints will here following the Monday nighter vs. Atlanta, you might as well do it in a third straight home game.

We know the Vikings likely will be better than they were in 2025, but how much better? The Saints have struggled in this series, and Minnesota just seems to bring out the worst in them – let’s don’t even talk about the postseason – but here’s a hunch this one will be different.

9 | Week 18 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Watch is on the scene 🏖️😂

Our lifeguards are always on duty & this season, we protect the bay at all costs. pic.twitter.com/NysSRqqLic
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 14, 2026

Could this game be for the NFC South title? Oddsmakers would say no, but many Who Dats are hopeful this will be the case. It’s unlikely this game won’t mean something to at least one of these teams, so there at least should be SOME intrigue.

The Saints will have to change recent history here, as they have lost four straight to Tampa Bay in the Superdome.

10 | Week 14 at Carolina Panthers

Should be a blast 💥

Panthers x CMPD Bomb Squad

📺 NFL Schedule Release tonight at 8pm ET on @nflnetwork @Ticketmaster | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/9lGslpbOjc
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) May 14, 2026

We already told you about the Saints’ success as of late against Carolina, and they happen to represent two of Tyler Shough’s five wins in the NFL. Can he turn another sweep against this division rival?

If New Orleans is going to have a realistic chance to make the playoffs, one would think this is going to be one they will have to have.

11 | Week 17 at Atlanta Falcons

Speaking of having to have it, there’s no question this will be a must win if the Saints are still in it in January. Problem is, they have lost three straight games in Atlanta.

It would be a surprise not to see the Falcons take a step forward with new coach Kevin Stefanski, but will they still be in the running this late in the season?

12 | Week 15 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In many cases, I would have said this one would be a little easier than we have it ranked, and the main reason is we expect the Bucs to take a little step back this season. However, even though the Saints have played well in Tampa Bay as of late, this is a terrible spot – the fourth game on the road in five games.

13 | Week 12 at Cincinnati Bengals

Is there any good time to play Joe Burrow and this potent offense? One would have to assume the Bengals – barring injury to Burrow – will be back in the playoff chase in the AFC North this season.

And we talked about this brutal stretch of road games from Thanksgiving to Christmas – this is No. 2, and it comes right after having to travel to Chicago. Only good news for the Saints here is that Cincy will be playing here on a short week after a road game at Washington on a Monday night.

14 | Week 13 vs. Green Bay Packers

This is a really weird spot for the Saints against a team we think will be in the running for the NFC title this season. The biggest reason is this home game is sandwiched between two road games before and after.

One would have to think the Packers will be playing their best football as the calendar turns to December. How will the Black and Gold handle it? Where will they be to start the final stretch?

15 | Week 11 at Chicago Bears

Just some happy little matchups 🎨 pic.twitter.com/mxaSU2VlOk
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) May 14, 2026

Not only is this an obvious tough opponent, but the Saints are getting Chicago here off a bye week and when they haven’t had to leave home for three weeks.

Some Who Dats are looking forward to another shot against their former head coach, as Dennis Allen is now the Bears’ defensive coordinator, but one has to think Allen is thinking similarly.

16 | Week 2 at Baltimore Ravens

The NFL did the Saints no favors with this brutal opening stretch on the road against Baltimore and Detroit. Beyond that, New Orleans just doesn’t play well against this opponent – having defeated the Ravens only twice in their history – in 1996 and 2018.

If there’s any good news, both of those victories came in Baltimore. Barring injury to Lamar Jackson, the Saints will be a touchdown underdog here.

17 | Week 1 at Detroit Lions

If the Week 2 game against the Ravens is a brutal assignment, this one is worse. The Saints have rarely started on the road as of late – this will be the first time since 2022 and only the second time since 2017. It also will be the first time they open on the road against a team that had a winning season the tear before since starting at Arizona in 2014.

New Orleans obviously looked to provide Tyler Shough with plenty weapons in the offseason, but their No. 2 objective was to shore up their run defense. That will be tested very early here (and in Week 2).

Add us as a preferred source on Google