Predicting the Saints next five games after 3-5 start in 2022

Week 12 at San Francisco 49ers

The Niners showed that they were going for it when they made the move to acquire long-time Saints rival Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers. McCaffrey has immediately made a positive impact for his new team and this past week, he was the first player to throw for, run for, and catch a touchdown since 1970.

McCaffrey is the difference in San Francisco and he now makes that team a lot scarier.

Prediction: Saints lose 30-17

Week 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Somehow we're at Week 13 of the season and the Saints have yet to have their BYE week. Well, fear not, that'll come after this Week 13 tilt with the Buccaneers.

New Orleans and Tampa Bay met in Week 2 and it was the first time the Bucs had taken down NOLA in the regular season since Tom Brady signed there in the 2020 offseason. It was a close game until chaos ensued and Marshon Lattimore got ejected. From there, Jameis Winston imploded and it was all downhill as the Bucs won by double-digits.

We've seen that the Bucs aren't the same Bucs they've been in recent years and while I still think they'll win the NFC South, the Saints get revenge on them in this late-season matchup and return the favor to smacking them around on the Bucs' home turf.

Prediction: Saints win 32-14

If my predictions are correct, New Orleans would enter their Week 14 BYE with a record of 5-8. They'd likely be out of the running to make the playoffs at that point but who knows? Perhaps the NFC South title would still be in reach.

How do you think the Saints' next five games will go?