The New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons was certainly a disappointing way to close the season. It ended the Saints’ longest winning streak since Sean Payton was the coach, but more importantly, it meant being swept by the Falcons. That being said, the result being the eighth overall pick and a much more favorable 2026 should be a long term blessing in disguise.
Sometimes game results can be a little murky towards the end of the season. Ask the Raiders if they're happy about their late losses. Raheem Morris lost his job despite finishing tied for the division lead and closing the year on a four game win streak that included an impressive victory over the Rams in the second to last game.
The Saints stepped into the weekend with the chance to finish anywhere between second and fourth in the NFC South. Tampa Bay's victory on Saturday lowered the ceiling to third place. The Saints' loss cemented them in last place, and it gave the Saints three much easier games in 2026.
The difference between a third and fourth place schedule for the Saints can’t be stressed enough
Strength of schedule before the season tends to be an overemphasized. There is so much volatility from year to year that oftentimes this topic simply serves as offseason banter for fans and pundits. For example, the Saints have the second easiest schedule in the league next year. However, the Bengals and Ravens are teams with losing records that are far from easy games. The Saints play them both. That's how SOS can be misleading at times.
In the Saints’ case, however, the conversation specifically around the third place vs fourth place schedule is far from exaggerated. It doesn't drastically change your schedule. It's a mere three game difference, but each game is a massive difference.
If the Saints finished in third place, they'd have to face the Chiefs, Commanders and 49ers. Instead, they get to face the Raiders, Giants and Cardinals. It's hard to put much stock in the previous season's rankings when every year is different, but this isn't one of those instances.
Would you rather face the Chiefs, who could have Patrick Mahomes back, or the Raiders with a rookie quarterback and new head coach? A Jayden Daniels led Commanders or the Giants? The 49ers or the one team in the NFC West that isn't a championship contender? Anything can happen between this year and next year, but there's a clear answer to each of those questions.
The difference in teams you'd have to face is noticeable. Typically a narrative that gets loosely thrown around, the Saints getting the fourth place schedule is an actual advantage