The temptation to win now

Lots of chatter about rebuilding and playing the long game, but with this schedule and a reset at head coach, how can you not be tempted to try to make a run at the playoffs? No other bottom 10 team in the league has a clearer path to a division title than the Saints. The Bucs are the 'best' team in a bad division. The Falcons are likely below average as it stands, and the Panthers still have a long way to go.

Has any team in NFL history ever had an easier-looking home schedule than the Saints in 2025?

Here's the home opponents along with their league-wide rank in terms of preseason odds:

Giants (31st best team)
Panthers (30th best)
Jets (29th best)
Patriots (27th best)
Falcons (21st best)
Cardinals (19th best)
Bucs (16th best)
49ers (6th best)

So basically one above average team on the entire home schedule. The Saints have a viable path to being favored in as many as four home games, and should have a very reasonable chance to win three others.

The road schedule includes a game at Titans, the consensus worst team in football, as well as the below-average Dolphins, and of course three in-division games against average to below average teams. The only highly likely losses on the schedule are road games at Buffalo, at LA Rams.

The Bucs have a way harder schedule by comparison. While the Saints draw the Giants, Bears and Titans, the Bucs face the Eagles, Lions (road) and Texans (road). No team is running away with this division. If Moore can make the offense competent, and if the coaching staff runs circles around what was here last year, the Saints seem like a viable sleeper.