The temptation to win now (4 Viewers)

[sinnersandsaints]

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.

 

[St.Dan]

The overall weakness of the NFC South since all the stalwart QBs retired/moved on made it winnable even for DA. He of course screwed it up, though. I typed the exact same thing last year, but I'll do it again.....any semblance of "normal" in terms of injuries this next season just might translate to a playoff berth.

 

[Winter]

I can assure you that the team will make moves and position the Saints to be a competitive team this year. As every franchise does every year. It could be on the conservative side with more long term goals in mind, but I guarantee there will be moves made and the narrative framed in a way that gets fans excited about the potential of the team this year. They could be "all in" on Rattler even if they really aren't. No team is ever going to take a season to publicly tank or rebuild. Kellen will have a long leash so what happens next year isn't going to change our direction much, but I expect there to be confidence in this team taking the division by September

 

[AARPSaint]

MLB teams (and NBA teams I think) will tank by trading or releasing players later in their season. The NFL season is too short to do that. NFL teams need to sell out their home games if at all possible. There’s very little choice but to try to be competitive. Otherwise, they incur anger and apathy from their fan base, and nothing good can come from that.

 

[meily]

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.

I think you have a case of the off-season hopeful.

What I am hoping for is fielding a competent team that can compete because they are in a system that works. I am trying not to compare Moore to CSP but the best example for what I am saying is how in CSP early stages he had guys we hadn't heard of producing on offense because his system worked and spawned players like Colston, Henderson, PT, Billy Miller etc.

 

[dutar76]

To be a winning team next season, some things have to fall in place. Having things fall in place hasn't been a real thing in New Orleans for a while now, but here's to hoping.

1 - Stay uncharacteristically healthy.
2 - Make the right choice at QB. (regardless of who it is, just get it right)
3 - Add offensive weapons. (wouldn't take much, just one or two)
4 - Defense remembers how to defense.
5 - other... improvements at coaching, play calling, drafting, player development, etc...
6 - None of the other teams in the South make a similar "leap".

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

The Saints have been very good at resisting that temptation for many many years. It’s been quite easy for them actually since Sean left.

 

[NatureBoy]

A commitment to mediocrity!

 

[Saint KayBee]

A lot will depend on how the schedule is constructed, too. In the state the team is in, I’d rather just get a bunch of Sunday noon or 3pm kicks and be done with it, but another Monday night-Sunday division rival-Thursday night stretch in the schedule will infuriate me.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

I am not advocating that we avoid competing. But I am advocating that we focus on the long-term. The prospect of, say, winning the division 8-9 and losing a playoff game by four touchdowns does not excite me. If it happens, I can take a terrible 2025 season. In fact, I am expecting one. But I cannot take the continued embrace of mediocrity that adversely affects our chances of being a legitimate championship contender in three years or so.

Again, my approach for 2025 would be to begin whatever we need to do to have a favorable salary cap and to field a truly competitive team in 2027.

 

[tinman]

Do you think you could find a player in the NFL, that will tank? A coach or front office hire? Do know anybody willing to risk their job w/poor effort, in the hopes that their situation will get better? I guess just owning a team is fulfilling enough. Have you ever met any millionaire that encourages less than the best performance/behavior from employees? Nobody is interested in any bonus for performance or winning? Sure, good luck w/that attitude.
Anybody that talks about tanking needs to think about their employment situation, especially those who own businesses. Is that acceptable? All fans want a championship, all the players, coaches, employees & owners do as well. I know I don't want to wait another 40 odd years for another.

On top of all that, "tanking" will not guarantee a better outcome. THAT has been proven not to work by dozens of teams as long as there have been competitive games.

"Failure is not an option", is what I learned in the Corps & I have striven to live that ever since. The other guys have the same attitude, so you don't always come out on top. "Tanking", for whatever excuse, is the province of those who don't have a skin in the game or the weak-willed.

Whoever is playing, coaching or running the whole thing, is gonna get my unconditional support, for their decisions/performance. It is often frustrating & disappointing, but EVERY pre-season, I am looking forward to a SuperBowl win.

In those immortal words,"You play to win the game!".

 

[sinnersandsaints]

Thoughts this was a decent breakdown (warning: it's long):

 

[No2DC]

I am not advocating that we avoid competing. But I am advocating that we focus on the long-term. The prospect of, say, winning the division 8-9 and losing a playoff game by four touchdowns does not excite me. If it happens, I can take a terrible 2025 season. In fact, I am expecting one. But I cannot take the continued embrace of mediocrity that adversely affects our chances of being a legitimate championship contender in three years or so.

Again, my approach for 2025 would be to begin whatever we need to do to have a favorable salary cap and to field a truly competitive team in 2027.

I get what you're saying and if that's the choice than growth Ratt not Carr this season.

 

[kcirdor]

I don't care what year it is.... Every year the mindset is.... We are winning the super bowl. Which remains until we are eliminated.

 

[Treybad]

Will take another 2006 draft to become a 10 win team with the new defense and offense.... if we really switching to 3-4 then we looking at a complete overhaul for the front seven.... if we're lucky 2-3 players might adjust well enough to keep them long term but most would be short term options minus this year's draft