Are the New Orleans Saints a playoff team? Do they belong in the postseason tournament? They’re down but not out after going into the bye week with a 5-5 record, which was good enough to sit on top of the NFC South.
They have seven remaining games to figure it out. We’re predicting the results for each of those matchups and their final record for the 2023 season coming out of the bye:
Week 12 at Atlanta Falcons
Saints 22, Falcons 18 (6-5)
Desmond Ridder is starting again for Atlanta, and the Saints took care of business against him in their meeting last year. They need to extend their win streak at the Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium to six games. The Falcons offense is so disjointed and out of sorts that the New Orleans defense should be able to create plenty of opportunities for the offense.
Week 13 vs. Detroit Lions
Lions 27, Saints 20 (6-6)
The Detroit offense is going to be challenging, but their defense is vulnerable. They’re ranking 20th in both points allowed per game (22.6) and passing yards allowed per game (231.6), though it’s tough to run on them. This is a game where Derek Carr is going to need to step up and play like an experienced starting quarterback.
Week 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
Saints 18, Panthers 13 (7-6)
Carolina has fielded one of the league’s worst offenses this year; it hasn’t mattered who is calling plays with Bryce Young struggling to move the ball. And while the Panthers defense hasn’t been that impressive, they do match up well with the Saints thanks to their talented defensive line. Brian Burns could get to Carr early and often here and lead to too many field goal tries. The Saints should win but don’t look for a big scoring output.
Week 15 vs. New York Giants
Saints 26, Giants 13 (8-6)
This is a game the Saints need to dominate. They must make life hard for rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito and put this away early. Odds are they’ll continue to play down to their competition, but the Giants are one of the NFL’s worst teams with a scoring offense ranked dead-last and a defense as bad as anyone around the league. There are serious problems if this is a competitive matchup.
Week 16 at Los Angeles Rams
Saints 24, Rams 20 (9-6)
This should be a fun one, but it presents some real challenges for the Saints. The Rams always play them hard (they went into halftime with the lead in last year’s game) and the Saints are going to have to travel cross-country on a short week for this Thursday night matchup. Sean McVay is a dangerous matchup for Dennis Allen. It won’t be easy, but it ought to be a win against a Rams team that ranks bottom-10 in scoring on both offense and defense.
Week 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers 21, Saints 20 (9-7)
Could this game determine the winner of the NFC South? The Saints have not separated far enough from the Buccaneers after an early-season 26-9 loss in New Orleans, and Tampa Bay still has talented players. They could be a problem late in the season, too. Both teams share many of the same strengths and weaknesses. The Bucs pass rush could make the difference again.
Week 18 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Saints 23, Falcons 22 (10-7)
The Saints need to win this game. It could be the difference between clinching the division, securing a playoff berth, or missing the postseason altogether. And we’ll never pick the Falcons to win. Everything else aside, this is a real rivalry, and it’s important the Saints throw their weight around. If that helps them reach the playoffs, even better.
