Well, that’s disappointing. The New Orleans Saints have been one of the NFL’s top draws for prime time games in front of a national audience in recent years — the team received five high-profile night games in 2021, plus four of them in both 2020 and 2019. But this year, without Sean Payton and without Drew Brees, Saints fans will only get to see three games in prime time (barring flex scheduling changes later on, and not counting the early-morning kickoff from London, of course).
It does make sense. Payton and Brees were the architects of nearly two decades of success in New Orleans. The team sunk to its worst record in years once Brees retired, and now they’re without a known quantity at head coach. The league executives and shadowy television figures plotting out the NFL schedule aren’t ready to keep the Saints in too bright a spotlight if things get ugly.
And their first prime time game is going to be quite a challenge. The Saints won’t take the big stage until a Thursday night road game with the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 20, which happens to be the first game in which Cardinals star receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be returning from a six-game suspension. The Saints will need Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore to be on top of his game in that heavyweight fight.
