The meteorologists were on point in The Bay. It is raining. It is windy. It is not football weather. pic.twitter.com/syj1QU3XmJ
Buy Saints Tickets— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) January 14, 2023
The New Orleans Saints aren’t competing in the NFL playoffs, but they do have some rooting interests in the postseason. And no game might matter more to them than the San Francisco 49ers’ elimination-game matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, during the opening wild-card round. But why?
Well, that’s because the 49ers’ first round pick in the 2023 NFL draft belongs to the Denver Broncos (by way of trades with the Miami Dolphins, who won this pick a few years back to help San Francisco move up for quarterback Trey Lance; Miami later sent it to Denver in exchange for star pass rusher Bradley Chubb). And the Broncos are a leading team in the Sean Payton sweepstakes. The Saints are seeking a first-round draft pick for Payton’s coaching rights, so the 49ers’ selection (again, transferring to Denver) is squarely in their sights.
So it would be nice to see that pick end up slotting early in the first round. Depending on how other wild-card round playoff games shake out, it could end up as high as No. 19 overall or as low as No. 24. Should Payton be traded to the Broncos in exchange for that pick (and, hopefully, a couple of more selections in later rounds), that would be a valuable asset for New Orleans.
And the rainy, windy conditions at Levi’s Stadium are looking like an equalizer between the red-hot 49ers and chaos-prone Seahawks. San Francisco is going into the postseason with a 10-game win streak behind them, buoyed by a fierce defensive effort and impressive play from third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, plus the electrifying midseason pickup of running back Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers are favored by 9.5 points at Tipico Sportsbook, so the oddsmakers aren’t giving Geno Smith’s Seahawks much of a chance. With thunderstorms and heavy winds in the forecast, though, it might be anyone’s game.
So root against San Francisco, Saints fans. That shouldn’t be hard given the teams’ long-running history, and it sure would be sweet to see the 49ers knocked off on the eleventh anniversary of the historic divisional-round playoff loss New Orleans suffered at old Candlestick Park. Maybe they can get some help here, even if it’s only indirectly. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT on FOX.
