Why the Saints' 2024 schedule is not as easy as you think

The NFL handed the New Orleans Saints one of the easiest schedules for 2024 -  on paper. Focus on those final two words, though. Their opponents may not be the toughest as we enter a new season, but some of the timing may make life tougher on the black and gold.

Which parts of their slate should fans worry about the most? What weeks should we really keep an eye on as pivotal moments for Dennis Allen and the Saints?

The 3 worst parts of the Saints' 2024 schedule

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Week 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This matchup is rough simply because the opponent from the week before. The Saints will have a short week entering this game in Week 6, and their Week 5 matchup is against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

New Orleans will hopefully be prepared for a  major divisional challenge, but they'll have less rest than TB and be fresh off a game against arguably the best team in football for the third year in a row. They'll have to prove that they can grind out a gritty win here.

Four games in eighteen days (Sept. 29-Oct. 17)

This stretch may make or break the Saints in 2024. They need to win at least two of these games. They may be favored in two of them. They'll face the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Denver Broncos on this run.

All of them are winnable, but it won't be easy. Expecting that isn't smart for fans, either. Regardless, the Saints must stay afloat entering November.

At Green Bay Packers in late December

Cold weather alert! This game will be frosty in Green Bay, and the Saints will need to control the ground game if they want to come out with a victory. Cameron Jordan already mentioned this matchup as one that he's not happy about via social media, but he and the rest of the defensive line will need to come to play.

This chilly matchup will be won in the trenches, and New Orleans is looking for revenge from last year's frustrating loss to Jordan Love and the Packers.

Overall, the Saints' schedule is palatable. They have plenty of opportunities for enough wins to secure a playoff berth in the NFC and potentially a division crown. That being said, these are the parts of their slate that should scare fans the most.

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