New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (2) runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half of a NFL preseason football game in New Orleans on Sunday, August 17, 2025. (Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE
The [crystal ball is cloudy](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/c2db0f86-31dc-4fa7-b885-05ed10aefc14/) for the 2025 New Orleans Saints.
With a new coach, new quarterback and new schemes on both sides of the ball, the Saints are a difficult team to read. Five weeks of training camp and three preseason games have done little to improve their prospects.
Since camp started in late July, Vegas oddsmakers have decreased the Saints’ odds of winning the NFC South Division and Super Bowl. They’re now 400-to-1 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings, making them the longest shots in the entire NFL.
Time will tell if the experts are right or wrong.
Here’s how I see the Saints’ 2025 season playing out:
### Week 1, vs. Cardinals, Sept. 7
Kellen Moore couldn’t get a much more manageable game for his NFL head coaching debut. The Saints have won an NFL-best six consecutive season openers. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have lost three straight season openers and haven’t won in the Superdome since 1996. The Saints are underdogs, but they have three things, working in their favor: home field, first-game enthusiasm, and the element of surprise. Spencer Rattler gets the start at quarterback and leads the Saints to a game-winning field goal drive in the fourth quarter. **Saints 20, Cardinals 19**
### Week 2 vs. 49ers, Sept. 14
These are not your father’s 49ers. Their top-heavy roster still features stars Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Fred Werner, but they’re no longer among the league’s upper echelon. The 49ers open the season at NFC West rival Seattle so they could be motivated to avoid a 0-2 start, depending on how they fare out West. This one could go either way, but I see the 49ers wearing down the Saints late to spoil their dreams of a 2-0 start and cancel city of New Orleans plans for a celebratory second-line parade. **49ers 23, Saints 21**
Lumen Field is one of the loudest and toughest places to play in the NFL. No matter who is starting at quarterback for the Saints, this game is going to be a challenge. Former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak certainly knows what he’s facing, just a few months removed from his stint in New Orleans. His ground-heavy attack will test the Saints run defense and eventually be the difference down the stretch. **Seahawks 26, Saints 16**
### Week 4 at Bills, Sept. 28
One week after a 2,000-mile flight to the West Coast, the Saints are rewarded with a trip to Buffalo. If the travel schedule weren’t daunting enough, there’s this inconvenient truth to consider: the Bills went 10-0 at home last season. The Saints will be heavy underdogs in this one. The Bills are a Super Bowl contender and feature one of the most explosive offenses in the league, led by reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen. If that weren’t enough, the Bills will be rested after having played a Thursday night home game the previous week. This one could get ugly. **Bills 33, Saints 13**
The Giants used to be the perfect “get right” team. But they figure to be one of the league's most improved teams this season. The Saints catch the G-men after they play back-to-back tough ones against the Chiefs and Chargers, so an upset is a strong possibility. The Saints should be hungry for a win after losing three straight games, but the Giants win a defensive battle on a late Graham Gano field goal. **Giants 16, Saints 14**
### Week 6 vs. Patriots, Oct. 12
The Patriots look like a team primed to make a leap this season. In Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel, they have a solid quarterback-coach battery to build around, and the roster should be greatly improved from a year ago. In a quarterback-driven league, sometimes games come down to who has the better guy under center. This is one of those games. **Patriots 28, Saints 20**
You know Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has had this game circled on his calendar since the schedule was released in May. After spending 15 of the last 20 years with the Saints, Allen will have his Bears defense primed and ready for a big performance. This will be the Bears’ first home game in nearly a month, so they and the home crowd should be stoked. **Bears 24, Saints 16**
### Week 8, vs. Bucs, Oct. 26
Finally, a division game. The Bucs are the consensus pick to win the NFC South for a fifth consecutive season. The Bucs are the more experienced and talented team, but the Saints catch them at a good time — on the heels of what should be an emotional and physical Monday night game in Detroit. If the Bucs have their heads in the clouds, the Saints could pull off the upset. Regardless, they’ll keep it close. **Bucs 31, Saints 27**
The last time the Saints beat the Rams on the road was 2009. Since then, they’ve lost five straight games to them, and it hasn’t mattered if they played in St. Louis or Los Angeles at Memorial Coliseum, SoFi Stadium or the Edward Jones Dome. This game could boil down to whether Matthew Stafford is under center with his balky back. The teams should be familiar with each other after practicing against each other during training camp. The Saints can use all the help they can get in this one. **Rams 35, Saints 16**
### Week 10, at Panthers, Nov. 9
Almost exactly a year later, the Saints return to the site of their 2024 nadir, a demoralizing 23-22 defeat to the 1-7 Panthers, which led to Allen’s dismissal a day later. There’s optimism in Charlotte that the Panthers are ready to make a jump in Year 3 under Bryce Young and head coach Dave Canales. By now, we should know whether Carolina is a contender or pretender. My guess is they’re somewhere in between, which might be good enough to beat a travel-weary Saints team here. The losing skid continues. **Panthers 20, Saints 14**
The bye week sparks a change at quarterback. The Saints give rookie Tyler Shough his first start as a replacement for Rattler. The Saints should be rested and ready for rivalry week. Nine consecutive losses also should have them motivated. The Falcons always bring out the best in the Saints, and I expect them to give Atlanta everything they can handle. Ultimately, though, the Falcons have too much offensive firepower. **Falcons 30, Saints 28**
### Week 13, at Dolphins, Nov. 30
The losing streak has to end somewhere. If Miami’s season goes as I expect, the Dolphins could be playing out the string by now. Mike McDaniel enters his fourth season squarely on the hot seat, and the roster is in disarray. By this time, the clubs could be headed in opposite directions. Shough gets the game ball after recording his first NFL as the starting quarterback. **Saints 26, Dolphins 23**
The Saints have thrived in Tampa over the years, often turning Raymond James Stadium into their home away from home. They’ve won 11 of 16 games there since 2009. But most of those wins were by teams much more talented than this one. Still, the Saints historically play well at RayJay, and they’ll put up the good fight before fading down the stretch. **Bucs 26, Saints 20**
### Week 15 vs. Panthers, Dec. 14
The Panthers will be coming off a bye week, and they’ll need it after playing the Falcons, 49ers and Rams. Buoyed by Shough's inspiring play, the Saints score their first home win since the season opener. **Saints 24, Panthers 16**
### Week 16 vs. Jets, Dec. 21
Former Saints assistant Aaron Glenn returns to New Orleans as a first-time head coach. Unfortunately, he might have a bigger rebuilding job on his hands than the one Moore faces. By this point, Glenn’s first Jets team should have their bags packed. Saints win another one, this time behind a dominant defensive effort. **Saints 17, Jets 12**
### Week 17 at Titans, Dec. 28
The Saints storm into Nashville, riding their first two-game winning streak of the season. This will be only the Saints’ fifth visit to Nashville since the Titans moved there in 1998, and they might need to pack their thermals. The average low temperature in late December is 33 degrees. It would not be a surprise if this game had implications on the top of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Titans have the home field and the better quarterback. **Titans 25, Saints 20**
I'm a believer in Michael Penix after watching him in the Sugar Bowl two years ago. If he's as good as I think he is, then the Falcons are going to be a force to reckoned with this season. These Week 18 games usually boil down to health and motivation. Both should favor the Falcons, who figure to be in the NFC playoff mix this season. **Falcons 34, Saints 23**
**Final record: 4-13, fourth place in NFC South**