Saints 2022 NFL schedule: Week-by-week matchups, dates, times, TV channel, previews

The New Orleans Saints don’t have Sean Peyton, but a solid defense and quarterback Jameis Winston should give the team a good chance each week. The team still has Taysom Hill on the roster as well, serving as, well, whatever position it puts him in.

New Orleans went 9-8 last season, second in the NFC South behind the then-defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season, the Saints beat the Bucs in both meetings, and those divisional games could be the difference between a playoff spot this season.

The Bucs were clear divisional winners last year, but if the Saints want to challenge them, dominating at home and starting out strong on defense will be two main keys to do so.

2022 opponents:

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons offense will look different this season, with veteran quarterback Matt Ryan headed to Indianapolis. The team added wide receiver Drake London to the squad with the 10th overall pick in the draft. One of the team’s best draft picks was Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, taken in the third round, who will be able to come in and learn without any pressure. The Saints and Falcons split their two meetings last season.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers were rumored to trade for quarterback Baker Mayfield, but with that not happening they will stick with quarterback Sam Darnold and draft pick Matt Corral. The Panthers are a big question mark this year following a year filled with injuries. It will be interesting to see how their head coach and quarterback situation end up. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady is back, which means the Bucs are NFC threats once again. The team had coaching changes this offseason, with head coach Bruce Arians retiring from the position and leaving Todd Bowles to run the show. There were rumors in the offseason that Brady and Arians had an issue with each other, but both have denied those claims.

Los Angeles Rams: The defending Super Bowl champions lost a few of last season’s players, like Von Miller and Andrew Whitworth, but they still have plenty of pieces to make another run at it this season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay have both proved themselves in the league, and I expect the same story next season. 

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks are another team that had major changes this season, trading longtime quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. It looks like the team will either go with Geno Smith or Drew Lock, the latter of whom head coach Pete Carroll said would have been the first quarterback taken if he was in this year’s draft. 

Baltimore Ravens: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could prove once again that he is a top QB in this league. He suffered two injuries last year and the team struggled, but if the squad can stay healthy this season it could be a player in the AFC. The defense needs to help them out and improve from last year, though that should not be too hard considering where they were. 

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are coming off a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, but their season was more successful than most NFL fans thought it would be. Quarterback Joe Burrow is the real deal, and the team should be able to rack up a lot of wins next year as well. The AFC North has the Steelers, who will now be without Ben Roethlisberger due to retirement, the Browns, who don’t know what’s going to happen with new quarterback Deshaun Watson, and the Ravens, who are coming off a struggling season. The Bengals seem to be in a good spot to repeat as division champs.

Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders will now be led by former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who accepted the head coaching position in Las Vegas. Derek Carr was already impressing last season, and now with Davante Adams he will have another great weapon to work with. 

Minnesota Vikings: Could the Vikings dethrone the Packers as NFC North champs? Some say yes, and while I’m not betting the house on it since Aaron Rodgers is still around and he just makes things happen, the competition between the two teams looks like it will be closer than before. Last year, the Vikings went 8-9, but now have a new coach in Kevin O’Connell, who replaced Mike Zimmer.

Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are another team that is a bit up and down. They have potential, but whether Kyler Murray can lead a team that goes deep into the playoffs has yet to be seen. Starting off the season, the offense will be without star DeAndre Hopkins, who was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s PED policy, so it could get off to a rocky start.

Cleveland Browns: Oh, the Browns. What seemed to be a team on the rise not that long ago, after they beat the Steelers in the playoffs, is now a team in disarray. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is still on the team despite Cleveland going with Deshaun Watson at QB1. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers drafted quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round, and he was the first QB taken in this year’s draft. Some have concerns about his small hand size and the fact that he wears two gloves, but head coach Mike Tomlin said he is not worried about that based on his success at Pitt.

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers appear to be going ahead with quarterback Trey Lance over Jimmy Garoppolo, so there are questions about what this team will be able to do next season. The NFC West is a lot weaker than it has been in the past, with the 49ers, Seahawks and Cardinals up in the air for a variety of reasons. 

Philadelphia Eagles: During this year’s draft, the Eagles took defensive tackle Jordan Davis and center Cam Jurgens. While they were busy in the draft war room, they were also working to acquire A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans, a blockbuster trade and one of the biggest in the offseason. 

Full 2022 schedule: