The New Orleans Saints finished last in the NFC South this season, and as a result, they will face three opponents next season that also finished last in their respective divisions. This is excellent news for the Saints’ hopes of improving their record next year, but it also plummets their strength of schedule.
According to @sfdata9ners
, the Saints have the second-easiest schedule when using current records.
Strength of schedule is always an interesting factor to consider when projecting future win
totals, and for the Saints, it seems they could have a chance to improve on this season. Obviously, the offseason has not yet begun, so we do not know which teams got better or even what moves the Saints will make.
This past season, the massive jump that the New England Patriots took was largely attributed to their strenght of schedule. Yes, they are a great team, but if the Patriots have a more challenging schedule, there is no guarantee they could repeat their current success. As you can see in the graphic, we will see if they can next season.
The Saints have their QB, HC, young pieces to build upon, and several other positives going into the offseason. Now, with a potential easy schedule, the sky is the limit for this team.
