Three NFC Teams Most Likely to Make Playoffs After Missing in 2021

2. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints narrowly missed out on a playoff appearance in 2021, winning nine games. The Saints did not play close games often at all. Only three of their 17 contests were decided by one possession, meaning that they not only won big, they lost big. I will say, they looked formidable during their 5-2 start, but after Jameis Winston went down they lost six of their next 10. Winston is still recovering from ACL surgery, and reportedly hit a snag in his rehab earlier this offseason.

It remains to be seen if he will be ready by week one, but given the fact that the team brought in Andy Dalton, it’s fair to assume that they’re comfortable with either guy. Sean Payton, the guy to revive Saints football and take them to heights never before seen, decided to step away from the sport this offseason. This leaves new head coach Dennis Allen with a massive pair of shoes to fill. The Saints roster is extremely talented, even with the loss of key contributors Terron Armstead and Marcus Williams.

To fill those gaps, the team signed New Orleans native Tyrann Mathieu to man the safety position and drafted Trevor Penning to serve as the new franchise left tackle. Whoever ends up playing quarterback will not be without weapons, either. Michael Thomas figures to be ready for the regular season and fellow Ohio State Buckeyes alum, Chris Olave, was drafted in the first round in hopes that they will form a strong duo for years to come. Oh yeah, they also added veteran pass catcher and former LSU Tiger Jarvis Landry to the wide receiver group as well, completing an overhaul at the position that any franchise should be jealous of.

Health and quarterback play ultimately will determine the ceiling for this team, but with how talented the roster is from top-to-bottom, they are firmly in the playoff discussion regardless.