The NFL has released the 2014 preseason and regular season schedules. The New Orleans Saints will open their season in Atlanta.

Once again the Saints have five prime-time games on the schedule including a Sunday night match-up with the Dallas Cowboys in September.  Prime time games are:

  • Sept. 28 at Dallas on NBC (Sunday Night, Week 4)
  • Oct. 26 vs. Green Bay on NBC (Sunday Night, Week 8)
  • Oct. 30 at Carolina on the NFL Network (Thursday Night, Week 9)
  • Nov. 24 vs. Baltimore on ESPN (Monday Night, Week 12)
  • Dec. 15 at Chicago on ESPN (Monday Night, Week 15)

The Saints do not have an easy schedule this season as they face the NFC North and the AFC North; there are no cupcakes on the schedule.

You could argue that Cleveland may be the worst team New Orleans faces this year, but that game is on the road and the Browns had a dominant victory over the Saints the last time the two teams faced each other. Rob Ryan was the Defensive Coordinator for the Browns in that game.

The Saints also have a particularly tough stretch weeks 7-12. New Orleans will leave their bye in week 6 and head to Detroit, the first of three games in 11 days. After the Lions, the Saints head to the dome and face the Green Bay Packers; then, just four days later, the Saints have to travel to see the reigning NFC South champion Carolina Panthers.

The highlight of the schedule may be the September 28 Sunday Night game in Dallas.  Cowboys and Saints fans love to travel to those games when the two teams play each other.

Also, the NFL has changed their flex policy this season. The league will begin "flexing" games in week 5 to put the best match-ups in the prime-time Sunday Night spot. So, some games are subject to change. But this new rule will not affect the Saints/Cowboys Sunday night game in Week 4.

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