The New Orleans Saints find themselves in a nice middle ground between competing for a potential playoff spot and having a strong draft pick. Now that they're on a 2-0 streak under Darren Rizzi, for some fans it's more about competing for a playoff spot than a high pick, which is completely understandable.
Both sides make sense in this equation, and ultimately it comes down to personal preference over everything else. With that out of the way, we can now take a look at which teams you should definitely be rooting for as we look ahead to the Week 12 bye. Here is an overview of both options:
In case of competition
When it comes to staying competitive, the AFC has little to no connection to where the Saints live and their playoff chances. So when you look at the NFC schedule, the main problem lies with the other NFC South teams. The Atlanta Falcons also have a bye week, which makes things a little tricky since while they can't lose, they can't win either, so it's about even. The two division games are:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants:
The decision here is simple, a New York Giants win would see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers move level with the Saints at 4-7, with one matchup remaining between the two teams later this season. Furthermore, a Giants win doesn't really put them in the picture yet as they are 2-8, and even if they do get in the game, the Saints have a chance to play them down the stretch and regain the momentum.
Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
This game isn't a huge deal either way, but a Kansas City Chiefs win would obviously help keep the Carolina Panthers near the bottom of the division and away from the Saints for another week. This would be the better result, even if many people don't like the Chiefs.
This covers a divisional path for the Saints as a wild card appearance is very unlikely right now as the Washington Commanders would currently be bottom of the league at 7-4. A huge collapse from either them or the 7-3 Green Bay Packers would make things easier, but it would still be a difficult hill to climb. For a possible wildcard appearance, here are the preferred results:
The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings
This scenario desperately needs more parity in the NFC North, and with the Minnesota Vikings holding the top wild card spot, a Chicago Bears win would help, even though they're ahead of the Saints here too. The ultimate goal is to move the wild card teams down enough to reach a spot if the Saints are on a winning streak.
Dallas Cowboys beat Washington Commanders
This is a similar notion to the previous game, where the Washington Commanders are currently the final wild card team and a loss would bring them even closer to the Saints. Since the Dallas Cowboys have already been beaten by the Saints, they don't pose a threat in a tie, which they would be in this scenario. While this is certainly an unlikely outcome, it would definitely be preferable for the Cowboys to win in this matchup in order to secure a Saints push into the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers beat Green Bay Packers
This matchup is a little different as both the 5-5 San Francisco 49ers and the 7-3 Green Bay Packers are currently ahead of the Saints and both have at least a full game lead. However, the greater parity between these teams and the possibility that neither can pull away gives the Saints a great opportunity if they continue to win. So if the 49ers win, they would be 6-5 and the Packers would be 7-4, instead of 5-6 and 8-3, respectively.
Arizona Cardinals beat Seattle Seahawks
This is where things get tricky as the Arizona Cardinals are leading their division. Therefore, the preferred outcome is a loss for the Seattle Seahawks to prevent them from competing for a wild card spot at 5-5. There isn't much of a detriment to the game going either way, which is good since they would only swap places if Seattle wins, but a Seattle loss would help just a tiny bit more given the game difference between the two.
Philadelphia Eagles beat Los Angeles Rams
Additionally, a Los Angeles Rams loss would help keep them lower and allow the Saints to surpass them as early as Week 13, as a win would move the Saints to 5-7 and the Rams to 5-7, along with the Saints' head-to-head tiebreaker takes effect. Furthermore, the Philadelphia Eagles' win isn't a particularly big deal as they remain at the top of the division, and that would keep the Commanders out of contention for the division lead for at least another week. If the Rams lose, it's kind of like a win.
With improved draft stock
Now it's about getting closer to a better draft pick. There are nine teams with better picks ahead of the Saints, and two of them are also on byes, the Jacksonville Jaguars (current No. 1 pick) and the New York Jets (current No. 6 pick), so they still remain ahead . As for the other teams, here are the games and the optimal results:
Tennessee Titans beat Houston Texans
First up are the Tennessee Titans, who are 2-8 and have one of the stronger schedule numbers of the bad teams at .514. They face the Houston Texans, and while a Titans win won't immediately change the Saints' position, it would be a big win in the long run if the Saints went the other way and started losing more. This would result in things getting tighter at the top (or bottom) and the Saints just a game away from taking their place.
New York Giants beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not only would this be pretty funny from the perspective of a division rival losing to an 8-2 New York Giants team, it would also be helpful in the case of draft stocks. This is similar to the Titans, where a Giants win doesn't immediately result in the Saints having a higher pick, but instead keeps the situation close until the Saints can play again, rather than the Giants having a higher pick run away. It would be difficult for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get to 4-7, although the Saints have the tiebreaker for a higher pick for now since they lost to Tampa earlier this year and have a less strong schedule.
Las Vegas Raiders beat Denver Broncos
Another 2-8 team, another scenario that falls into the same category. A Las Vegas Raiders win helps stay within a game of the lead, and a Denver Broncos loss doesn't hurt the Saints' chances at all, so this is completely self-explanatory.
The New England Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins
This game is a little closer in terms of who should win, as the New England Patriots are 3-8 and the Miami Dolphins are 4-6. The Dolphins' loss puts them on the same record as the Saints, and since they have a smaller schedule, they would get the higher pick in the tiebreaker. However, they also have a lower depth than the Patriots, meaning they are more likely to win a game or two than New England. That being said, a Patriots win here is a little better, but either way it's totally fine.
The Carolina Panthers beat the Kansas City Chiefs
While in the competitive version we wanted the Panthers to lose here, a win would help the Saints as it would put them on even footing in terms of the balance sheet and since they have identical strength of their schedules, this would be one of the Leading conference and division records The Saints were able to prevail through frequent defeats to end the season.
The Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders
Finally, we have a situation that goes beyond the type of team you want to see and is ultimately a win-win. The Dallas Cowboys winning here would tie them with the Saints at 4-7, and since the Cowboys are .525 while the Saints are just .486, New Orleans would get the tiebreaker for a better pick. Overall, a one-win win for the Cowboys.