Saints 2012 Opponents Are Now Official
The New Orleans Saints know who they will be playing in 2012.
14 games were already predetermined for 2012, but now that the Saints have clinched the NFC South Division, we now know that they will travel to take on the Green Bay Packers, and host the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2012 the Saints will play home games against the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, 49ers, Eagles, Redskins, Chiefs, and Chargers.
On the road, the Saints will take on the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Packers, Cowboys, Giants, Broncos, and Raiders.
The Saints will play every team from the NFC South, twice, along with one game against every member of the NFC East, and the AFC West, as well as the Packers and 49ers.
Here's a quick rundown of how the NFL does scheduling:
1)---Each team plays the other 3 teams in it’s division twice each, including three games at home and three on the road, which equates to six games.
2)---Each division is matched up with another division from the same conference. Next year, the Saints will play teams from the NFC East. That’s four more games, including two at home and two on the road.
3)---Each division is matched up with a division from the opposite conference. Next year, the Saints will play the AFC West. That’s four more games, including two at home and two on the road.
4)---The last two games are against the teams from the other two divisions in your conference that finished the same as you did in your division the year before. Next year, those teams for the Saints are the Packers and 49ers. Of those final two games on a team’s schedule, one is at home and one is one the road.
5)---The divisional match-ups rotate. For example, the Saints play the AFC South every 4 years and the NFC North every 3 years. Within that rotation, home and road alternate. As a result, since the Saints played at home against the Texans this year, they will play in Houston in 2015.
6)---Home and road in those final 2 games are independent of home and road in the divisional rotation, which is why two teams can play at the same site in two consecutive years, and why the Saints will travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers for two consecutive years.
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