New Orleans Saints

Are the New Orleans Saints playoff contenders? Full playoffs predictions all the way to Super Bowl LI

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

The NFL season is now in full swing heading into Week 6. There are some surprises and some new teams making a move. Are the Saints one of them after winning a thriller against Carolina? Whodatdish will answer that question in this article.

Next: Seedings And Contenders

SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: The Vince Lombardi Trophy is seen after the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

First, we’ll look at the seedings from the NFC and AFC along with the contenders:

NFC

NFC Contenders

AFC

AFC Contenders

Let’s jump right into the Wild Card round all the way to the Super Bowl. After that, Whodatdish will look at the contenders for the NFC and the AFC.

LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Carson Wentz

The home field advantage in this first game will be key. Playing football in January will no doubt favor the Eagles here. The Falcons will freeze up here while the Eagles pummel the Falcons in Philadelphia. Wentz gets his first playoff win as a rookie.

Philly 30 Falcons 19

GREEN BAY, WI – OCTOBER 16: Ezekiel Elliott

Tampa Bay in the playoffs? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win the NFC South. Fans are gonna have a hard time swallowing that one. Regardless, the Cowboys will actually go on the road to sunny Tampa in this one. Although Jameis Winston will play exceptional, the Cowboys just have too much firepower. Look for a tight one though.

Cowboys 27 Bucs 24

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – OCTOBER 16: Ben Roethlisberger

Pittsburgh is a trendy pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. That will solely depend if “Big Ben” can stay healthy throughout. Right now he’s nursing a torn meniscus. Luckily, the Steelers will only be without him for a few weeks. The Steelers will beat the Broncos here. Too much change and uncertainty with the Broncos right now.

Steelers 24 Broncos 17

OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 16: Derek Carr

Yes, the Raiders are finally back into the playoffs. The Raiders will also be the third team to come out of the AFC West. This game will be entertaining to say the least. Although the Raiders will be the “new kid on the block” in the postseason, they will be ready. Look for a low scoring game with plenty of strategical chess going back and forth. Raiders win a tight one.

Raiders 17 Texans 16

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 03: Minnesota Vikings fans react during the game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 3, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

What a great game to start the weekend after the Wild Card matchups. Minnesota rests up during the Wild Card games and will finish with the best record in the NFL. Everything seems to be pointing towards a Super Bowl run for the Minnesota Vikings. Not so fast…The Dallas Cowboys come in with Dak Prescott still running the offense. There’s just something about this kid. Perhaps he doesn’t know any better. Dallas wins in an epic game.

Cowboys 34 Vikings 31

CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 19: Darren Sproles

The Eagles come in after defeating the “Dirty Birds.” Now they will be facing a very uphill battle against the Seattle Seahawks. Taking a wild guess at this juncture, I’d say the Seahawks will be huge favorites in this one. The Seahawks come in with the second best record, but the Eagles have that “X” factor. Saints’ fans know him well. Look for a few big plays from Mr. Sproles in this one. Philly shocks the world.

Philly 20 Seahawks 13

FOXBORO, MA – JANUARY 18: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Indianapolis Colts of the 2015 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

While many can question Belichick’s wardrobe, his football genius level is off the charts. Not really much to say here. The Patriots dominate the Raiders in every aspect of the game.

Patriots 49 Raiders 17

KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 25: Head coach Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs talks on his headset on the sidelines at Arrowhead Stadium during the second quarter of the game against the New York Jets on September 25, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

This is a battle of two great coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid. The Steelers will surprisingly come in as the road team here. When you look at this game on paper, the Steelers would win. Luckily, for all Chiefs’ fans, that’s not the case. The Chiefs home field advantage will be the difference in this very entertaining matchup.

Chiefs 24 Steelers 21

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 20: A fan of the Philadelphia Eagles holds up a sign during the fourth quarter in a football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lincoln Financial Field on December 20, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cardinals won 40-17. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)

Nothing better than a good old fashioned NFC East rivalry to snag a spot in the NFC Championship game. Coming to Philly in January will give the Eagles a significant advantage. This game will be the start of a long lasting battle of the future between two talented rookie quarterbacks. Carson Wentz comes out on top. The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl.

Eagles 38 Cowboys 24

FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 16: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady waves to the cheering fans as he heads for the locker room following the game. The New England Patriots host the Cincinnati Bengals in a regular season NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Oct. 16, 2016. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The two top seeds make it to the AFC Championship. Kansas City tries to hang in there early, but the Patriots run away with this one. The Patriots once again are going to the Super Bowl.

Patriots 31 Chiefs 16

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 06: Tom Brady

This will be a rematch of XXXIX nearly 12 years ago. That was when the Patriots were untouchable as far as winning a Super Bowl. The Eagles on the other hand look for their first Super Bowl. And finally the Philly fans get the Lombardi Trophy. The Eagles win this game with their defense. Congratulations, Carson Wentz you’re going to Disney World.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 16: Drew Brees

So the Cardinals and Saints will be the teams that could change all of these predictions. As long as Drew Brees is on the field, the Saints will have a chance. The Saints could be a dark horse. As far as the Cardinals, they could actually win the whole thing, if they can get in the playoffs. Arizona is also starting to play top notch football. Time will tell.

ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 09: Andy Dalton

The Bengals and Bills no doubt will compete until the last week for a playoff spot. Out of the two, the Bengals have a better shot of doing damage in the playoffs. Andy Dalton just needs that one signature win. The question will be, will he get that chance this year?

More from Who Dat Dish

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from New Orleans Saints Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

New Orleans Saints

National Football League