saintswhodi

Saints' 2006 opponents finalized


By SHELDON MICKLES
smickles@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

The New Orleans Saints don't know where they're going to play home games in 2006, but they do know their opponents for the 16-game schedule.
Because of the NFL's rotating schedule that was introduced for the 2002 season, the Saints already knew they would play each team from the NFC East and AFC North in 2006.

Of course, they also have their usual home-and-home series with NFC South foes Atlanta, Carolina and Tampa Bay.

That left just two games to be scheduled against teams with corresponding finishes to the Saints in their respective divisions -- which calls for the Saints to play the NFC West (home) and NFC North (away) in 2006).

The Saints (3-12) with one game remaining on Sunday, are guaranteed of a fourth-place finish in the NFC South as is San Francisco in the NFC West and Green Bay in the NFC North.

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The NFL is expected to announce dates and times for the Saints' 2006 schedule in mid-January this year instead of the usual spring release so coaches, players and employees will know where they're playing and working after the problems they encountered this season with Hurricane Katrina.

Here is the Saints' 2006 home-and-away breakdown:

HOME: Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baltimore, Cincinnati.

AWAY: Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta, N.Y. Giants, Dallas, Green Bay, Cleveland, Pittsburgh.

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