The coming few weeks are going to be challenging for the New Orleans Saints to deal with. Amid fears of Hurricane Ida, the Gulf Coast remains vulnerable. So the Saints are to use their interim facility for the first quarter of the season.
This simply implies that the Saints won’t be able to use their home ground for preparations. The Saints are to play their first four matches against Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and New York Giants away from home. It is assumed that by week five they will be back home to prepare for their match against Washington Football Team.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and quarterback Taysom Hill (7) sit together on the bench in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Though Ida being downgraded as a tropical depression, its surge on Monday left the city of New Orleans without power. Due to the effects of Ida, the last preseason match of Saints against the Arizona Cardinals led to a cancellation.
As Payton names Jameis Winston as the team’s starting quarterback for the season. It is for the first time that New Orleans Saints is going to play with a quarterback other than Drew Brees since 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city altogether.
The misadventures of New Orleans Saints amid Ida
However, Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, offered their AT&T Stadium for the Saints to practice in, which the Saints gracefully accepted.
#Saints HC Sean Payton mentioning SMU, TCU or even AT&T stadium as possibilities for an interim practice facility. Again, right now, it would/could be a month to start
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 31, 2021
The Saints’ Coach, when asked if the AT&T Stadium is to accommodate their early home games against the Packers and the Giants, replied, “We think that’d be something that’s very realistic.” Although that is very unlikely to happen as the Stadium has been pre-scheduled for a Los Bukis concert.
#Saints HC Sean Payton talking about Oxnard right now as possibility but with 2 away games in Charlotte & New England…not sure makes sense despite initially thinking it would make sense. Moved off Indy, Greenbrier. DFW sounds like frontrunner esp w AT&T making sense for week 1
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) August 31, 2021
The Saints may also see a shift to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area during their interims, but practice at either SMU or Texas Christian University.
Although nothing is yet officially announced regarding the Saints’ schedule, though the league said it is “monitoring developments and are in communication with the club,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported.
