Call the New Orleans Saints what they are: a cold-weather team. Okay, that is obviously not true, given how many games they play inside the climate-controlled Caesars Superdome. But the team’s record when outdoors and in cold winter weather is better than some would have you believe.
Year after year, from the moment the schedule is officially released, the narrative arises that the Saints can not win in cold-weather matchups. Ahead of the 2022 season, the team’s Week 16 and 17 games were quickly circled. In facing the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on the road, respectively, concerns of cold weather in the hosts’ outdoor stadiums immediately arose. Which are especially commonly brought up around New Orleans, but other dome teams as well.
But the good news is that the Saints met the first of those challenges head-on and secured a 17-10 victory in the process, leaving the Cleveland tundra with a win. But that result is not new for New Orleans. In fact, since 2014, the Saints are 5-1 in outdoor games that are played below 40 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff. That includes a January playoff win against the Eagles in the 2013 postseason.
The upcoming Week 17 game in the City of Brotherly Love is not expected to be a chilly one. The current forecasts show the temperature is expected to hover in the low 50’s throughout the contest. Given the Saints’ track record over the last 8 seasons, and their recent losses to the Eagles and starting quarterback Jalen Hurts the last two years, perhaps it would better for New Orleans if it were colder.