Snap Judgments of the Official 2021 New Orleans Saints Schedule

It appears the leaks on social media earlier in the day were accurate.

While the NFL officially released the entire 2021 schedule this evening, New Orleans Saints fans got a glimpse of their team's schedule before lunch.

Week 1 (Sep. 12): vs. Green Bay Packers, 3:25 p.m., FOX
Week 2 (Sep. 19): at Carolina Panthers, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 3 (Sep. 26): at New England Patriots, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 4 (Oct. 3): vs. New York Giants, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 5 (Oct. 10): at Washington Football Team, 12 p.m., CBS
Week 6 (Oct. 17): Bye Week
Week 7 (Oct. 25): at Seattle Seahawks, 7:15 p.m., ESPN (MNF)
Week 8 (Oct. 31): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3:25 p.m., FOX
Week 9 (Nov. 7): vs. Atlanta Falcons, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 10 (Nov. 14): at Tennessee Titans, 12 p.m., CBS
Week 11 (Nov. 21): at Philadelphia Eagles, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 12 (Nov. 25): vs. Buffalo Bills (Thanksgiving), 7:20 p.m
Week 13 (Dec. 2): vs. Dallas Cowboys, 7:20 p.m., FOX/NFL/Amazon (TNF)
Week 14 (Dec. 12): at New York Jets, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 15 (Dec. 19): at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7:20 p.m., NBC (SNF)
Week 16 (Dec. 27): vs. Miami Dolphins, 7:15 p.m., ESPN (MNF)
Week 17 (Jan. 2): vs. Carolina Panthers, 12 p.m., FOX
Week 18 (Jan. 9): at Atlanta Falcons, 12 p.m., FOX

Five primetime games in a post Drew Brees era is further proof of the Saints national appeal.

A home opener against Green Bay is a fun way to kick off the season.

With plenty of drama surrounding Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and a new quarterback starting in New Orleans, it'll be packed with storylines and optimism. Almost every fanbase is optimistic in week 1.

The Monday night game at Seattle, followed by a cross country flight back to New Orleans and a short week of preparation for the Buccaneers on Halloween is not ideal.

A more favorable layout would have been a Monday night game at Seattle in week 6, and the bye in week 7.

Another factor is the low number of Sunday noon games at the Superdome. With only 3 on the schedule, late afternoon and primetime games will give the fans plenty of time to get lathered up.

Cold-weather games are always worth keeping an eye on, and with trips late in the Saints to Philadelphia and New York, the Saints will have at least two of them.

What game on the Saints schedule are you most looking forward to?