Only time will tell whether the 2020 NFL season kicks off on time and holds its standard 17-week regular season. But even with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic abbreviating teams' in-person offseason programs -- and perhaps, eventually, eliminating them entirely -- the league Wyatt Langford Jersey is preparing to proceed as planned come September, with 256 games on the slate starting Sept. 10.If/when games begin, few teams are expected to do as well as the , who enter the 2020 campaign having strung together two straight 13-3 seasons. The NFC South contenders haven't been nearly as lethal in the playoffs as of late, but that doesn't mean they aren't among the top-billed candidates for a Lombardi Trophy run this year.In celebration of (hopefully) football on the horizon, here's a way-too-early week-by-week prediction for all 16 of the Saints' regular season games on the schedule, complete with over/under win totals for every opponent courtesy of William Hill Sports Book, as well as Week 1 and Week 2 lines. The Saints' O/U is 10.5:Week 1 vs. Line: Saints -4Opponent win total: O/U 9.5Prediction: brings some juice to the Superdome, and his weapons are deadly enough to give the Saints' secondary some fits. But New Orleans reaps the benefit of opening at home and offers plenty of its own firepower to kick off the Retirement Tour. Like Week 1 in 2019, when the came to town, this one goes down to the wire before the Saints win 29-26.Projected record: 1-0Week 2 at Line: Saints -5Opponent win total:O/U 7.5Prediction: shiny new toys are on full display in Las Vegas, with Henry Ruggs all but single-handedly threatening an upset with a bomb of a touchdown just before halftime. The Saints' defense turns it on after the break, however, headlined by a strong showing from . Brees proceeds to chew up clock with killer efficiency down the stretch. Saints win 31-21.Projected record: 2-0Week 3 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 9Prediction: Riding high off a 2-0 start, the Saints keep up the offensive showcase during their return home, but to the surprise of many around the NFL, Matt LaFleur's increased reliance on the ground game pays dividends. Brees hardly touches the ball for long stretches, while operates with enough precision to silence naysayers and ensure the Saints lose 27-24 in OT.Projected record: 2-1Week 4 at Opponent win total:O/U 6.5Prediction: Sean Payton breathes a deep sigh of relief as he enters Ford Field, knowing full well the NFL couldn't have gifted his team a better layup following a tough Week 3 matchup. airs it out a bunch with banged up yet again, but it's not nearly enough. Brees and Co. have a field day on the Motown turf, lighting up Matt Patricia's rebuilt secondary to win 38-23.Projected record:3-1Week 5 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 7.5Prediction: First-rounder gets the nod for L.A. (with a nudge from the front office) after spends the week as a game-time decision, but it doesn't matter who's under center for the Chargers; Anthony Lynn's squad puts up a decent first-quarter fight in prime time, but victimizes en route to a big Monday night. Saints win 30-20.Projected record:4- Josh Hamilton Jersey 1Week 7 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 5.5Prediction: gets a standing ovation as he returns to town with the Panthers, then quickly realizes he might've been better suited sticking it out as Brees' backup for one more year. Payton's staff knows exactly how to pre sure Bridgewater and keep Matt Rhule's squad out of sync, and Carolina's transitioning "D" proves far too wet behind the ears to keep up. Saints win 41-17.Projected record:5-1Week 8 at Opponent win total:O/U 8Prediction: Off to just as good of a start as 2019, the Saints don't take Chicago lightly, putting an extra emphasis on packages to try to throw off the Bears' pa s rush. Still, Chi-Town's front seven proves it can still change a game, limiting New Orleans' play-makers all afternoon. With a system catered to his strengths, meanwhile, finally tops the Saints, who lose 26-22.Projected record:5-2Week 9 at BuccaneersOpponent win total:O/U 9.5Prediction: Weathered a bit by their trip to Chicago, the Saints get Tom Brady for the second time in 2020, and this time, Father Time himself has things firing on all cylinders. A late-game sack briefly forces Brees out of the game, so enters against his former team and, a few plays later, has a bobbled pa s picked off. Brady, meanwhile, deals under the lights. Saints lose 31-25.Projected record:5-3Week 10 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 10.5Prediction: Fired up after two straight lo ses, Payton enters with even more juice thanks to some leftover bitterne s from 2019's 48-46 lo s to San Francisco. Fortunately for him, he doesn't need to do anything fancy to get the Saints back on track. Unfilled holes in the Niners' interior put under fire, and Michael Thomas has his way with . Saints win 28-21.Projected record:6-3Week 11 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 7.5Prediction: makes good use of his top targets on the road, hitting , and all for big plays. Save for , however, Atlanta's defense struggles mightily. It's a divisional game, so it's close, but the score doesn't tell the whole story; the Saints prove they are still the far superior contender and win 34-26.Projected record:7-3Week 12 at Opponent win total:O/U 7.5Prediction:John Elway watches from his booth and enjoys a mental rabbit trail as ignites Broncos Nation with a nearly flawle s performance chucking it to and : Had Lock not surprised down the stretch in 2019, Elway may have tried his darnedest to pry Brees from New Orleans and fulfill his latest veteran-QB dream. Saints lose 29-26 in OT.Projected record:7-4Week 13 at FalconsOpponent win total:O/U 7.5Prediction: Dan Quinn revenge game? Nope. With Gurley sidelined and neither nor stepping up as Ryan's No. 3 target, the Falcons once again struggle to put up a legitimate fight, even with an extra wild card spot still within their most outstretched grasp. The Saints sweep their South rivals as they win 27-16.Projected record:8-4Week 14 at Opponent win total:O/U 9.5Prediction: comes close to breaking personal records while feasting on the Eagles' young linebacker corps, but this one's all about the QBs. Brees is just fine playing dink-and-dunk, but is motivated down the stretch and -- surprise -- is just as prominent as Taysom Hill here, scoring on a short run to ensure the Saints lose 34-31.Projected record:8-5Week 15 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 11.5Prediction: Coming back home helps, but it doesn't help quite enough. Knowing a lo s won't kill their chances of securing a Wild Card out of the South, the Saints give it their all but can't keep pace with , whose free-wheeling and play-making is reminiscent of his Super Bowl second half. puts up big numbers, but the Saints still lose 37-28.Projected record:8-6Week 16 vs. Opponent win total:O/U 9Prediction: is ultra-efficient with , and all on track. And is feisty in the slot while matched up with Michael Thomas. None of the Vikings' offense -- or past miracles over the Saints -- can make up for a generally porous defense, however. Brees carves up the rest of Minnesota's young secondary, and the Saints win 32-24.Projected record:9-6Week 17 at PanthersOpponent win total:O/U 5.5Prediction: With a fourth straight double-digit win total on the line, the Saints strike gold with a rematch against Carolina. By this point, Rhule's squad has fully bought in on a 2021 push, and gets a handful of reps at QB with the Panthers eyeing the offseason. Payton dials up a relatively simple game plan, but it works to a tee, with leading the way. Saints win 27-14.Projected record:10-6 Leody Taveras Jersey