Three nationally televised games, home dates against both Super Bowl LVI participants, a season-opening stretch against the NFC South Division and a trip to London for a matchup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium highlight a grueling 2022 schedule for the New Orleans Saints, who won't enjoy their bye until Week 14 under new head coach Dennis Allen.

The Saints, 9-8 in the NFL's inaugural 17-game schedule last year, will enter their first season since 2005 without Sean Payton as head coach. Allen, the team's defensive coordinator from 2015-21, will begin his first season as its head coach with a road game against the Falcons on Sept. 11.

That begins the Saints' initial taste of the NFC South: the season opener on the road against Atlanta, in the Caesars Superdome for the home opener against Tampa Bay a week later, and a trip to Carolina on Sept. 25. The Carolina game will precede the London trip, where New Orleans will face Minnesota on Oct. 2.

New Orleans' three prime-time games are once on Thursday (Oct. 20, at Arizona) and twice on Monday (Nov. 7, home in the Caesars Superdome against Baltimore, and Dec. 5, on the road against Tampa Bay).

The most recent Super Bowl participants will visit New Orleans almost a month apart. Cincinnati, the AFC champions who feature quarterback Joe Burrow, a college star and Heisman Trophy winner who played at LSU, will play in the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 16, and the Los Angeles Rams, who won Super Bowl LVI on their home field, will visit New Orleans for a Nov. 20 game.

With the NFC South Division champion Buccaneers (twice), Bengals (AFC North) and Rams (NFC West) on the schedule, the Saints play three of the NFL's eight division winners from last season. Additionally, six opponents won at least 10 games last year: Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Arizona, Las Vegas, the Rams and San Francisco.

The previously announced London game against Minnesota on Oct. 2 will not be followed by a bye. New Orleans will travel home and play Seattle in the Caesars Superdome on Oct. 9, the second game of a three-game run of "home" games (the London game officially is a home game for the Saints) that will conclude with Cincinnati's visit.

Twice, the Saints will play back-to-back road games – four of the final six games will be on the road – and the second stint will center around holidays. On Nov. 27 and Dec. 5, the Saints will travel to play the 49ers and Buccaneers, respectively. On Christmas Eve (a Saturday) and New Year's Day, New Orleans will be on the road against Cleveland and Philadelphia, respectively.

After the initial 13-game march, the Saints will have their bye before hosting the Falcons in the Caesars Superdome on Dec. 17 or 18 (the exact date and time of the game will be determined). The same thing will occur for the regular-season finale against Carolina in the Superdome; it will be played Jan. 7 or 8, with the time to be determined.

Worth noting is that Sunday night games in weeks 5-15 and Week 17 are subject to change, which means New Orleans possibly could have another nationally televised game added to the schedule.

Dates and times for preseason games have not been determined, but the Saints will play road games against Houston and Green Bay, followed by a home game against the Chargers, on the preseason schedule.