Saints’ first four weeks appears challenging

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The NFL wasn’t happy with how the Saints handled the post-NFC Championship Game controversy. The Saints can’t be happy with the NFL’s scheduling of the first quarter of their season.

Strength of schedule never is determined until the end of the season. What happened last year doesn’t matter, so a strength of schedule based on last season is meaningless.

But one look at the Saints’ schedule tells you they face a tough test — if not a Murderers’ Row — to start.

They open the season at home against the Texans, but the game is on Monday night. So that leads to a short Week Two, which is a West Coast trip to the Rams for a rematch of the NFC title game.

The Saints then stay on the West Coast for a game at the Seahawks before returning home to face Dallas in a Sunday night game in Week Four.

All of the Saints’ first four opponents made the playoffs last season.