Saints took every detail into account in choosing Jacksonville for the opening, same price for Packers fans

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the NFL forced the Saints to move a home game against the Giants at Giants Stadium. New Orleans lost 27-10. Sean Payton became the team’s head coach the following season.

After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans last weekend, the Saints decided where to play their first game of the season.

“We know everything when it comes to preparing an opponent,” said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, when asked about the selection process in a conference call with local reporters on Wednesday. “There are so many variables. I don’t want to go into all the variables. The main thing is to have a suitable place to play that both teams have access to.

The NFL requires all games to be played in NFL stadiums due to replay communication.

The Saints training at the TCU in Fort Worth, their first choice was AT&T Stadium in Arlington since the Cowboys opened the season in Tampa on September 9. The Saints welcome the Packers on September 12.

But the Cowboys’ stadium is hosting a Los Bukis concert on September 15, excluding their stadium.

Jeff Duncan from The Times-Picayne reports that the Saints looked at every detail and put a lot of thought into arriving in Jacksonville as a temporary home stadium.

All three Florida stadiums are available on September 12 and the Saints thought the state’s heat and humidity could give them an advantage, Duncan said. They searched for Aaron Rodgers’ record in Florida and found he was 3-4 in his career with a 78.1 passer rating.

The Saints then began to research which site would give them the most edge on the pitch, considering how Packers fans travel.

They were concerned that Tampa or Miami would serve as a potential destination for Packers fans, Duncan said, so they focused on Jacksonville.

A staff member searched for flights from Green Bay to Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa on Expedia, according to Duncan, and Jacksonville was the most expensive and difficult route. This sold the Saints on TIAA Bank Field.

Packers fans could still show up in droves, but not for lack of Saints trying to make it as difficult as possible for them to get there from Wisconsin.