2012 NFL Schedule: Would Tough Early Schedule Spell Doom for New Orleans Saints?

The NFL will announce every team’s 2012 schedule at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

While we already know which teams the New Orleans Saints will face in the upcoming season, no other team schedule in the league is more anticipated than the Saints because the success—or failure—of the 2012 season might be written in the first six weeks of play.

Here’s who the Saints will play in 2012:

Home: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers

Away: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders

Remember, not only will head coach Sean Payton miss the entire 2012 season due to his suspension because of his involvement in the Saints bounty program, but interim head coach Joe Vitt will miss the first six games.

Not only will the Saints be without their head coach and interim head coach for the first six weeks of the season, but we haven’t even heard about the possible player suspensions that might come down soon.

It’s likely that a number of the Saints defensive players will be punished with suspensions in the upcoming 2012 season. Which players are punished, and when they are suspended, will be very important to New Orleans.

The first six games of New Orleans' season will set the tone for the entire year. If the NFL schedule-makers hand New Orleans an easier set of opponents in the first six weeks of play, the Saints might survive the brunt of their upcoming suspensions relatively unscathed.

However, if the Saints face a really tough early schedule—like having to face San Francisco, Green Bay, Denver, and/or the Giants—their season might be doomed.