The New Orleans Saints announced on Friday that they have canceled their third and final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals due to the approach of Hurricane Ida. The Saints said in a statement that they have been in constant communication with City of New Orleans officials, the National Weather Service, Homeland Security, state officials and the National Football League, and decided to cancel the exhibition matchup.
Earlier on Friday, the team released a statement saying that they had moved the kickoff time up to 1 p.m. ET. Originally, the game was set to begin at 8 p.m. ET. After further discussions, however, it was decided that the game should just be canceled. CBS News reports that Ida was upgraded Thursday afternoon to a tropical storm, adding that Ida is expected to "make landfall as a powerful hurricane on the Gulf Coast."
Forecasters are predicting rapid organization and strengthening as it approaches the Gulf Coast, likely threatening Louisiana at or near major hurricane strength on Sunday ... There is a general consensus now that this system is likely headed for the Louisiana coast. When exactly it arrives will depend on where it makes landfall -- the further west, the longer it will take. The window now appears to be narrowing in on Sunday through Monday.
Now, the Packers and Bills will be the only 1 p.m. ET game. Ravens-Washington, Bears-Titans, Bucs-Texans, Rams-Broncos, and Chargers-Seahawks make up the remainder of Saturday's preseason slate.
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