The Raiders’ trip to New Orleans on Sunday could turn on one of football’s smallest details: who picks up the blitzer.
Las Vegas is chasing a 3-0 start for the first time since 2021, but the Saints have already shown they can flip a game in a hurry. New Orleans erased Baltimore in the second half of Week 2 and finished off a 24-17 win, and now it gets its first home game of the 2026 NFL season.
The familiar face on that sideline is Brandon Staley. Raiders fans know the Saints’ defensive coordinator well, and he’s been getting real results since taking over the unit at the start of last year. Chase Young is one example of that, with the edge rusher reviving his career under Staley.
What makes this matchup especially tricky is the way Staley has adapted to offenses that line up under center. He’s been building a pressure package that attacks play-action looks by forcing immediate conflict, and that’s where the Raiders may need Connor Heyward.
On NFL Live, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky broke down the tactic Staley is using. When offenses are under center, the Saints send a blitzer to create problems for the blocking rules.
That becomes a headache on play-action, where the running back usually handles the extra rusher from a one-back set. If the Saints time it right, the offense can end up with an unblocked defender flying at the quarterback.
The Saints laid a blueprint vs Baltimore (and every other under center QB offense) to pay attention to #nfllive pic.twitter.com/a2OKOKJxuh
- Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 25, 2026
That’s exactly what happened to Lamar Jackson, who was under pressure throughout the game.
For Las Vegas, the answer may be using 21 personnel and putting Heyward in the backfield. That extra body can help neutralize the Saints’ pressure looks and keep the defense from teeing off on play-action. At the same time, it also opens the door for Heyward as a possible receiver if New Orleans overcommits to the blitz.
Kubiak hasn’t used Heyward that way in this offense yet, but the Saints have already shown they’re willing to force offenses to adjust on the fly. Through two weeks, Kubiak has mixed familiar looks with changes from one game to the next, which means the Raiders should expect more than one version of the same problem.
It’s a tough assignment for a team that likes to live under center. But if Las Vegas can sort out the pressure and create some explosive plays of its own, Heyward may end up being one of the keys to making that happen.
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