The Saints came out of their Week 1 meeting with the Lions with plenty to sort through on the tape, and the film turned up a few clear bright spots along the way. Vernon Broughton was one of them. In his first regular-season action since Week 2 of last year, the third-round pick from last year’s draft showed up in a way that doesn’t always jump off the stat sheet but absolutely mattered on the field.
The best of it came when Broughton lined up across from Penei Sewell. Against one of the league’s top linemen and a three-time first-team All-Pro, Broughton won multiple reps. It was a strong enough performance that, if he keeps trending this way, he could end up looking like a Trey Hendrickson-level steal for New Orleans.
The linebacker group also gave the Saints reason to feel good. Both linebackers opposite Kaden Ellis handled a difficult assignment against Detroit and produced quality plays. After the film review, Stutsman and Werner both looked like they brought something useful to the table, but Stutsman appears to be making a real case to fight for the starting job as the season goes on.
Werner’s game leaned on experience and instincts. He made multiple plays, including a nice TFL on Jahmyr Gibbs and an exceptional pass breakup down the middle of the field.
Stutsman was less polished at times and found himself out of position on a few snaps, but he was able to recover because of his superior athletic ability. For the Saints, that kind of competition seems to be pushing both players toward better football against a talented Lions offense.
The biggest officiating flashpoint came on the game-winning 2-point conversion. The refs missed pass interference in the end zone on Bryce Lance, and the play left plenty to unpack on film.
The Saints ran a modified version of the “Spot” concept, with Olave’s initial motion toward the interior of the three-receiver bunch helping Tyler Shough identify man coverage. On that design, the corner route is the key throw, while the flat route by Olave is meant to draw the flat defender away.
Shough got the ball out a little late, with the timing affected by a strong jam at the line. The Lions deserve credit for that.
But the contact on Lance was hard to miss on the replay, with the defender’s hand covering his face and body contact continuing while the ball was in the air. The point here wasn’t that the missed call decided everything, but that the standard around officiating still makes no sense when a review can overturn an obvious fumble that changes the outcome, while a flag on a play like this feels untouchable.
Even with a sluggish start, especially from Tyler Shough, the Saints showed something on Sunday that stood out on the tape: fight and belief in their quarterback. That kind of energy hadn’t been around the Black and Gold sideline since Drew Brees was running the offense. More than anything, the film suggested a talented roster and a smart coaching staff that should have plenty of success this year.
In Other News...
Drew Brees Broncos Twist Could Put Saints In An Awkward Spot
Sean Payton has already tried to cool off the idea of a Drew Brees reunion in Denver, even as reports suggested the former Saints quarterback briefly considered joining the Broncos for their playoff push. Brees ultimately passed because of his arm condition, and Payton said the contact went through Broncos assistants Joe Lombardi and Pete Carmichael rather than landing directly on his desk. For Saints fans, it is one of those familiar crosscurrents involving a franchise icon, a former coach and the lingering connections that still tie New Orleans to the rest of the league.
The part worth watching now is the potential mess around Brees contract rights and whether the league sees anything worth examining further. There has been speculation about a tampering investigation, but nothing official has been announced, leaving the story in a gray area for the moment. Even so, the possibility of an awkward NFL inquiry is the kind of background noise the Saints did not need attached to a player whose legacy in New Orleans is already firmly established. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Have Found An LSU Pass Rusher Worth Watching Closely
A familiar Louisiana pipeline could be worth tracking again, this time on the edge. Princewill Umanmielen has already shown the kind of pass-rushing burst and athleticism that gets scouts leaning forward, and he has kept producing after stops at Nebraska and Ole Miss before landing at LSU. Early in the season, he has been among the national leaders in sacks, which only adds to the growing sense that his name belongs on the list of players New Orleans will be watching closely over the next couple of years.
For the Saints, the appeal is obvious: a productive LSU rusher with the frame and movement skills to develop into something more if the rest of his game keeps coming along. There are still questions to answer, as there are with most young edge prospects, but the upside is enough to make him a legitimate draft watch as the 2027 NFL Draft approaches. If he keeps stacking performances like this, the Saints may not have to look far for a first-round conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Workout Just Turned Into A Bigger NFL Problem
The Saints recent workout scene came with a league-wide wrinkle after the NFL reminded clubs that defensive tackle Zxavian Harris and tight end DaeQuan Wright are off the board for the rest of this season. Both players had gone after additional eligibility at LSU, but neither appeared in a game, and that choice cost them the chance to circle back to the NFL before the year is done.
For New Orleans, it is a small note on paper but the kind that matters when teams are sorting through depth and trying to squeeze value out of every look. Harris and Wright will be eligible to sign with NFL teams next season without having to go back through the draft, but for now any club that had them on the radar has to move on and wait. [Read more 🡒]