The New Orleans Saints finally got the kind of ground game they’ve been waiting on, and it showed up in a big way against the Dallas Cowboys.
After a preseason stretch that left plenty to be desired, the Saints piled up 169 total yards on the ground and scored all of their touchdowns that way in the win. It was the first real glimpse of the rushing attack that had been talked up all offseason, and on Friday night, it actually looked the part. The halfbacks seemed to have shed the rust that had been hanging around for weeks, and if that version of the offense carries over with the first-team group, New Orleans could be a fun team to watch this fall.
Even that might not be the ceiling. The performance came without the first team fully in place, which makes the upside even more interesting. With a stronger offensive line and starting running back Travis Etienne Jr in the mix, 2026 could wind up being the Saints’ best rushing season in years.
That kind of balance would mean a lot for Tyler Shough. The Saints’ quarterback should be the biggest beneficiary if the run game keeps rolling, especially after the first two games produced just 161 combined rushing yards. A reliable ground attack takes pressure off a young quarterback, and Shough is the one who stands to gain the most from it.
It’s not hard to see why. A consistent rushing threat can simplify reads, cut down the heat from the pass rush, and make third downs a lot more manageable. Those are the kinds of advantages Shough could have if the Saints keep getting this level of production from the backfield.
The encouraging part for New Orleans is that the running backs have been doing this while dealing with a pile of injuries. Alvin Kamara is out for at least a month, Devin Neal is on injured reserve, and Kendre Miller and Audric Estime are also battling injuries. If that group gets healthy, the Saints’ run game should only get stronger from here.
In Other News...
Saints Again Face A Familiar Kendre Miller Problem
Kendre Millers latest practice hiccup is another reminder of how fragile the Saints running back depth can look when the room is asked to carry extra weight. Miller left a recent practice with a minor injury and then sat out the next session, and while Kellen Moore has downplayed the issue, the larger concern is less about the specific ailment than the pattern around it.
Alvin Kamara could be facing missed time, which would make Miller even more important as New Orleans second back and a key part of the offenses contingency plan. The Saints have seen enough injury interruptions with Miller to know availability is the first question, and for a team trying to build reliable options behind Kamara, every practice absence carries a little more significance than it normally would. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Keep Tweaking Roster With One Late Move Worth Watching
The Saints have kept the roster churn going in the lead-up to the 2025 season kickoff, adding wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. and tight end Treyton Welch to the practice squad while also claiming cornerback Decamerion Richardson off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders. It is the kind of late-August business that can look minor on paper but often says plenty about how a team wants to stock the back end of its roster and what it values in terms of depth and upside.
Richardson arrives at a position group that always draws attention in New Orleans, and his addition came at a cost, with rookie Lorenzo Styles Jr. going on injured reserve to clear a spot. The Saints have already shown they are willing to keep adjusting as they sort through the final layers of the roster, and this latest move is one worth watching as they continue to shape the defensive backfield and the rest of the practice squad. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Quarterback Future Just Became The NFC South's Biggest Debate
The NFC South has become a division built on uncertainty, and the Saints are right in the middle of it. Carolina won the crown in 2025 despite an 8-9 record and a minus-69 point differential, a reminder that no team in the group has really separated itself. CBS Sports even slotted all four clubs into the same tier in its power rankings, which only reinforces how wide open, and how unimpressive, the race has looked heading into the next round of roster decisions.
For New Orleans, the biggest question sits at quarterback, where the future remains one of the defining debates in the division. With each NFC South team dealing with its own set of roster issues, the Saints do not have the luxury of leaning on a clearly settled outlook, and that makes the position especially important as they try to find a path back to the top. In a division this bunched together, the answer under center could end up mattering more than anything else. [Read more 🡒]