Sunday finally brings the Saints back to Poydras Street, and the timing could not be much better for a team trying to shake off a slow start. New Orleans is 1-1 after opening the season with tough trips to Detroit and Baltimore, and now it gets its first home game of 2026 against an undefeated Las Vegas Raiders team that arrives at 2-0.
The Saints are still sorting through some important injury questions, especially up front. Rookie left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has already been ruled out with a high ankle sprain, which means Asim Richards is again in the spotlight after filling in last week. New Orleans also got a mixed injury report on Friday, with several helpful updates on defense and at receiver.
The biggest offensive name to watch is Travis Etienne Jr. The offseason addition is listed as questionable after dealing with a hamstring strain and was limited all week.
If he cannot go or is kept on a short leash, Alvin Kamara should be in line for a major workload, with rookie C.J. Donaldson Jr. handling the short-yardage and goal-line snaps.
There was also a setback on the perimeter with rookie return threat Barion Brown sidelined by a hamstring tweak. But the Saints do have reason for optimism on defense, where Chase Young, Jonas Sanker, and Nathan Shepherd are back at 100%, giving Brandon Staley’s front more depth against Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The early-game problem is impossible to ignore. As John DeShazier pointed out Saturday morning, the Saints have scored only six first-half points through two games. Tyler Shough has been electric after halftime, throwing for 662 yards and four touchdowns in the second half alone, but New Orleans cannot afford to keep playing from behind, especially against a Las Vegas defense that has already piled up eight sacks and is tied for the NFL lead.
That puts extra pressure on Doug Nussmeier’s offense to settle in quickly, especially with Richards making his first start of 2026 at left tackle and veteran David Edwards beside him at left guard. The Saints need early rhythm throws to Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson to keep the Raiders’ edge rush from taking over.
Inside the Caesars Superdome, the crowd can still be a weapon. Pete Werner said this week the team has to give the fans something to erupt about early, and that feels like the assignment on Sunday: start fast, steady the offense, and give the home crowd a reason to turn the place loud in a hurry.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Tyler Shough Ruling
The Saints had another rough Week 3 finish against the Raiders, and one sequence involving Tyler Shough has only added to the frustration. The NFL upheld the ruling on the field, saying Shough lost control of the ball before his arm started moving forward, leaving the play as a fumble and not an incomplete pass.
For Saints fans, the irritation is obvious because the league handled a similar-looking situation differently in Week 1 when Jared Goff was involved. NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained why the two plays were separated, but the explanation is unlikely to make New Orleans feel any better about how the call broke in a game already going the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Collapse Came Down To Tyler Shough And One Brutal Call
The Saints had their best early footing under Kellen Moore on Sunday, jumping ahead after the first quarter and giving themselves a chance to carry that edge into a needed win over the Raiders. Instead, the game unraveled late in a 35-27 loss, with New Orleans giving the ball away four times in the fourth quarter and watching a promising night slip into a frustrating collapse.
Tyler Shough was at the center of it, with multiple turnovers and a strip that led to one of the games most contentious moments, when Las Vegas came away with the fumble recovery. A late Juwan Johnson fumble only deepened the damage as the Raiders kept answering with offense, leaving the Saints to sort through how a game they once controlled turned so quickly in the final period. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over This Replay Ruling
The Saints already had plenty to argue about during their game against the Raiders, and the replay decision only deepened the frustration. Adrian Hills crew drew heat for a series of controversial calls against New Orleans, including multiple penalties on the defense, but the play that really stuck with fans was a quarterback drop that ended with the Raiders coming away with the ball.
NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth upheld the ruling after review, saying the quarterback lost control before his arm came forward. The problem for New Orleans is that the explanation landed differently than another similar play earlier this season, when the league ruled it an incomplete pass, leaving the Saints and their fans to wonder why a key judgment can look so different from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]