The Saints head to Detroit as underdogs, but this one still comes down to the matchups inside the matchup. If New Orleans is going to steal a win from the Lions, it has to hold up in the trenches, make Jared Goff uncomfortable, and find ways to stress a shaky cornerback group.
The biggest task may belong to Chase Young and Carl Granderson. With Cam Jordan out, the Saints need those two to carry the pass rush, and they’ll have their hands full with Penei Sewell.
Still, there’s a lane to attack 2026 first-round pick Blake Miller in his NFL debut. Miller brings real athletic ability, but he has had trouble with powerful bull-rushing edge defenders in college, which is exactly the kind of game Young and Granderson can bring.
That pressure matters even more because the Saints’ defensive back group has questions of its own. If Goff is left clean, he can pick apart a defense from the pocket.
If his clock gets sped up, New Orleans has a much better shot.
Chris Olave is another key piece of the puzzle. With Jordyn Tyson out, the Lions will likely devote plenty of attention to him, but Detroit’s cornerback room gives the Saints a real opening.
Tyler Shough needs Olave to be a steady target and a source of explosive plays. D.J.
Reed has had a strong career, but an injury hampered him in 2025, and the Saints should look to challenge him in coverage. Keith Abney is also a favorable matchup for Olave.
Even with the praise he drew in the draft - “my CB1” - he’s still a fifth-round rookie who is undersized and inexperienced. New Orleans would be wise to test that early.
Then there’s the edge battle that could decide whether the offense ever gets rolling. Aidan Hutchinson is the Lions’ most dangerous weapon against the Saints, and the former second-overall pick was fourth in the NFL last year with 14.5 sacks.
Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks have to keep him from wrecking the game. That’s true for the passing game, where protecting Shough is a priority because of his injury history and inconsistency under pressure, but it matters just as much on the ground.
The Saints can’t afford to become one-dimensional, and a functional rushing attack starts with Fuaga and Banks creating room, even against a pass rusher like Hutchinson.
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The buzz came after his fiance, Neva Clark, posted a joking video about how the suspension would affect her social media plans. It was the kind of lighthearted post that can take off quickly online, and it has fans talking again about a player whose Saints stint ended before the regular season even began. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Already Have Plenty To Say About This Officiating Sequence
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Then came another officiating flashpoint, this time in the other direction, when Jahmyr Gibbs was ruled to have fumbled before he went down and the Saints were awarded possession. The contrast only added to the sense that the first half was being defined as much by the whistle as by the football, giving New Orleans plenty to digest before the game had even reached halftime. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Shough Gave Saints Fans Hope Before A Brutal Late Twist
Tyler Shough gave Saints fans a real jolt of optimism in a game that looked like it was slipping away early. New Orleans struggled out of the gate against Detroit, and the offense never found a first-quarter spark, with Shough throwing two interceptions as the Lions built control of the matchup.
Then Shough helped turn the whole afternoon around, throwing for 410 yards and fueling a second-half rally that carried the Saints into overtime tied at 30. Even after the late push, the ending turned brutal in the extra period, leaving New Orleans to absorb a 31-30 loss after a controversial overturned touchdown tied to an obscure rule about quarterback intent. [Read more 🡒]