Week 3 brings a slate full of quarterback twists, familiar faces, and a few reunion tours that should make Sunday and Monday stand out.
The Chicago Bears will be without Caleb Williams, which opens the door for Case Keenum to make his first regular-season appearance since 2023 as the starter against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. That’s one of the week’s biggest personnel shifts, and it comes in a matchup that already had plenty of attention.
One night later, the Los Angeles Rams head to Denver to face a Broncos defense that has earned elite status, with Patrick Surtain II among the names to watch. Matthew Stafford will be the one trying to solve that group in prime time.
Elsewhere, the New York Jets and Detroit Lions game carries a coaching reunion, as does the Tennessee Titans-New York Giants matchup. Aaron Glenn returns to face the Lions after leaving his post as their defensive coordinator to become the Jets’ head coach.
At MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the Titans’ visit to the Giants adds another pair of familiar names to the mix. Former Jets head coach Robert Saleh and former Giants head coach Brian Daboll will be on the visitor side as Tennessee takes on Big Blue.
That game also puts two former No. 1 overall picks across from each other. Cam Ward and the Titans have struggled during his first year-plus, while the Giants will turn to Jameis Winston, another No. 1 pick, after Jaxson Dart was injured.
The Buccaneers-Vikings matchup has its own quarterback wrinkle. Kyler Murray is back from a concussion to start for the Vikings, and Baker Mayfield will be under center for the winless Buccaneers.
Both were No. 1 overall selections, with Mayfield going first to the Cleveland Browns in 2018 and Murray following as the top pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. Both also won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma.
There’s a more unusual connection in the Las Vegas-New Orleans game. Raiders starter Kirk Cousins was a fourth-round pick by Washington in 2012, the same year Saints coach Kellen Moore went undrafted before signing with the Detroit Lions.
Cousins has been around a long time. Moore played in three games in 2015 for the Cowboys.
In Other News...
The Saints Hero In Their Most Iconic Superdome Moment Was Unexpected
When the Saints came home to the Superdome on Sept. 25, 2006, one of the most memorable plays in franchise history almost had a different cast. Curtis DeLoatch was not even supposed to be on the punt rush, but a shortage of players sent him in at the last second, placing him in the middle of the sequence that helped define the night and fuel a 23-3 win over Atlanta.
Steve Gleasons block became the image that lives on outside the Superdome, but DeLoatchs role gave the play its finish. He was the one who recovered the loose ball for a touchdown, a reminder that some of the most iconic moments in Saints history have turned on unexpected hands being in the right place at the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Suddenly Have A Week 3 Depth Issue Fans Need To Watch
The Saints young depth chart took a hit this week, with two rookie draft picks ruled out for Sundays meeting with the Raiders because of injuries. It is the kind of early-season issue that can quietly reshape game-day rotation plans, especially for a team still sorting out how its newest pieces fit around established veterans and special teams roles.
Martin Emerson Jr. is listed as questionable after getting on the practice field for the first time this week, while Nathan Shepherd is expected to go despite being limited. For a Saints team trying to keep Week 3 from turning into an attrition game, the availability list matters almost as much as the matchup itself, and the injury updates on the other sideline only add another layer to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Jaguars RB Already Giving Saints Fans A Reason To Worry
Through two games, Travis Etienne Jr. has given the Saints an early reminder that a big contract does not automatically bring quick certainty. New Orleans brought in the former Jaguars running back on a deal worth $48 million, expecting him to be a key piece of the offense, but his production so far has been quieter than hoped and his yards per touch are down from last season.
Etienne has still been on the field plenty, logging a 57% snap count, but the backfield work has not been his alone. He has shared touches with other players, which is part of why it is far too early to judge the deal either way, though it is enough to keep the Saints watching closely as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]