New Orleans
Saints
0-0
45
FINAL
35
Washington
Commanders
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an explosive start to the 2029 season, the New Orleans Saints topped the Washington Commanders with a final score of 45-35. Both teams fought hard, but the Saints' offensive firepower ultimately secured them the victory in this Week 1 showdown.
Leading the charge for the Saints was Chris Olave, who showcased his skills with 133 receiving yards, while Kewan Lacy contributed on the ground with 60 rushing yards. On the other side, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had a standout performance, throwing for 367 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with New Orleans.
Defensively, the Saints managed to apply pressure, with Rodney Dunham recording one sack, but it was Washington's Sonny Styles who stole the spotlight with two interceptions. The game's turning point came midway through the fourth quarter, where a crucial interception by Styles put the Commanders in a position to narrow the gap, but the Saints’ defense held firm, allowing them to maintain their lead and seal the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 31 | 17 | 55% | 367 | 4 | 2 | 109.8 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 25 | 15 | 60% | 292 | 2 | 2 | 94.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 15 | 60 | 4.0 | 30 | 2 | 27 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | — | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Will Henderson III | HB | 8 | 18 | 2.3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Kaytron Allen | HB | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 3 | 133 | 44.3 | 114 | 1 | 98 | 0 |
| Will Henderson III | HB | 6 | 130 | 21.7 | 64 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Adonai Mitchell | WR | 3 | 106 | 35.3 | 8 | 0 | 54 | 0 |
| Kendre Harrison | TE | 6 | 102 | 17.0 | 47 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| TK Keys | WR | 4 | 72 | 18.0 | 10 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Terrance Carter Jr. | TE | 2 | 52 | 26.0 | 26 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Kewan Lacy | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 22 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Kaytron Allen | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Redmond | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| SirVocea Dennis | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Marte Mapu | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Dunham | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Riley Pettijohn | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Cross | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Sainristil | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nolan Smith Jr | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen McClain | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daron Payne | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Scott | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominick McKinley | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Finney Jr. | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brice Pullock | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tawfiq Byard | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edgerrin Cooper | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keaton Thomas | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Smyth | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 43 |
| Tyler Loop | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

