Saints at Lions
Detroit Lions 34, New Orleans Saints 31 · BYL
Final Score
Saints 31 4 TD · 1 FG · 4 XP
Lions 34 2 TD · 2 FG · 4 XPTyler Shough 361 yds passingTravis Etienne Jr 148 yds rushingChris Olave 108 yds receivingKerby Joseph 3 tkl defenseTotal yards 505 · 278Passing yards 357 · 258Rushing yards 148 · 20Completions 18/33 · 20/34Yards per carry 6.4 · 0.0Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 4d ago
In a thrilling season opener, the Detroit Lions held off the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 34-31. This Week 1 matchup set the tone for both teams as they look to make their mark in the 2026 season, with the Lions emerging victorious in a closely contested battle.
Tyler Shough led the Saints' offense with an impressive performance, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. complemented the aerial attack with a dominant 148 rushing yards, while Chris Olave contributed significantly in the receiving game, racking up 108 yards. Despite their efforts, the Saints fell just short of securing the win.
On the defensive side, Kader Kohou's five tackles helped anchor the Lions' unit, but it was Kerby Joseph's two interceptions that proved to be pivotal. Detroit's defense stepped up at crucial moments, limiting the Saints' scoring opportunities and forcing turnovers. The game turned in the second half when Joseph snagged his second interception, shifting the momentum in favor of the Lions and ultimately sealing the victory.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | ||||||
| Tyler ShoughQB | 18/33 | 55% | 361 | 3 | 6 | 83.8 |
| Lions | ||||||
| Jared GoffQB | 20/34 | 59% | 289 | 2 | 1 | 93.8 |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | |||||||
| Travis Etienne JrHB | 23 | 148 | 6.4 | 54 | 1 | 28 | 1 |
| Chris OlaveWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryce LanceWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | |||||||
| Jahmyr GibbsHB | 11 | 20 | 1.8 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | |||||||
| Chris OlaveWR | 4 | 108 | 27.0 | 24 | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Devaughn VeleWR | 4 | 91 | 22.8 | 62 | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Bryce LanceWR | 4 | 84 | 21.0 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne JrHB | 6 | 70 | 11.7 | 50 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Juwan JohnsonTE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Lions | |||||||
| Brock BowersTE | 6 | 88 | 14.7 | 31 | 1 | 31 | 1 |
| Kendrick LawWR | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 15 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. BrownWR | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Other | |||||||
| Jahmyr GibbsHB | 6 | 64 | 10.7 | 61 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| DeAndre HopkinsWR | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | |||||
| Christen MillerDT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin ReidFS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Martin Emerson JrCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstryCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase YoungLEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Davon GodchauxDT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah StalbirdWILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden EllissWILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pete WernerMIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles JrSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lions | |||||
| Kerby JosephFS | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack JonesCB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian IzienSS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm RodriguezSAM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick BarnesWILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian BranchSS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack CampbellMIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Thomas HarperFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin WhiteWILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCrearyCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K.J. BrittMIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andre CiscoSS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeillDT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | |||||
| Kader KohouCB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | |||
| Charlie SmythK | 1/1 | 4 | 60 |
| Lions | |||
| Jack FoxP | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake BatesK | 2/2 | 4 | 50 |