New Orleans
Saints
0-0
31
FINAL
42
Arizona
Cardinals
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an explosive season opener, the Arizona Cardinals topped the New Orleans Saints 42-31, showcasing their offensive firepower and setting the tone for the 2027 season. With both teams eager to make a statement, it was the Cardinals who emerged victorious, proving their mettle right out of the gate.
Joe Milton was the star of the night, throwing for five touchdowns and leading the Cardinals' offensive charge. Omari Evans was his go-to target, racking up an impressive 181 receiving yards, while Tyler Shough of the Saints put in a valiant effort, amassing 387 passing yards in a losing cause. Jeremiyah Love added some ground support for Arizona, contributing 46 rushing yards to keep the defense honest.
Defensively, the Cardinals made key plays that shifted the momentum in their favor, with Dadrion Taylor-Demerson snagging an interception that halted a potential scoring drive for New Orleans. Isaiah Bolden's five tackles helped keep the Saints' ground game in check, while Uchenna Nwosu's two sacks provided crucial pressure on Milton. The turning point came in the second quarter, when a quick succession of touchdowns by the Cardinals turned a tight contest into a commanding lead, allowing them to hold off the Saints down the stretch.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 32 | 18 | 56% | 387 | 2 | 3 | 81.1 |
| Joe Milton | QB | 18 | 12 | 67% | 340 | 5 | 1 | 126.1 |
| Spencer Rattler | QB | 1 | 1 | 100% | 3 | 0 | 0 | 79.1 |
| Omari Evans | WR | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tyler Harrell | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | HB | 12 | 46 | 3.8 | 24 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Moses Aldridge | HB | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 10 | 34 | 3.4 | 19 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Barion Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Harrell | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Omari Evans | WR | 1 | -4 | -4.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omari Evans | WR | 5 | 181 | 36.2 | 80 | 3 | 74 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 4 | 153 | 38.3 | 114 | 1 | 81 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 5 | 121 | 24.2 | 6 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 87 | 21.8 | 54 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 58 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 2 | 71 | 35.5 | 37 | 1 | 64 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 5 | 29 | 5.8 | 41 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Tyler Harrell | WR | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uchenna Nwosu | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jailin Walker | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Sweat | REDG | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Bolden | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelee Ringo | CB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sam Williams | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Budda Baker | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter Nolen III | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dennis Booth | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cobie Durant | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen McCollough | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yasir Abdullah | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Max Melton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Simmons | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joey Slye | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 49 |
| Ryan Wright | P | 1 | 2 | 4 | 34 |

