New Orleans
Saints
0-0
70
FINAL
29
Detroit
Lions
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a stunning display to kick off the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints toppled the Detroit Lions with a resounding final score of 70-29. This Week 1 matchup showcased the Saints' offensive firepower, setting an early tone for the season as they seek to build on last year's success.
Saints quarterback Caleb Williams put on a show, amassing an impressive 575 passing yards and tossing eight touchdown passes, cementing his status as a premier playmaker in the league. Courtland Sutton emerged as his favorite target, racking up 222 receiving yards and making critical catches that kept the Lions' defense on their heels. Meanwhile, D'Andre Swift struggled to find any rhythm on the ground for Detroit, finishing with just 17 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Saints made their mark with a formidable pass rush, highlighted by Josh Hines-Allen's three sacks. Camryn Bynum contributed significantly with two interceptions, turning the tide in favor of New Orleans and stifling any chance of a Lions' comeback. The game shifted decisively in the second quarter when the Saints scored three quick touchdowns, leaving Detroit in the dust and firmly in control of the contest.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | QB | 36 | 25 | 69% | 575 | 8 | 3 | 116.8 |
| Cam Ward | QB | 44 | 20 | 45% | 357 | 4 | 6 | 64.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| RJ Harvey | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Antonio Gibson | HB | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| James Conner | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtland Sutton | WR | 10 | 222 | 22.2 | 69 | 4 | 50 | 0 |
| Carnell Tate | WR | 8 | 145 | 18.1 | 63 | 3 | 62 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 7 | 134 | 19.1 | 41 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | 5 | 120 | 24.0 | 54 | 2 | 57 | 0 |
| Antonio Gibson | HB | 5 | 71 | 14.2 | 14 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 22 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Xavier Gipson | WR | 1 | 58 | 58.0 | 20 | 0 | 58 | 0 |
| D'Andre Swift | HB | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 18 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Christian Kirk | WR | 1 | 41 | 41.0 | 18 | 1 | 41 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camryn Bynum | FS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Hines-Allen | REDG | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Downs | SS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Nate Hobbs | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Devon Witherspoon | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marlon Humphrey | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Jones | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lewis Cine | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Montez Sweat | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jowon Briggs | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Elarms-Orr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alohi Gilman | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Pinnock | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ernest Jones IV | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 45 |

