Houston
Oilers
0-0
30
FINAL
31
New Orleans
Saints
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Houston Oilers 31-30, setting the tone for an exciting 2028 campaign. Both teams showcased their offensive firepower, but it was the Saints who ultimately emerged victorious in this high-stakes matchup.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was the standout performer, throwing for an impressive 427 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating pinpoint accuracy and poise under pressure. His favorite target, Chris Olave, was a relentless force in the receiving game, racking up 170 yards and finding the end zone. On the other side, Braelon Allen kept the Oilers competitive with a strong ground game, amassing 122 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Saints made key plays when it mattered most, highlighted by Leonard Moore's two interceptions that stifled Houston's momentum. Chase Young added to the pressure with a sack, contributing to an overall strong performance from the New Orleans defense. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Moore's second interception set up a crucial touchdown, allowing the Saints to maintain their slim lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 31 | 19 | 61% | 427 | 4 | 3 | 105.2 |
| Eric Singleton Jr. | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braelon Allen | HB | 8 | 122 | 15.3 | 16 | 1 | 75 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 11 | 42 | 3.8 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Nyck Harbor | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | — | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Gavin Sawchuk | HB | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tremaine Hurd | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Pickens | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 170 | 42.5 | 42 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 85 | 28.3 | 44 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 6 | 78 | 13.0 | 62 | 2 | 52 | 0 |
| George Pickens | WR | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Eric Singleton Jr. | WR | 4 | 69 | 17.3 | 39 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Zay Flowers | WR | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 34 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Nyck Harbor | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 31 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Solomon Thornton | TE | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Cole Kmet | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Tremaine Hurd | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Braelon Allen | HB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Moore | CB | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Nick Cross | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| KJ Bolden | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damon Wilson II | REDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonny Styles | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Malik Mustapha | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Zach Harrison | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leonard Williams | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Glasker | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daron Payne | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nolan Smith Jr | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mohamoud Diabate | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Williams Nwaneri | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Roberts | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Hicks | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trikweze Bridges | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deonte Banks | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nehemiah Pritchett | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrius Gaffney | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 36 |
| Marco Magana | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 52 |

