New Orleans
Saints
0-0
43
FINAL
24
Detroit
Lions
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an impressive opening to the 2026 season, the New Orleans Saints topped the Detroit Lions with a decisive 43-24 victory. Both teams were eager to set the tone for the year, but it was the Saints who emerged victorious, showcasing their offensive firepower and solid defense.
Tyler Shough was the star of the evening, throwing for 334 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating his command of the field. He connected with Jordyn Tyson, who had a standout performance with 205 receiving yards, effectively stretching the Lions' defense. Meanwhile, Travis Etienne Jr. contributed significantly on the ground with 86 rushing yards, rounding out a potent offensive display by New Orleans.
Defensively, the Saints were just as impactful, with Isaiah Bolden leading the team with seven tackles. A pivotal moment came when Justin Reid snagged an interception, halting a potential Lions drive and shifting momentum firmly in favor of New Orleans. Nathan Shepherd added a sack to the mix, further pressuring Detroit's offense and ensuring the Saints held off any comeback attempts.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 42 | 24 | 57% | 334 | 4 | 0 | 114.5 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 39 | 22 | 56% | 321 | 1 | 1 | 81.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 15 | 86 | 5.7 | 38 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 20 | 69 | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 6 | 23 | 3.8 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | — | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Sione Vaki | HB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 13 | 205 | 15.8 | 71 | 2 | 55 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 3 | 113 | 37.7 | 92 | 1 | 95 | 0 |
| Jameson Williams | WR | 6 | 70 | 11.7 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 5 | 68 | 13.6 | 15 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Trey McBride | TE | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 7 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 20 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Reid | FS | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nathan Shepherd | DT | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Isaiah Bolden | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rock Ya-Sin | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Moore | REDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damone Clark | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ennis Rakestraw Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Julian Blackmon | SS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. Reed | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Devin White | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chuck Clark | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chandler Rivers | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Skyler Gill-Howard | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Bates | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 39 |
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 5 | 33 |

