New Orleans
Saints
0-0
42
FINAL
27
Detroit
Lions
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding Week 1 matchup, the New Orleans Saints topped the Detroit Lions 42-27, showcasing their offensive firepower right out of the gate for the 2026 season. Both teams sought a strong start, but it was the Saints who ultimately seized the momentum and secured the victory.
Tyler Shough led the Saints with an impressive performance, throwing for 288 yards and four touchdowns, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with this season. Meanwhile, Chris Olave was a standout receiver, racking up 175 receiving yards, consistently finding ways to break free in the defense and make big plays. The Saints' offense was relentless, capitalizing on opportunities and putting points on the board with efficiency.
Defensively, the Saints made key plays that shifted the game in their favor, including an interception by Kool-Aid McKinstry that halted a Lions drive. Though the Lions' Tyleik Williams recorded 1.5 sacks, the Saints' defense was able to create enough pressure to disrupt the rhythm of the Lions' offense. The turning point came late in the second quarter when Shough's pinpoint touchdown pass to Olave widened the gap, putting the Saints ahead for good.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 26 | 15 | 58% | 288 | 4 | 1 | 119.8 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 21 | 12 | 57% | 234 | 3 | 2 | 96.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 15 | 85 | 5.7 | 19 | 1 | 29 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 5 | 72 | 14.4 | 3 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Jared Goff | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isiah Pacheco | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barion Brown | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | WR | 9 | 175 | 19.4 | 48 | 3 | 45 | 0 |
| Sam LaPorta | TE | 3 | 78 | 26.0 | 43 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | HB | 5 | 77 | 15.4 | 68 | 1 | 53 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 2 | 58 | 29.0 | 10 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 29 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Isaac TeSlaa | WR | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 9 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 13 | 2 | 28 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Reid | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Campbell | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby Joseph | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tyleik Williams | DT | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drue Tranquill | WILL | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Derrick Barnes | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.J. Reed | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Moore | LEDG | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damone Clark | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aidan Hutchinson | LEDG | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| L'Jarius Sneed | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Emerson Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alim McNeill | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Bates | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jack Fox | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |

