It's finally here. A long training camp and three preseason games have led to this. The Saints head up to Michigan to face a heavily favored Lions squad to kick off the 2026 season. We'll finally start to find the answers to a host of burning questions.
But what exactly are those questions? Scroll below for the top five things we're looking for, as well as five key stats to consider as the 2026 season kicks off.
THE GAME | Saints (0-0) at Lions (0-0)
- When: noon, Sunday, Sept. 13
- Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Series history: Saints lead 14-13-1
- Last meeting: 2023, Lions 33, Saints 8
- Betting: Lions -7; O/U 49.5
- TV: FOX
- Listen: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3 & the Audacy app
- Pregame: First Take with Steve Geller & Charlie Long, 8-10 a.m.; Countdown to Kickoff with Steve Geller & Bobby Hebert, 10 a.m.-noon
1. HAS THE RUN GAME ARRIVED
I've said this a lot over the past few weeks, but I genuinely think what will determine whether the Saints' postseason drought ends at five seasons is whether the run game can look anywhere near as efficient as it did in the preseason. The Saints' offseason investments would tell you the Saints agree, with more than $100M in contracts doled out to players that can help make that hope a reality. The Saints haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2017, while Travis Etienne has eclipsed that mark in three of his past four seasons. The addition of David Edwards and the return of Erik McCoy should make the left side of the line a strength, whereas last year it was a concerning weak point. The Saints started the year with a rookie LT in Kelvin Banks and a converted tackle in Trevor Penning at left guard. A key for that group, as it always is, will be health.
Key stat: 0.77 yards before contact per attempts (30th)
Why: It can often by difficult to identify whether it's the running backs or the run blocking (or both) that is holding back a run game. If yards before contact is high and a RB is still inefficient, that's a bad sign for the player. In this case the Saints' average yards before contact ranked 30th in the NFL. They also ranked 31st in rushes of 10-plus yards. Those two things are connected, because when you're constantly forced to make players miss in the backfield at at the line of scrimmage, explosive runs are a lot harder to find. Moving that number above closer to the middle of the pack will work wonders for the Saints run game on the whole.
2. IS TYLER SHOUGH 'THE GUY'
I think it's more fair to be excited about what Tyler Shough showed in the second half of his rookie season. There was poise, there were go-ahead and game-winning drives late in games. There was a clear connection with key pass-catchers, including Chris Olave. It was impressive enough that the Saints made big investments on offense to build around their developing QB. But let's be real: All that performance did was buy an opportunity. There's still a lot to prove.
That opportunity means added pressure, but not necessarily pressure to win right away. It's pressure to deliver now that opposing defenses know what's coming. Scouting reports will be better, defensive gameplans more complex. They're going to take away what you do best, or at least what they think you do best. The best quarterbacks have all the answers, even to the questions that haven't been asked yet. This is the year that Shough proves whether he's the type of guy you can build toward a Super Bowl with, or simply keeping the seat warm as the rebuild continues. If he can do the former, this is a season that could be the launching point toward legitimate title contention over the next few seasons.
Key stat: 33 ... 20-plus yard pass plays (31st)
Why: A lot of these offensive stats will tie together, but this is the simplest way to visualize a key issue ... the Saints didn't generate enough explosive plays in the 2025 season. We can look at all the advanced stats we want, you can't have an explosive offense without explosive plays. Ball control is important, too. Long drives can break the will of a defense. This isn't about changing the identity of the offense, but taking advantage of big play opportunities when they're presented. The Saints didn't do that very well last season and it's one of the things that has to be a lot better if this team wants to return to the postseason in 2026.
3. CAN CHASE YOUNG DOMINATE
For the second consecutive season I've watched Chase Young in camp and felt like he's primed to have a monster season. The problem last year was a poorly timed calf injury that cost him the first five games, and it did serious damage to the Saints' chances early in the year. He played in the final 12 games and looked dominant, and I think it's no coincidence that his return coincided with a significant uptick in defensive efficiency. If he can be that player for 17 games this season, how good can this defensive group be? I feel like Young has embraced his role as a leader in the locker room and that's a good sign that the Saints are getting the best version of the former No. 2 overall pick.
Key stat: 0.74 ... get off-time (2nd among defensive linemen)
Why: Myles Garrett. That's the list of defensive linemen who registered a faster average get-off time than Chase Young in the 2025 season. Garrett is commonly regarded as the best defensive lineman in the NFL. Perhaps Chase Young is its best-kept secret?
4: IS THE DEPTH GOOD ENOUGH
The NFL is an attrition business. At some point in almost every season you'll have to win games on the strength of your reserves, and I just don't see many positions where I see proven depth. That's the reality of a rebuild phase, which I think the Saints are still very much in. The investment won't be made on the backup line. That's where your rookies and young players come in. We saw that a year ago when the Saints started Quincy Riley, Tyler Shough Jonas Sanker and Kelvin Banks for 5, 9, 16 and 17 games, respectively. The rookie class delivered and all of those players are returning as starters this time around. But can we expect that type of impact from young players again if they're forced into action? We'll have to wait and see.
Here's the list of young depth players that I expect will have to deliver AT SOME POINT in a starting role this season:
- OG Jeremiah Wright
- OL Will Sherman
- WR Barion Brown
- WR Bryce Lance
- LB Danny Stutsman
- DT Christen Miller
- CB Jayden Price
Key stat: 0
Why: That's the number of NFL games played by a Saints WR not named Chris Olave or Devaughn Vele, at least when it comes to players on the 53-man roster. Saints head coach Kellen Moore has said the team manages things like it has a 70-man roster, which includes the practice squad, and Kevin Austin Jr. is almost certain to have some kind of role early in the season. Still, it's a good encapsulation of what concerns me with this roster, because if you aren't built to be able to absorb injuries, you probably aren't built for the postseason. I used WR as an example, but that's just one of several positions with paper-thin depth.
5: SPECIAL TEAMS ... IS GOOD?
It's tough to know exactly what to expect from the Saints' special teams this year, but reasons that can be spun in a positive direction. Over the past several years it seemed that the Saints were invested in the concept of saving money on their special teams units. It's the only way to justify some of the decision-making. That choice cost them significantly in terms of the on-field product. Whether it was a revolving door of rookie punters or kickers that just couldn't find consistency, that group quickly swung from a strength to a weakness.
This year's decision-making seems to finally be rectifying that tactical error. The Saints went out and signed a proven punter in Ryan Wright to a 4-year, $14 million deal, the fifth-highest average salary at the position. They did oversee a kicker competition between a pair of unproven kickers in Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown, but once it became clear the answer wasn't among them, it was veteran Daniel Carlson who was brought in to take on the responsibility. There were roster spots dedicated to players like Chris Rumph and Mike Reid who have shown to be elite on coverage units. If all that coalesces into special teams units that can set up the offense and defense for success rather than failure, everyone benefits.
Key stat: 44.5 ... average net punting yards (4th)
Why: There once was a time when we talked about special teams as a major advantage for the Saints. The Saints invested in getting back to that this offseason with Wright, whose 44.5 average net yards ranked 4th in the NFL. Frustratingly the player that led the NFL was former Saints punter Blake Gillikin at 45.4. Meanwhile Kai Kroeger averaged a paltry 38.6, ranking 30th. I don't need the Saints to become elite in special teams, but I do need to see that group get back to middle of the pack. That goes for a few different aspects, but punting feels like the simplest fix and should make an immediate difference.
