The New Orleans Saints open their 2026 campaign on the road against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and one analyst believes the Saints offense has to come out of the gate hot.
According to former Saints running back Deuce McAllister, the offensive line's performance will make or break the Black-and-Gold's chances of winning.
"It is to open up the run lanes, gaps, (or) whatever they use (or) whatever they fill," McAllister said, noting that the offense will need to run the ball effectively and control the time-of-possession battle. "Whether it's zone or gap scheme blocking, they've got to create running lanes to help the young quarterback.
McAllister singled out veteran left guard David Edwards, who signed with the Saints in the offseason, saying he needs to be the front five's leader.
"So for Dave Edwards to be able to help . . . he's still a rookie over there--(Kelvin) Banks--he hasn't had enough games yet. You've not only got to help the young rook, but you have to hold your own."
McAllister says if the front five is successful in run blocking, it will give the Saints coaches a chance to mix up the game plan and quarterback Tyler Shough opportunities to target his receivers.
"Offensively, they have to hit some explosive plays," McAllister said. "We've got to have some other weapons, whether that's (Devaughn) Vele, whether that's (Bryce) Lance, whether that's Berion (Brown). It doesn't matter. Some other weapons have to be able to help take some of that pressure off of Chris as well as Tyler."
