The New Orleans Saints will open the 2026 season on the road Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
The Saints and Lions first met on Nov. 24, 1968, at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, with the game ending in a 20-20 tie. Since then, the teams have met just 28 times, with New Orleans holding a 14-13-1 advantage in the all-time series.
The last time these teams faced one another, Detroit came away with a 33-28 victory in New Orleans in 2023, giving the Lions the edge in the most recent chapter
of the series.
The Saints enter the 2026 season looking to improve on their 6-11 record from a year ago. Following another losing season, New Orleans made several changes during the offseason in an effort to turn things around and return to playoff contention.
With a new season comes renewed optimism, but that optimism will ultimately have to translate into wins. The Saints believe they have added enough talent to compete in the NFC South, and Sunday’s opener against Detroit provides their first opportunity to show they are ready to take the next step.
The Lions enter the season with a similar goal after a disappointing 2025 campaign. Detroit finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs, a significant step backward after going 15-2 and earning the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024.
Despite that disappointing finish, Detroit remained one of the NFL’s most productive offensive teams, averaging 28.3 points per game, which ranked fourth in the league. The Lions will look to carry that offensive firepower into 2026 while putting last season’s struggles behind them.
For both teams, Sunday’s matchup represents a fresh start and an early opportunity to set the tone for the season.
Kickoff is at 12:00 pm and the game will be broadcast on FOX with Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (color analyst) and Megan Olivi (sideline)
