On Sunday, both the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions will begin their 2026 regular season at Ford Field as a long offseason comes to a conclusion. Ahead of what will likely be a competitive NFC battle, let’s take a look at what the New Orleans defense will be up against this weekend.
Saints’ defensive coordinator Brandon Staley lost a couple of key pieces from his 2025 group. Talented veteran players such as CB Alontae Taylor and LB Demario Davis departed from the Big Easy by way of the free agency
market. While New Orleans has young guys with potential on the current roster, it is difficult to replicate the vocal nature and consistent presence these leaders provided.
While areas on the defense remain weak, the Saints have made some key additions on top of retaining All-Pro DE Cam Jordan. LB Kaden Elliss and DT Christen Miller made their way to New Orleans via free agency and this year’s NFL draft, respectively.
With Jordan still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained late in the offseason, it will be critical for New Orleans to get some pressure on Lions’ QB Jared Goff while keeping their offense backed into long down-and-distance situations.
Detroit has explosive playmakers at just about every offensive skill position. Sharing the backfield with Goff, tailback Jahmyr Gibbs can attack defenses both in the run and passing games. The Lions also possess one of the better WR duos in the league with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, but just when you think everyone is covered, TE Sam LaPorta can stretch the field and make a linebacker look silly.
Last year, the Lions had a top five offense in the league averaging just under 375 yards per game. When your offense has the capabilities of moving the football up and down the field like Detroit does, putting points on the board becomes much easier. Detroit scored an average of 28.3 (Saints fans laugh here) points a contest in 2025. If New Orleans expects to have any shot at overcoming the Lions on the road, their defense will have to anchor down and disrupt an offense that can find a rhythm quickly.
