NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints are moving on to Week 2 sounding more emboldened than disappointed by their season-opening loss to Detroit.
“We’re in a good place,” Saints veteran safety Justin Reid said Monday, a day after the 31-30 overtime loss to the Lions. “When we click on all cylinders, it’s evident what we can do.”
After erasing a three-touchdown deficit in the second half, the Saints matched the Lions' touchdown in overtime and tried
to win the game with a 2-point conversion that failed when second-year quarterback Tyler Shough's pass fell incomplete.
“A lot of teams would have folded,” Reid said. “That’s not the way that we’re built.”
Second-year coach Kellen Moore said the Saints “get to learn a lot from that game.”
"Early season football is focused on really so much about yourself,” said Moore, who went 6-11 last season, his first as an NFL head coach.
“We missed some opportunities early,” Moore added. “No one flinched. No one changed their demeanor or their approach to this. Credit to our guys for sticking with it.”
New Orleans' defense under second-year coordinator Brandon Staley, which ranked ninth in the NFL in 2025 in yards allowed per game, made key stops to give the Saints a chance to rally late after three turnovers by Shough in the first three quarters had put New Orleans in a hole.
The Saints also appeared to have scored a defensive touchdown when edge rusher Chase Young hit Lions QB Jared Goff hard from behind, sending the ball flaying backward toward the Detroit goal line. But after New Orleans had recovered the apparent fumble for a score, officials determined on video review that Goff had started his throwing motion and that the play went in the books as an incomplete forward pass — a rare ruling when the ball goes backward.
Although Young still seemed mystified on Monday by the ruling that deprived him of a sack and forced fumble, he smiled and said, “I try to look at the bright side, man. It's a viral video of great defense from the Saints.”
The Saints will need to script better openings for their early offensive possessions, with an emphasis on plays that Shough likes and feels most comfortable executing. His first half was dismal and included apparent miscommunications with intended receivers. One such play resulted in an interception when Shough threw behind first-year Saints tight end Noah Fant.
While Shough wound up setting a personal best for yards passing in a game (410), he had just 85 yards at halftime and also took a late-second-quarter sack that pulled the Saints out of field-goal range.
“The biggest thing we took from this is we just got to start fast,” receiver Devaughn Vele said. “I know that's going to be the theme for this week.”
Chris Olave, whose concussion history has cast a shadow over his long-term prospects as a top NFL receiver, wore a guardian cap for the first time and had one of his best games, catching 10 passes for 182 yards, including a 42-yard gain with 1:23 left in regulation to help the Saints force overtime.
Vele added seven catches for 69 yards, including difficult diving grabs for a touchdown and a first down on a subsequent scoring drive.
Shough was the first to say he needs to be more consistent — and better at avoiding sacks (five) and turnovers (three). Certainly, his stock began climbing again from late in the third quarter through overtime, but New Orleans will need his play to be less erratic. Even after setting a new personal high for yards passing, Shough's passer rating was a pedestrian 87.6, but was as low as 17.1 in the middle of the third quarter. The good news for New Orleans is that Shough showed the potential to be a lot better in what was still just his 10th career start.
The Saints played without running back Alvin Kamara, who'd returned to practice last Wednesday from a training camp injury (sprained knee). All-time sack leader Cameron Jordan (hamstring) also sat out and still has yet to practice, but could return within weeks.
14 — The number of seasons since a Saints QB had passed for 400 or more yards in a road game. Hall of Famer Drew Brees was the most recent to do it during the 2012 season in a 34-31 victory at Dallas.
The Saints will be in for another big challenge on the road this weekend, traveling to Baltimore to face a Ravens squad that rode the backs of star QB Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry to a 41-23 victory at Indianapolis on Sunday.
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