NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints coach Kellen Moore has been around football for virtually his entire life.
Still, Sunday will be different.
At 37, the NFL's youngest head coach enters his first game in charge when New Orleans hosts the Arizona Cardinals.
It's a new chapter for Moore, and the Saints, who haven't made the playoffs since record-setting quarterback Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season — and haven't had a winning season since former coach Sean Payton left for a one-year retirement after the 2021
season.
And the game will be in the Superdome, where Moore celebrated a Super Bowl triumph last February as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The play style and the fundamentals that we preach each and every day — we want to see it come to life,” Moore said. “This is our first opportunity.”
“We know how special the dome is going to be on Sunday. It's going to be a really cool environment," Moore added. “The guys are excited about the uniqueness of Week 1.”
Moore — the son of a high school football coach who played quarterback at Boise State and in the NFL — sounds intent on not making too big a deal out of what he hopes will be the first of many meaningful moments in his current job.
“You go about your routine the same way you always have,” he said. “Obviously, there's different obligations when you're the head coach versus a coordinator. So, there's different things you're responsible for during the week. But all of us are really just focused in and getting ready for Sunday.”
The Cardinals have a young coach of their own in Jonathan Gannon, a 42-year-old former Eagles defensive coordinator who is entering his third season. Like Moore, he took on a rebuilding project. The Cardinals went 4-13 in Gannon's first season and improved to 8-9 in 2024.
Whether Moore oversees a similarly methodical improvement or a more accelerated one remains to be seen. But one thing Gannon expects to see is a Saints offense that keeps defenses off balance.
“I have a high opinion of Kellen," Gannon said. “He’s very creative.
"It makes it really hard on a defense how he calls the game,” Gannon added. “Schematically, he’s hard to defend. The pace that he plays with is hard to defend. It puts you on your heels.”
After quarterback Derek Carr retired because of an injured throwing arm, the Saints held a preseason competition between three young players without a win as an NFL starter among them.
Spencer Rattler, a 2024 fifth-round draft choice out of South Carolina, won the job. He'll be backed up by rookie Tyler Shough, a second-round pick out of Louisville, while third-year pro Jake Haener will be the emergency third QB.
Rattler started six games as a rookie while Carr was injured last season. The Saints lost all of them, but many other starters were sidelined as well, and New Orleans slid to a 5-12 finish — its worst record since 2005.
This week, Rattler will have offensive stars including receiver Chris Olave and running back Alvin Kamara to help him — and has more chemistry with them after taking many first-team snaps during training camp and preseason.
“Definitely a little different; obviously, more prepared," Rattler said. “A fresh start, new opportunity and I'm looking forward to attacking it with these guys.”
The Cardinals’ offense is nearly identical to a year before, with the team bringing back its nucleus of quarterback Kyler Murray, running back James Conner, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., tight end Trey McBride and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
Murray — now in his seventh season after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 — is trying to lead the franchise to the playoffs for just the second time. He’s nearing 20,000 career passing yards and is more than two years removed from a knee injury that caused him to miss big chunks of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“I’m not really trying to envision how many passing yards I’m going to have, rushing yards and all that stuff. I’m just trying to go out there and execute,” Murray said. “All that really matters is the win. That’s the focus.”
Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort spent much of the offseason rebuilding the team’s defense, particularly the front seven.
The Cardinals signed several free agents, including Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell. Campbell just turned 39 and is entering the 18th season of an incredibly productive NFL career.
Arizona also added defensive talent in the draft, though first-round pick Walter Nolen is sidelined by a calf injury.
Other rookies, like cornerback Will Johnson and defensive end Jordan Burch, could have a big impact.
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AP Sports Writer David Brandt contributed to this report.
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