Last Updated on agosto 11, 2026 4:46 am by Enrique
Descripción general del equipo
New Orleans was the one NFC South team that did not finish 8-9 last season. The Saints went 6-11 and finished last in the division. What changed everything was the second half. Tyler Shough took over as the starter for the final nine games and lifted the offense from 13.9 points per game to 19.8, with passing yards jumping from 198 per game to 265. Kellen Moore enters his second season with real reason for optimism.
The front office built around that. Travis Etienne Jr. arrives to pair with Alvin Kamara, who returned at a reduced price after a long standoff. Jordyn Tyson came off the board at No. 8 overall to give Shough a legitimate top target, and Chris Olave is cleared after spending the offseason on blood thinners. This is the first time in years that the Saints have surrounded a young quarterback with functional weapons.
Análisis de la línea ofensiva
The interior was the priority this offseason, and David Edwards arrived from Buffalo specifically to stabilize it. Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning return alongside him, with Dillon Radunz providing versatility across multiple spots. The unit has continuity but not much of a track record. New Orleans finished second-worst in the league in yards per rush last season, and it was the worst team in football in red zone and goal-to-go situations. Those are line failures as much as scheme failures. Adding two running backs will not fix short-yardage if the front cannot generate movement.
Análisis de la línea defensiva
Bryan Bresee is feared to have torn his ACL in training camp, which strips the interior of its most productive young player. Nathan Shepherd and Vernon Broughton have taken first-team reps in his place, though Broughton missed most of last season himself. Cameron Jordan returns for another year anchoring the edge and provides the veteran stability the middle now lacks. This front was better than its reputation in 2025, finishing fifth in sack rate and third in third-down success rate. Holding those numbers without Bresee is the question that decides whether New Orleans stays in the race.
2026 NFL Season
Semana 1
Saints at Detroit Lions | Sunday, September 13 | 1:00 PM ET | Ford Field, Detroit, MI
New Orleans opens as one of the biggest underdogs on the Week 1 board. The Lions opened at -7 with the Saints at +260 on the moneyline and the total set at 48.5, and that spread has held through the summer. Detroit is coming off a 9-8 season that dropped it to fourth in the NFC North, a steep fall from 15-2 the year before. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown still headline one of the more dangerous offenses in the conference.
This is a difficult first assignment for a quarterback making his first Week 1 start. Detroit has bounce-back written all over it, and Ford Field is a poor venue for a young passer. The Saints will need Tyson to make an immediate impact and the defense to hold a high total down, because 48.5 points suggests a game New Orleans cannot win in a grind.
Probabilidades de ganar la División y el Super Bowl
Probabilidades de ganar la NFC Sur: +250
Probabilidades de ganar el Super Bowl: +8000
Predicciones
Récord general: The Saints project to finish around 8-9, with the win total set at 7.5 and a slight lean to the over
Posibilidades de playoffs: A live outsider in a wide-open division, though the market prices them against it
Posibilidades del Super Bowl: A long shot, level with the rest of the NFC South
New Orleans is the most improved roster in this division on paper. The defense already ranked sixth in yards per play allowed, Shough gave the offense a pulse over the last nine games, and the receiving corps went from a liability to a strength in one offseason. The concerns are specific rather than general. Bresee’s injury weakens a front that carried the team, and an offense that could not score inside the ten last year has not obviously fixed that. Expect New Orleans to be competitive every week and to hover around .500, with the ceiling tied to how quickly Shough handles a full season.
EN 
ES 
PT 
PT_BR