HOW IT HAPPENED:

Amidst a week of unrest in France, the Saints and Steelers were largely unaffected and ready to face off on Sunday.

Pittsburgh (5-2) began with the ball and executed an eight play, 51-yard drive. It ended with a field goal by Chris Boswell, making it 3-0.

After a couple of punts, New Orleans (2-5) worked their way down the field. They also had the drive stall out, with Daniel Carlson making the equalizing field goal and putting the score at 3-3.

The Steelers’ run game was effective all day. They worked quickly on a scoring drive that ended with an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to Darnell Washington. However, that drive was answered by the Saints. Tyler Shough connected with Devaughn Vele for a one-yard score to make it 10-10. Pittsburgh responded with another Boswell field goal, giving the Steelers a 13-10 lead at the half.

New Orleans and Shough orchestrated a 14 play, 68-yard drive that took up nearly half of the third quarter. It ended, though, with a Payton Wilson interception. The Steelers turned that into another Boswell field goal to make it 16-10. Jaylen Warren continued to carry the workload for the Pittsburgh offense.

Carlson would miss a 52-yard field goal, but the Saints’ defense got a quick stop to give them another chance. That drive would not go anywhere.

The Steelers ran out the clock, with the Saints jumping offsides on a field goal attempt to put the game away.

BIG NUMBER: 7

The Saints have trailed first in all seven games this season. Their slow starts continue to plague them, and there are not any clear improvements in that regard.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jaylen Warren

Warren was excellent for the Steelers. He ran the ball 18 times for 101 yards. Additionally, he caught three passes for 36 additional yards through the air. The Steelers’ offense relied on him all day in the win.

UP NEXT: The Saints will have their bye week before hosting the Cleveland Browns on the following Sunday.

The honor comes after a career effort from Emerson against the New York Giants. He set a new season-high with seven tackles. Additionally, he brought in two interceptions, a feat he had only accomplished once before in his career. On the day, Emerson had four pass breakups with nearly a third interception as well.

The spike in playing time came after Saints’ cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry missed much of the game with migraine symptoms. Emerson used the opportunity and may be in line for more playing time moving forward.

Emerson was drafted back in 2022 by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Mississippi State, totaling more than 150 tackles across three seasons for the Bulldogs. New Orleans signed him to a one-year, $1.5 million free agent deal this offseason.

The Saints were victorious against the Giants, holding on for a 34-27 win on the road. Following the win, the team flew to Paris, France, where they have been all week. They will culminate the trip to Europe with the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in France on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 AM central and can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette 104.1 Lake Charles via our Westwood One coverage.

The New Orleans Saints beat the New York Giants 34-27 on Sunday, October 18, at MetLife Stadium. The win improves the Saints’ record to 2-4, while the Giants fall to 3-3-1.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Things didn’t start on the right foot for the Saints. Daniel Carlson’s kickoff fell short of the landing zone, allowing the Giants to start at their own 40-yard line. However, New York couldn’t capitalize, going three-and-out.

Tyler Shough and the Saints’ offense didn’t fare much better on their opening drive. CJ Donaldson broke off an 11-yard run for a first down, but New Orleans followed with a three-and-out of its own.

The Giants’ second drive is where trouble started for New Orleans. A 13-play drive, capped by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Tyrone Tracy, put New York ahead 7-0.

The Saints struggled to get anything going in the first quarter, managing just 38 yards on 11 plays.

In the second quarter, New Orleans finally began moving the ball. After picking up a couple of first downs, the Saints faced a third-and-long. With the pocket collapsing, Alvin Kamara laid a diving block on a blitzing Giant, allowing Shough to step up and scramble for nine yards and a first down.

However, the drive fell apart shortly afterward. A deep pass from Shough to Kamara fell incomplete, and Kamara got up shakily before heading to the medical tent. On the next play, Bryce Lance dropped an uncontested pass, forcing the Saints to attempt a 55-yard field goal, which Carlson missed.

The Saints’ defense came up with a big red-zone stand late in the second quarter. Constant pressure on Winston prevented him from making an accurate throw, forcing the Giants to settle for a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Barion Brown gave the Saints excellent field position with a 41-yard kickoff return, setting the offense up at the Giants’ 44-yard line. After a couple of positive plays, the drive stalled, and Carlson lined up for a 58-yard field goal. He just got it through, putting New Orleans on the board at 10-3.

The Saints’ special teams made another big play on the ensuing kickoff. Isiah Stalbird delivered a huge hit to force a fumble, which New Orleans recovered at the Giants’ 28-yard line.

On the first play, Shough made a big play with his legs, picking up 25 yards on a scramble. After a few negative plays, the Saints faced fourth-and-goal with five seconds left in the half. Choosing to be aggressive, New Orleans went for it. Shough found a wide-open Lance on a slant route in the back of the end zone for Lance’s first NFL touchdown, tying the game heading into halftime.

The Saints received the ball to start the second half and marched down the field, aided by a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty. They eventually found the end zone when Shough connected with Kamara on a 31-yard pitch-and-catch for another touchdown, giving New Orleans its first lead at 17-10.

The Saints doubled their lead on the next scoring drive, fueled by Kendre Miller’s five carries for 33 yards. Shough capped it with a one-yard quarterback sneak, extending New Orleans’ run to 24 unanswered points.

The Giants tried to regain momentum, but Martin Emerson Jr. intercepted Winston and returned the ball to the Saints’ 38-yard line.

New Orleans turned the interception into three more points, with Carlson drilling a 51-yard field goal.

Julian Blackmon added another interception for the Saints’ defense. Under pressure, Winston tried to find his tight end but overthrew the pass directly into Blackmon’s hands.

One play later, Shough connected with Chris Olave on a back-shoulder pass in the front of the end zone, pushing the Saints’ lead to 24 points.

Emerson Jr. picked off Winston again, ending the Giants’ next drive and giving New Orleans interceptions on back-to-back possessions.

However, the Saints gave the ball right back two plays later when Donaldson fumbled.

Tracy gave the Giants some life with a five-yard touchdown run up the middle, cutting the deficit to 34-18 after a successful two-point conversion.

The Saints went three-and-out on their next drive, giving the ball back to New York. Backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy entered and connected with Charlie Jones on a deep, 49-yard completion that was bobbled and nearly intercepted. McCarthy then fired a pass to Likely in the end zone for another touchdown. The Giants went for two again but couldn’t convert, leaving New Orleans ahead 34-24.

After another short Saints drive, the Giants added to their total. McCarthy connected with Malik Nabers and Jones multiple times to set up a 41-yard field goal just before the two-minute warning, cutting the Saints’ lead to 34-27.

New Orleans went three-and-out again while trying to run down the clock. The Saints punted with just 57 seconds remaining and the Giants out of timeouts.

On the first play, McCarthy scrambled out of the pocket for a 28-yard gain. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, he found a wide-open Likely for a 20-yard completion, moving the Giants to the Saints’ 23-yard line.

Another spike and a nine-yard completion to Nabers set up a fourth-and-one with 12 seconds remaining. On the deciding play, McCarthy dropped back and heaved a pass toward the end zone, but it fell incomplete.

The Saints breathed a sigh of relief as they escaped with the win.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tyler Shough

The Saints’ quarterback finished 16-of-30 for 144 yards and three touchdowns. On the ground, Shough added 33 yards and a touchdown on four carries.

BIG NUMBER: 34

The Saints scored 34 points after falling behind 10-0 early in the game. Shough, Olave, Lance and Kamara all found the end zone during New Orleans’ offensive surge.

UP NEXT:

The New Orleans Saints will head overseas to Paris, France, for the NFL’s Paris game on Sunday, October 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Central Time at Stade de France. ]]> https://www.espnsouthwestlouisiana.com/2026/10/18/saints-gamer-2/feed/ 0 https://www.espnsouthwestlouisiana.com/2026/10/13/meches-memo-the-saints-are-worse-off-than-expected/ https://www.espnsouthwestlouisiana.com/2026/10/13/meches-memo-the-saints-are-worse-off-than-expected/#respond Tue, 13 Oct 2026 19:43:52 +0000 James Meche 2026-10-13T19:43:52+00:00 https://d3992.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=78300 Photo by James Meche with ChatGPT The New Orleans Saints put on another disappointing performance on Sunday as they hosted the Minnesota Vikings in the Caesars Superdome. New Orleans fell 23-13, ending a three-game dome stretch with three losses. They are 1-4 on the season.

The loss put the Black and Gold in last place in the NFC South, leaving many skeptical of head coach Kellen Moore’s ability to lead a football team.

You will notice the same issues rear their ugly heads game in and game out, no matter the time, place, or opponent.

BEHIND ALREADY

Slow starts on offense every week are unacceptable, especially when the man in charge is an offense-minded playcaller. In his first 22 games, Moore’s Saints rarely have a good first half; they’ve only led four times going into the locker room. New Orleans has scored 35 total first-quarter points in those games and has never scored more than seven points in the first 15 minutes.

This past Sunday against the Vikings was no different, with the offense going three-and-out three times out of its four first-half drives. The only time that didn’t happen was when they scored their lone offensive touchdown on a 15-play possession. New Orleans couldn’t find a consistent rhythm, and anytime they did, the unit fell apart once something didn’t go as planned. Over half of the team’s rushing attempts came on that one scoring drive. The other touchdown came on defense when Martin Emerson Jr. forced a fumble, and Jonas Sanker went 87 yards for the scoop-and-score. That was one of two red zone turnovers the New Orleans defense created to prevent the scoreboard from showing how much the Saints got outplayed.

A team that fails to score 10 or more points in the first half as often as the Saints do doesn’t put itself in a good position to win. They rely too much on second-half adjustments and late-game heroics to try and pull out a win.

BAD GAMEPLANNING

Many of the woes to begin games trace back to the week leading up to the game. Moore made multiple questionable decisions with the offensive line and playcalling against Minnesota.

With left tackle Kelvin Banks being put on the shelf for the majority of the season, Coach Moore decided to schedule offensive line substitutions after certain drives. Asim Richards started the game and played two drives before giving Mason Murphy a shot at the position. Murphy was playing well enough that Moore believed a third-string offensive lineman deserved playing time without additional injuries to the offensive line. The decision was executed against arguably the best defense in the NFL thus far this season when the unit already has problems blocking in the run game and keeping Tyler Shough upright on pass plays.

The Vikings are a team that blitzes around 3/4 of the time with Brian Flores as their defensive coordinator, always trying to put extra pressure on the opposing quarterback. It’s helped hold offenses to 16 points or fewer in four out of five games this season. Sunday’s playcalling and personnel packages showed a lack of interest in not letting the pressure play a factor in the game, as Flores called for a blitz on 91% of Shough’s dropbacks. There were next to no plays where the Saints’ starting quarterback wasn’t pressured or didn’t get hit. Moore’s lack of respect for Minnesota’s pressure packages held the offense back from even having a chance to keep Sunday’s game close.

MENTAL MISTAKES

This team never looks ready to play football or focused throughout games. Penalties on both sides of the ball occur before the ball is snapped.

Procedural penalties are killing this team. You can almost guarantee this offense will be called for false starts, illegal shifts, or illegal formations. The Saints can’t even get the basics down for having a functioning offense, as they go backwards almost as much as they go forward. New Orleans’ defense also can’t get off the field on third down. Penalties on third down and not being able to guard the sticks keep extending opponents’ drives longer than they should, resulting in more points on the board for them and less time for Shough and the offense to work with.

New Orleans will slowly try to battle back but are never mentally tough enough to make these comeback attempts a reality. Sanker’s touchdown on Sunday should’ve shifted the momentum in their favor, with the game being tied at 13. What actually happened was Minnesota went right down the field to score a touchdown as the Saints went three-and-out, turned the ball over on downs, and Shough threw his second interception on a desperation pass in their final three possessions.

The Saints aren’t mentally strong enough to capitalize on opportunities. They are farther behind in the rebuilding process than thought to be going into the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Minnesota struck first on the opening drive, going 51 yards in nine plays as quarterback Kyler Murray went 5/5 for 61 yards. The final pass was six yards short of the first-down line, and kicker Will Reichard made a 40-yard field goal to put the Saints in an early hole.

The Vikings threatened to score again late in the first quarter, but Khristian Boyd stripped running back Aaron Jones Sr. in the red zone, with Chase Young recovering the fumble and returning the ball to the New Orleans 34-yard line. The Black and Gold took that takeaway 66 yards in 15 plays, keeping the ball on the ground nine times as Kendre Miller capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown. New Orleans milked 7:18 off the clock.

The next four drives ended in three-and-outs and punts before the Vikings closed out the first half with a 54-yard Reichard kick. Former LSU Tiger Justin Jefferson caught multiple passes, including a 21-yarder. Carl Granderson also recorded his second sack of the game before intermission

New Orleans went into the locker room with the 7-6 lead.

Jayden Price received the second-half kickoff for the Saints and coughed the ball loose to the Vikings. Jake Golday punched the ball out and recovered the fumble at the New Orleans 37-yard line. It took six plays for Minnesota to score its first touchdown in its last 24 drives as Murray found Jefferson in the back left corner for the 15-yard score. Murray completed the pass with three Saints defenders in the area.

On 2nd & 26, Shough rolled out right and underthrew a pass to Bryce Lance that Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted and returned to the New Orleans 37 again. Minnesota got into the red zone once again, but on 3rd & 15, cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. forced Myles Price to fumble. Jonas Sanker recovered the fumble and went 87 yards for the scoop-and-score, the second-longest in team history. Kicker Daniel Carlson missed the PAT, keeping the game tied at 13 with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vikings bounced back, going 70 yards in six plays as Jones Jr. trucked Saints safety Julian Blackmon to score from eight yards out. Reichard knocked through a 55-yard field goal on the next possession, putting New Orleans in a 10-point hole.

Murphy Jr. intercepted Shough’s pass for a second time late in the fourth quarter, sealing the 23-13 loss for the Black and Gold.

BIG NUMBER: 5

Since Drew Brees retired ahead of the 2021 season, he’s returned to the dome six times. In those six games, the Saints have a 1-5 record with the Hall of Famer in the Dome.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kyler Murray

The Vikings’ starting QB was efficient on the day, not putting the ball in harm’s way. Murray finished the game 24/30 for 229 yards and one passing touchdown. He also rushed seven times for 54 yards as the Saints lost 23-13 to drop their record to 1-4.

UP NEXT: The New Orleans Saints will pack their bags and head up to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on the New York Giants. Kickoff from MetLife Stadium is scheduled for noon on Sunday, October 18th.

Armstead and La Rock will attend, while Ingram will not due to job obligations with Fox Sports.

The 37th annual Saints Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon will take place Friday, Nov. 6 at noon at Chateau Country Club, 3600 Chateau Blvd. in Kenner.

A service charge is applied to online purchases. The Saints Hall of Fame Gala, featuring food and drink from 20 restaurant and catering vendors, will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, from 4 p.m. 7 p.m., also at Chateau Country Club.

The event will include music, along with a host of New Orleans Saints alumni in attendance.

Armstead, a former 2013 third-round pick for the Saints, spent the nine years of his 12-year career in the NFL in the Big Easy. The former Arkansas Pine-Bluff Lion became a starting left tackle in his second season and went on to become a five-time Pro Bowler (3 with the Saints, 2 with the Dolphins). Armstead was a catalyst in helping keep Drew Brees upright in his final couple of seasons as the Saints sought a second Lombardi trophy ahead of Brees’ retirement.

Ingram II was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Black and Gold and rose the ranks to become one of the greatest ball carriers in the franchise’s history. The former Alabama Crimson Tide running back spent 9 1/2 of his 12 seasons in New Orleans and carved out a feature role in the offense ahead of his second contract. Ingram II called it a career in 2022 and currently holds the second-most rushing attempts (1,451), rushing yards (6,500), and rushing touchdowns (52). The only player with more in those categories is Alvin Kamara.

New Orleans’ bitter NFC South rival came to the Caesars Superdome on Monday night and bullied the Saints in a 45-24 victory. It was the third straight victory for Atlanta in the series, which has now won four of the last five meetings.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

After two completed passes by Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson took a handoff on the Falcons’ third play of the game and scored a 59-yard touchdown.

New Orleans first three possessions ended with a punt, a missed 52-yard field goal, and a fumble by Kendre Miller.

Atlanta took that turnover, which they challenged to get, and turned it into points. The Falcons went for it on fourth and four from the eight-yard line, and Penix’s pass was incomplete. Kool-Aid McKinstry was called for defensive holding, which gave the Falcons a first down. Atlanta took advantage of the gift as Robinson powered his way into the end zone from four yards out.

New Orleans responded as Tyler Shough connected with Chris Olave for a 44-yard completion. That put the ball at the Atlanta 10-yard line. A few plays later, Alvin Kamara scored on a three-yard touchdown run.

Atlanta answered with a 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive capped with a Brian Robinson four-yard touchdown run. Later in the quarter, the Falcons produced a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Nick Folk 29-yard field goal.

New Orleans got on the board in the third quarter with a 13-play, 59-yard drive, but it stalled. The Saints couldn’t find the end zone and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson.

Atlanta proceeded to march down the field in nine plays, going 74 yards, and Brian Robinson ran it from eight yards out for the touchdown. With 2:11 left in the third, the Falcons led 31-10.

New Orleans found the end zone as Kamara scored on a five-yard touchdown. Atlanta answered with another touchdown drive, this one capped with Penix completing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson.

Atlanta added another Brian Robinson rushing touchdown with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. New Orleans added a late score as Shough found Devaughn Vele for a three-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone, but it wasn’t enough.

BIG NUMBER: 205
The Falcons put up 205 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, and averaged six yards per carry in Monday night’s contest.

PLAYER OF THE GAME (FALCONS): BIJAN ROBINSON
Atlanta’s star running back was a problem for New Orleans all night as he rushed for 145 yards on 19 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns.

PLAYER OF THE GAME (SAINTS): TYREE WILSON
A bright spot in Monday night’s game was the play of Saints defensive lineman Tyree Wilson, who had five tackles (four solo), one sack and one tackle for a loss.

UP NEXT: New Orleans (1-3) returns to action on Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings (4-0). Kickoff is set for noon.

Photo by James Meche; Logos via sportslogos.net

After starting the first two weeks of the season on the road and winning their first game last week against the Ravens, the New Orleans Saints played the home opener vs the Las Vegas Raiders.

New Orleans surrendered 19 straight points in the second half to lose 35-27 and fall to 1-2 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Saints received the opening kickoff, but the Raiders got on the board first with a 41-yard Matt Gay field goal on the team’s opening drive. Las Vegas gained 53 yards in 12 plays before taking a 3-point lead midway through the first quarter. After an initial three-and-out, Tyler Shough scrambled 36 yards to set up a two-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson. The PAT was blocked by Thomas Booker IV, but the Saints held their first opening-quarter lead of the season.

Vegas responded with a pair of scoring drives. A field goal on the following possession after the Black and Gold were called for multiple penalties, and then the Raiders took the seven-point lead as Kirk Cousins found Michael Mayer for a three-yard touchdown.

New Orleans tied the game late in the first half with a 10-play, 72-yard drive that finished with a three-yard touchdown catch by Noah Fant with 1:54 remaining. The Raiders used up the rest of the first-half clock to make a 25-yard kick. The Saints went into the half down 16-13.

The Saints forced a Raider three-and-out and went on a 14-0 run within the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Johnson and Fant each caught their second touchdown of the day to give their team an 11-point lead with 5:46 left in the quarter.

The Raider then scored on back-to-back possessions to take the lead. On both touchdown drives, Vegas elected to go for two and failed to convert each time, leading to the Raiders holding a 28-27 advantage with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter. Shough ruled to have been strip sacked with Maxx Crosby picking up the loose ball inbetween drives.

Shough followed that up by throwing an interception to Hezekiah Masses, who returned the ball to the Saints four-yard line. Brock Bowers caught the touchdown pass on third down to make it an eight-point game with under six and a half minutes to go.

New Orleans couldn’t comeback and lost 35-27, dropping the team’s record to 1-2.

BIG NUMBER: 1,029

You would have to go back to December 3rd, 2023 to find the last time the Saints’ defense allowed a 100-yard game to an opposing tight end. That was when Sam LaPorta had 140 receiving yards against New Orleans; Brock Bowers today had 116 yards and a touchdown.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kirk Cousins

Cousins had another good game, going 22/33 for 248 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints fell 35-27 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

UP NEXT: The New Orleans Saints will play in their lone primetime game on Monday, October 5th, when the Atlanta Falcons come into town. Kickoff from the Caesars Superdome is scheduled for 7:15 PM, and the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.

After nearly completing a furious comeback on the road, the New Orleans Saints traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.

It was another slow start for the Saints as they found themselves in a double-digit hole in the first half. Coach Kellen Moore’s group rebounded in the second-half and took down the Ravens 24-17 to improve to 1-1 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Much like week one, the New Orleans Saints began the game slowly, totaling 34 yards through their first two drive. Kicker Daniel Carlson kicked a 23-yard field goal on the team’s third possession after Blatimore’s Tyler Loop had a 49-yard kick blocked by Carl Granderson to set up the offense in a short field. Tyler Shough connected with DeVaughn Vele for a 29-yard completion on 3rd & 13 on the drive.

Sandwiched in between those possessions was a pair of Ravens touchdowns. Running back Derrick Henry touched the ball seven out of the 12 plays, including getting a direct snap to score from one-yard out. The other score was when Baltimore went 80 yards in 10 plays with Rashod Bateman catching a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson with 24 seconds left in the second quarter.

Rookie Barion Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Ravens’ 44-yard line. A 13-yard catch by Vele helped set up a 47-yard Carlson field goal to cut it to a 14-6 game at the half.

Both teams came out of the locker room and converted on field goal attempts to keep this an eight-point deficit for the Saints with 3:23 remaining in the third. Chase Young and Nathan Shepherd sacked Jackson on third down to set up the kick.

After that, the Saints reached pay dirt on back-to-back drives to take the first lead of the game. Quarterback Tyler Shough found receiver Chris Olave on multiple occasions, including a 21-yard score. The offense stayed on the field as Travis Etienne successfully converted on a two-point conversion to tie the game with under 10 minutes to play.

After forcing a three-and-out, New Orleans drove 68 yards in 16 plays, converting on multiple fourth downs. The second conversion came on 4th & GOAL when Shough tush pushed his way into the end zone to give the Saints the lead with 1:18 to go in the game.

Jackson had one last chance to keep the game alive, but overthrew a receiver and was intercepted by safety Julian Blackmon. The first and only turnover of the day secured the Saints the 24-17 win on the road, improving the team’s record to 1-1 through two weeks.

BIG NUMBER: 651

Etienne’s two-point conversion in the fourth quarter was New Orleans’ first successful attempt in 651 days. The last time it happened was on December 8th, 2024 against the New York Giants.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tyler Shough

The Saints signal caller put on his cape in week two to will the team to a 24-17 win. Shough was 27/34 on the day with 252 passing yards, 23 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns.

UP NEXT: The New Orleans Saints will play in the Big Easy for the first time in the home opener next Sunday when they host the Las Vegas Raiders. Kickoff from the Caesars Superdome is set for noon on September 27th.

The New Orleans Saints stormed back in the second half of Sunday’s game.

Trailing 14-0 at halftime on the road, New Orleans overcame that sluggish start to score 24 points in the second half, which forced overtime at Ford Field. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the Detroit Lions defeated the Saints 31-30 in overtime in the season opener.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

After the two teams traded punts, Detroit got on the scoreboard with a 13-play, 89-yard drive capped with a one-yard touchdown run by Jahmyr Gibbs.

New Orleans’ offense could muster nothing in the first half, as the Saints’ six possessions resulted in five punts and one interception.

While the offense struggled, the Saints’ defense stood tall and appeared to have gotten a game-changing turnover. Chase Young stripped-sacked Jared Goff, and Jonas Sanker scooped and scored. The officiating crew reviewed the play and stated that, despite the ball going backwards, they ruled it a forward pass, thus wiping out the defensive touchdown.

At the break, Detroit led New Orleans 7-0.

The second half started in the worst possible way for New Orleans.

Shough tried to find tight end Noah Fant, but the pass was intercepted by Derrick Barnes. Detroit took advantage of the short field and went 41 yards on seven plays. The Lions capped it with a one-yard touchdown run by Gibbs.

The ensuing possession saw Shough stripped and sacked by Roger McCreary and recovered by DJ Wonnum. The Lions only needed three plays to go 25 yards and find the end zone with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Down 21-0, New Orleans’ offense finally woke up late in the third quarter with a pair of touchdown drives. The first one was a 9-play, 79-yard drive capped with an eight-yard touchdown run by Kendre Miller. The second was a 7-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown pass from Shough to Devaughn Vele.

At the end of the quarter, the Saints had trimmed the lead to 21-14.

The Saints made it closer with an 11-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson. The Lions responded with an 8-play, 45-yard drive but had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Jack Bates.

With 2:32 left, New Orleans trailed Detroit 24-17.

New Orleans needed less than a minute and a half to tie the game as the Saints went 75 yards on eight plays, including Shough finding Olave open for a 42-yard pickup. Shough then found Juwan Johnson open in the corner of the end zone. With 1:07 left, the game was tied 24-24.

Kellen Moore’s squad had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, but Carlson’s 62-yard field goal attempt was no good.

Detroit got the ball first in overtime, and the Lions marched down the field, going 70 yards in 10 plays, as Goff found St. Brown for a four-yard touchdown pass.

New Orleans got the ball and moved down the field, highlighted by a 27-yard reception by Johnson. Shough then found Fant in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown. Moore opted to go for the two-point conversion and the victory.

Shough tried to get the ball to Bryce Lance in the back of the end zone, but it was incomplete.

BIG NUMBER I: 325
Tyler Shough started off the game struggling. The Saints’ second-year starting quarterback completed 10-of-22 for 85 yards and one interception. He heated up in the second half as he completed 25-of-34 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

BIG NUMBER II: 24
After being shut out in the first half, the Saints’ offense came alive in the second half, scoring 24 points on four straight possessions to tie the game.

SAINTS PLAYER OF THE GAME: CHRIS OLAVE
Despite a few early drops, Olave had a monster game, catching 10 passes for a career-high 182 yards, including a huge 42-yard completion with under two minutes in regulation.

LIONS PLAYER OF THE GAME: JAYMIR GIBBS
Gibbs had a monster game as the Lions’ running back had 156 yards on 29 carries with two rushing touchdowns, while also adding five receptions for 30 yards in Sunday’s game. He also became the sixth player in NFL history to score 50 touchdowns in his first 50 games.

UP NEXT: New Orleans (0-1) returns to action next Sunday when it travels to take on Baltimore (1-0). Kickoff is at noon and will be televised on CBS.