The New Orleans opened up the season in explosive fashion in 2024. They scored 47 points as they dominated their divisional foe, Carolina Panthers. The season went downhill shortly after but it was an exciting moment. Kellen Moore is hoping to have a similar start in his first game as Saints head coach.
Moore will have his opportunity in 47 days when the Saints take on the Arizona Cardinals. The game will be at home once again, but there's reason to believe the home crowd will be even more raucous due to the excitement that comes with a new era.
On paper, the Cardinals are a much better team than Carolina, and the Saints have more question marks than they did entering last season. The game isn't played on paper, though. If the Saints walk out with another Week 1 victory, it'll probably be done with less points and a smaller margin. However,
2024 season opener gave you everything you wanted from Saints
The Saints weren't going to score 47 points every week. They weren't going to beat every opponent by 30 or more points. That was never the belief. Even in real time, there was still an understanding that the Panthers aren't a good team. Beyond the box score, the Saints showed traits that suggested a bounce back year was on the way.
The game featured a revitalized run game. The preseason promise of Klint Kubiak's run game was as advertised. Kamara ran for 83 yards on 15 attempts. He did go on to set a career-high in yards, so that aspect wasn't all a facade. How would the team looked if the offensive line didn't get evaporated by injuries is the biggest "what if?" from last season.
The Saints had big plays, including a 59-yard strike to Rashid Shaheed. Things like this weren't flukes. The consistency and efficiency in Derek Carr's game was a fluke. Kubiak dialed up a strong running game, but he didn't have anything else up his sleeve when his initial plan was stopped.
In some ways, the season opener showed the Saints had some tools. They just weren't able to put it together for the duration of the season. Under Kellen Moore, they're hoping for a similar start but with a different ending.