In less than three days' time, the New Orleans Saints are set to kick off their regular season at home against the Arizona Cardinals. For Saints and Cardinals head coaches Kellen Moore and Jonathan Gannon, it won't be the first time they've faced each other head-on.
The two have faced each other in four previous matchups, all back when the two were in the NFC East, when Moore was the offensive coordinator in Dallas and Gannon the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. The record is very lopsided, but on the side of the first-year head coach. In the four times one faced the other, Moore would win three.
However, the head coach in Arizona is well aware of his record against the head coach in New Orleans. "He's very creative. It makes it really hard on the defense how he calls the game." Gannon told arizonasports.com. "And not just because he’s got good players, take that out of it. Schematically, he’s hard to defend."
Saints head coach Kellen Moore has a very different supporting cast this time around
While Kellen Moore's record against Jonathan Gannon should be acknowledged, it should also be taken very lightly, as the first-year head coach had a very different cast of players back then (2021 and 2022) than he does now. One of the biggest differences is in the experience level at quarterback.
When Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys, he had Dak Prescott, who at the time was a two-time pro bowler with over six years of NFL experience. On Sunday, he'll be rolling out Spencer Rattler, a second-year quarterback who lost all six of his starts in his rookie season. Fortunately for Rattler, he has the full confidence of his head coach. "His ability to make plays with his arm and his feet has certainly shown up (this offseason). I'm really, really excited about Spencer."
Moore also doesn't have an 1,000 yard rusher at his disposal. All he's got as his top running back is five-time Pro-Bowler and two-time all pro Alvin Kamara, who has yet to add a comma to his rushing yardage (Most rushing yards he's had was last year with 950). However, Kamara is one of the top playmakers in the NFL, having amassed at least 1,160 scrimmage yards in each of his eight seasons in black and gold. "He's an explosive player. You still see it each and every time," Moore told the media.
His top wide receiver is Chris Olave, who gathered over 1,000 receiving yards through his first two seasons in the NFL. Unfortunately, his career has stalled over the past year, as he's dealt with a multitude of concussions. But when describing what he could do in Kellen Moore's offense, Olave had a big smile on his face. "You can expect a lot," He said on the Up and Adams show when asked what he'd be doing in 2025.