The New Orleans Saints might have lost their Week 1 matchup against the Detroit Lions, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. The Saints were trailing 21-0 roughly halfway through the third quarter, but Tyler Shough and the Saints came roaring back from behind to tie things up at 24 all and force overtime.
While the end result didn't favor the Saints, they gave it everything they had down the stretch and showed that all the hype they received this offseason wasn't for naught. Not only that but they didn't lose any ground in the NFC South, as all four teams in the division lost in Week 1.
To recap, the Buccaneers got beat up in Cincinnati by the Bengals, the Falcons struggled against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and the Panthers got roughed up at home by the Bears. Every divisional foe is 0-1, and the best news for Saints fans is that their team looked like the best of the four.
Saints came up short but looked like the NFC South's best team
While the Saints struggled early on, Shough eventually found his footing in the second half and helped get the team back on track. The defense also played well, holding the Lions to just seven points in the first half and keeping New Orleans in the game.
Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield was sacked four times and lost three fumbles. Running back Bucky Irving also lost a fumble. The Bucs did not look like the threats that many crowned them as in the offseason.
The Falcons had a tough situation from the start, entering the game with Cooper Rush as their starting quarterback. It didn't go well. He threw two picks and was sacked four times. The Atlanta defense did okay but if their offense is going to be as bad as it was in Week 1, it'll be a long season for the Falcons.
The Panthers put up a strong fight against the Bears through the first three quarters. As the game progressed, their defense, which they spent heavily on in the offseason, struggled to contain Caleb Williams and Chicago's weapons. Carolina ended up surrendering 59 points at home. Not ideal.
Flipping it back to the Saints, they went on the road to Detroit, a tough place to play, and despite falling behind 21-0, fought back and forced overtime. They were a two-point conversion away from winning the game too. None of the other teams were in their respective games in the final minute but the Saints can say that they were even if the end result wasn't what they hoped for.
Now, it's easy to look at Week 1 and completely overreact to everything. Saints fans shouldn't crown their team the winners of the division by any means. With that said, if one team from the NFC South looked like the favorites to win the division in 2026, it was the New Orleans Saints.
Shough looked the part of a franchise quarterback late in the game, the defense was flying around making plays when needed, and it just felt like things were starting to click for this young team. In a division that's considered a train wreck like the NFC South, things don't have to be perfect and this loss shouldn't hurt the Saints too much in the long run.
But, that being said, it's only Week 1 and there's still plenty of football left to be played. For now though, all we have to go off of is this first week of action. It's better for the Saints to look like the cream of the crop rather than the alternative option. Sure, a lot can happen between now and the end of the season but this weekend gave us even more proof that the Saints look poised to make a run at the division title this year.
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