The New Orleans Saints have grown into a bit of a media darling of sorts this offseason. It isn't rare to see an analyst project them to go from worst to first in the NFC South or praise Kellen Moore for how aggressively he's building the offense around Tyler Shough. It's the most attention they've received in a few years.
The schedule is set up in a way that almost looks like the NFL heard the noise and told the Saints to prove it. The first two games of the season are against the Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens. As if that wasn't hard enough, both of those games are on the road. It's only two games, but it's the hardest stretch of the season. Getting out of that two game stretch with a win will be tough, but it would also send a message.
While the Saints are getting more attention from the media, there isn't the expectation for them to be one of the top teams in the league. Knocking off Detroit or Baltimore could send a message that the Saints are ready to take that next step forward. It'd be similar to the Panthers beating the Rams and Packers last year, except hopefully the Saints don't follow up those wins with unexpected losses.
Heavy pressure on Saints means heavy pressure on Tyler Shough
The pressure is on the Saints, and pressure on the team naturally falls on the quarterback. Going into Year 2, the Saints are going to need a hot start from Shough to grab a victory in either of those games.
The Lions and Ravens both pack a powerful punch offensively. It's no shot at the defense to say the offense is going to have to perform in order to win this matchup. The Saints' defense will determine whether or not it's a shootout, but there's no question the offense will have to come to play.
It's no easy task for Shough. He's coming off a blazing start/end to his rookie year, and carrying over the momentum from 2025 to 2026 immediately will be no easy task. The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson rushing off the edge. That's an immediate test for the offensive tackles, and Shough will have to manage facing an elite pass rusher. On the backend, Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph can take advantage of any mistake Shough makes.
The Ravens also pack that same pairing of pressure and skilled defensive backs. They just brought in Trey Hendrickson in the offseason. Saints fans are quite familiar with him. He's aiming to show he's still one of the most productive pass rushers after an injury riddled season. Baltimore has a secondary highlighted by Kyle Hamilton and flanked by Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins.
It won't be easy for Shough. The start of his sophomore campaign starts with two massive challenges. The odds were stacked against him last year, and he excelled. If he does it again, the Saints will feel even more confident they have something special at quarterback.
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