NFL 2025 Week 1: Saints Could Suffer vs. Kyler Murray’s Cardinals
Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Buckle up, New Orleans Saints fans. It could be a long year.
Week 1 begins what could be an awful season for the New Orleans Saints. Expectations are incredibly low. Still, the NFL season goes on, and the Saints must participate if they want to win the “Arch Manning sweepstakes” for the 2026 NFL Draft.
If you’re a Saints fan looking for hope for this game, you won’t find it here. However, I can guide you on what to look for, so you can complain more accurately about what went wrong. Here’s what to watch for when the Saints face the Cardinals in the Superdome.
Keys to the Game
How long does Spencer Rattler last at quarterback?
The Saints have been looking for a long-term solution at quarterback ever since Drew Brees retired after the 2021 season. Spencer Rattler isn’t it.
As a starter for the Saints after Derek Carr’s injury last season, Rattler went 0-6. In that time, he completed just 57% of his passes and had more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four). That doesn’t scream surefire starter.
Second-round rookie Tyler Shough must not have been convincing enough in the preseason for him to take the starting role. I don’t expect him to ride the pine the whole year, though. Rattler’s performance is one to watch in this game–if he plays well, he can quiet the calls for him to be benched. If he falters, though, cries for Shough to start could get too loud for Head Coach Kellen Moore to ignore.
Can Alvin Kamara find his form again?
Running back Alvin Kamara is an interesting case this season. After he was suspended for three games to start the 2023 season and ended up with his lowest rushing yards in a season ever (694), it looked like he would decline in 2024.
However, he then took over to start the 2024 season. In the first game, Kamara had 110 all-purpose yards and a rushing TD against the Carolina Panthers. Then he exploded with 115 rushing yards and three rushing TDs, along with 65 receiving yards and a receiving TD against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. The Saints scored 40+ points in both games and looked like a surprise contender.
While the Saints finished at a disappointing 5-12, Kamara still managed 950 rushing yards and 543 receiving yards. The 30-year-old could still contribute this year. PFF noted ahead of this game that Kamara “ranks 1st in receiving yards per pass play,” while “ARI [Arizona Cardinals] ranks 30th in receiving yards allowed per pass play to RBs.”
If you want to see someone shine for the Saints, keep your eye on Kamara for this game. He might be the only bright spot.
Just how bad is this defense?
The Saints were one of two NFL teams to have multiple players miss over 20 tackles last season. This unit added safety Justin Reid and re-signed edge rusher Chase Young, but the rest of the defense is a nightmare. We’ll have to wait to watch to see just how ugly this defense is.
My Prediction
Saints 6, Cardinals 24
It’s easy to pick the Cardinals to win this game. Even Saints fans might pick their team to lose. Projections have them with the lowest win total in the NFL, and some oddsmakers expect them only to win one game the entire season. Don’t expect this game to be that one win.
I predict the Saints to be dismantled by the Cardinals in a 6-24 loss. This game could turn the Saints back into the “Aints” once again. Let’s hope that the number one pick can fix things for next season.