The New Orleans Saints fell just short of defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, losing 20-13 in dramatic fashion. In a game plagued by penalties and missed opportunities, the Saints struggled to consistently put together scoring drives. With so many new faces on the roster and a first-year head coach at the helm, expectations entering the season were relatively modest.
Still, there were plenty of individual performances and critical areas from this matchup worth highlighting. Some players gave fans reasons for optimism moving forward, while others struggled to make an impact. Let’s dive into the biggest standouts — both good and bad — handing out grades based on what we saw in Week 1:
HC Kellen Moore
A lot of criticism was directed toward Kellen Moore in his first game as an NFL head coach. Fans and analysts alike questioned his decision late in the second quarter to not use any timeouts before halftime. Had he managed the clock more aggressively, the Saints would have had over a minute left to potentially put together a scoring drive. Instead, Moore opted to play it safe, choosing not to risk putting the ball in harm’s way.
Beyond clock management, there were also a few questionable redzone play calls and a heavy dose of penalties that stalled drives and killed momentum. However, there were positives to take away from Moore’s debut — most notably, the flashes of an up-tempo offensive approach. When implemented, it seemed to get the unit into a rhythm and played to the strengths of rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, allowing him to settle in and make quicker decisions.
Grade: C-
QB Spencer Rattler
Spencer Rattler’s performance was far more encouraging than the box score might suggest for those who watched closely. Particularly in the second half, Rattler showed poise and command, leading multiple drives down the field while making critical throws, extending plays with his legs, and remaining decisive with the football. Unfortunately, an absurd number of offensive penalties constantly put the unit behind the chains, forcing Rattler into difficult situations and limiting his opportunities to sustain drives.
His final stat line doesn’t tell the full story, and it nearly looked much different. On the Saints’ last offensive possession, Rattler delivered a perfect back-shoulder throw to TE Juwan Johnson in the end zone — a play that, if completed, likely would have tied the game and changed the entire narrative around his year two debut.
Grade: B-
Pass Rush
The brightest area of this game by far was the Saints’ pass rush, which came to life early and consistently disrupted Arizona’s offense. Veteran star Cam Jordan turned back the clock with perhaps his best performance in the last two seasons, finishing with 1.5 sacks and a crucial pass deflection. On the opposite side, Carl Granderson matched his intensity, putting together a similarly impressive outing with 1.5 sacks of his own along with two pass deflections.
Considering the challenge of containing one of the league’s most elusive quarterbacks in Kyler Murray, this was an extremely encouraging showing for the front four. And with Chase Young expected to return to the lineup next week, the Saints’ pass rush could become an even bigger weapon moving forward.
Grade: A-
Secondary
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this game was the performance of the Saints’ secondary. Cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Isaac Yiadom both had their share of deflating moments, struggling to contain rookie phenom Marvin Harrison Jr. and Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride, who each made their presence felt with several big plays throughout the afternoon. Meanwhile, safety Justin Reid wasn’t nearly as exposed but still turned in an underwhelming performance, missing a few crucial tackles that extended Arizona drives.
Grade: D
Offensive Line
The offensive line as a whole played a solid game up front, keeping Spencer Rattler clean for most of the afternoon and performing decently well in the run game. However, the lack of discipline from this unit was easily one of the biggest storylines of the day. False start after false start, the group repeatedly stalled drives and put the offense behind schedule.
There’s some grace to be given to newcomers like guard Dillon Radunz and tackle Asim Richards as they continue adjusting to a new system, but even for veteran players, snap-count discipline has to be better. Cleaning up these self-inflicted mistakes will be a top priority heading into Week 2.
Grade: C-