Well, after Week 1 of the NFL season, it doesn’t look like the New Orleans Saints are going to be the worst team in the NFL. That doesn’t seem like a huge statement for most teams, especially ones that consider themselves ‘Super Bowl contenders’, but for teams that had a majority of their fanbase under the belief the franchise was intentionally tanking the season…that’s pretty big.

Did The Saints Win In Week 1 Of 2025?

The Saints did not win to start the 2025 season. They lost to the Arizona Cardinals at home 20-13. More importantly, the Saints had possession of the ball, in the red zone, and actually appeared to score a touchdown on a pass to Juwan Johnson, in the final minute. But as Johnson tried to secure the ball in the end zone, Arizona defensive back Budda Baker made an incredible play to knock the ball out of Johnson’s hands.

Photo by Ella Hall/Getty Images

Photo by Ella Hall/Getty Images

Even though the Saints did not win the game, being within a few inches of tying the game up within the final seconds is a lot better than many expected for this Saints team.

What Went Wrong For The New Orleans Saints In Week 1?

Honestly, the New Orleans Saints have a first time Head Coach in Kellen Moore, they have Offensive and Defensive Coordinators in their first year with the franchise. Their quarterback room is all young and inexperienced, with no NFL wins on their combined records. Plus you have a list of aging superstars, and two starters who both missed the game.

There was a lot going wrong for the Saints before the ball was even kicked off.

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

In the game, the offense seemed to be the worst part of the Saints day. But what do you expect from a young QB and a first time Head Coach? If the worst part of Week 1 was the offense, that’s actually good news. Because between young players and a young offensive minded coach, you can actually expect this unit to get better throughout the year.

Did The Saints Look Good In Week 1?

The Saints defense was actually pretty good. Cameron Jordan is still Cameron Jordan, Pete Werner and Demario Davis were flying around at linebacker, and Carl Granderson looks like a problem for other teams.

The Cardinals don’t have the same issues the Saints do coming into this year. Their Head Coach, Johnathan Gannon, has been in place for a couple of years, and Kyler Murray, their quarterback, has been putting up big numbers in the NFL for a few seasons already. They have big time weapons on offense, and shouldn’t struggle to put up points.

However, in Week 1, the Saints defense actually squared up, and held this high powered offense to just 20 points. Which was actually just two touchdowns and two field goals.

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

We should also point out that Alvin Kamara still has gas in the tank. He only ran for 45 yards on 11 carries, but the Saints got away from the running game at one point. The whole team only had 22 carries, which is actually what Kamara should have himself in a game. Expect that to change in the coming weeks.

What’s Next For The New Orleans Saints?

The Saints will now host the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the NFL season.

Those 49ers are actually coming off a win in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, but I don’t think 49ers fans were too excited over it. The 49ers beat the Seahawks 17-13, but didn’t look particularly great.

The biggest problem for the 49ers is their lack of offensive weapons. Between suspensions and injuries, they don’t really have much talent to catch the ball. Adding to those woes is the fact that all-world Tight End George Kittle left the game with a hamstring injury. With Kittle expected to get an MRI on the injury, its likely he won’t be 100% against the Saints…if he even plays.

Are The New Orleans Saints Really That Bad?

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

After Week 1, I think you can objectively say the New Orleans Saints won’t be the worst team in the NFL this year. They look like a young team, with a good defense, and an offense learning on the job. If you’re a New Orleans Saints fan, know that you’re waking up today with a better outlook on the season than a Miami Dolphins fan.

Every Saints First Round NFL Draft Trade Since 2010