Defensive head-to-head preview: Saints vs Lions

Posted by Admin September 12, 2026 NFL

The Saints kick off the 2026 season on the road against the Detroit Lions. This matchup will be an early test for a young Saints team that is looking to establish itself as a contender for the NFC South division.

The Saints finished off 2025 with one of the best defensive units in the league and were able to showcase some flashes of that throughout the preseason, even after having some key losses in the offseason.

Statistically, the Saints hold an advantage over the Lions. The Lions finished 2025 as the 18th-ranked overall defense under first-year DC Kelvin Sheppard. The Lions gave up 24.3 points per game, 217 passing yards per game, and 114.5 rushing yards per game. Now, the Lions were able to get four more sacks on the season than the Saints had.

The Lions will feature an attacking 4-3 defense, shifting into a 4-2-5 style to match up when offenses switch to more pass-friendly sets. While, on the whole, the Lions defense is middle of the road, their pass rush is really good. Not only did the Lions have 49 sacks, but they were also able to complement the pass rush by forcing 13 interceptions.

The advantage for the Saints is that the Lions will be missing three former starters in their secondary. Corner Terrion Arnold was released from the team due to his off-the-field issues, and both safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are on the PUP list. Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough must be able to take advantage of this secondary on Sunday if they are going to win this game.

The Saints, on the other hand, are entering this game missing some pieces, but overall, they are pretty healthy on the defensive side of the ball. Brandon Staley is entering his second season as the Saints DC, and Saints fans, this could very well be his final year if things go as well as they did last season.

Staley was really good, and with another year in this system, it is only fair to expect his defense to take another step forward. The Saints finished ninth overall in total defense in the NFL.

The Saints will need to ensure that the rushing defense improves, and the addition of rookie DT Christen Miller will help with that, as well as provide some much-needed interior pass rush.

The Saints will have to disrupt the timing of Jared Goff. Goff got rid of the ball with one of the league’s fastest releases at 2.57 seconds. Goff does not like to move, and if he can be forced off his platform and his timing disrupted, the Saints can impose their will on the Lions offense.

The defensive matchup will be very fun to watch. It feels good to break down a game that will result in an actual win or loss for the season. Football is officially back.

Share with us who you think has the advantage on the defensive side of the ball. Do you think Shough and Moore can expose the secondary? Are you concerned that Kelvin Sheppard’s unit will show some improvement against the Saints to start the season? Share your thoughts in the comments.