Detroit holds off New Orleans
The Detroit Lions beat the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in overtime at Ford Field to open the 2026 season, surviving a second-half comeback behind a productive day from Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit led 7-0 at halftime, and both offenses scored 14 points in the third quarter. New Orleans then outscored the Lions 10-3 in the fourth to erase a seven-point deficit and finish regulation tied at 24. Detroit’s seven overtime points edged New Orleans’ six, giving the Lions a 1-0 start and leaving the Saints 0-1.
Gibbs carries the load
Gibbs supplied Detroit’s biggest offensive performance with 29 carries for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught all five of his targets for 30 yards, finishing with 186 yards from scrimmage on 34 touches. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 10 of 14 targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Jared Goff completed 26 of 39 passes for 206 yards and two scores, with St. Brown accounting for both receiving touchdowns. Sam LaPorta added five receptions for 48 yards on eight targets. Jameson Williams caught four of nine targets for 45 yards.
Shough and Olave fuel Saints’ offense
Tyler Shough completed 35 of 56 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Chris Olave was his most productive receiver, turning 13 targets into 10 catches and 182 yards. Shough spread his touchdown passes among Devaughn Vele, Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant. Vele finished with seven catches for 69 yards, Johnson had three receptions for 54 yards, and Fant added four catches for 33 yards. Gibbs led the game’s fantasy scoring with 33.6 PPR points. His combination of rushing volume and receiving work drove that total, while St. Brown’s two touchdowns helped him reach 28.7. Olave finished close behind at 28.2, producing a strong fantasy return without a touchdown. Shough scored 23.2 PPR points, and Vele added 19.9.
Road tests ahead
Detroit visits the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 8:15 p.m. ET. New Orleans travels to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. ET.