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The Detroit Lions are looking to start the regular season on a high note.
On Sunday, the Lions host the Saints to open the year. Against a team that is a trendy surprise squad entering the year, Dan Campbell’s team will be looking to make a statement and start the campaign with a 1-0 record.
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Here are three keys to victory for the Lions to defeat the Saints in the season opener.
Establish Jahmyr Gibbs
The Lions were at their best offensively when they could use the run game to set up the pass. In Drew Petzing’s debut as offensive coordinator, a huge key to success for him will be to get the run game going.
With depth being a concern behind Jahmyr Gibbs, it’s important that the Lions find ways for their start to get going. If Gibbs can break runs early, it opens up Jared Goff to exploit the Saints’ defense through play-action passing which is his strong suit.
The Saints have some intriguing players on their defense, such as Carl Granderson and potentially Cam Jordan at defensive end if the latter is available to play. Therefore, it’s important that the Lions control the line of scrimmage early and set up lanes for Gibbs to break explosive runs.
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Pressure Tyler Shough
In the second half of the season, Shough was one of the top performing quarterbacks and could be poised for a big sophomore campaign. If the Lions’ pass-rush can’t get home, it would allow Shough to get comfortable making his reads and pushing the ball downfield.
Detroit has some concerns in the secondary, even with Dan Campbell expressing his confidence in the group. Though Kelvin Sheppard may have changes on the horizon within his scheme, the team has historically played a lot of man-to-man which is difficult for corners when they have to cover for a lengthy amount of time after the snap.
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As a result, the onus is on the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, D.J. Wonnum and others to get after Shough early and often. If Detroit can have consistent production from their defensive line in attacking the passer, it will yield positive results throughout the afternoon.
Third-down efficiency
Another area the Lions’ offense struggled in throughout last season was on third-downs. They ranked 20th in the league with a 38.8 conversion rate, which is something of an anomaly given their performance in that area in recent years.
A huge key for the offense will be to stay ahead of the chains and work into third-and-manageable situations, which will make life easier for Petzing and Goff in this area. Ideally, the Lions can still utillize the run game in these situations, and as a result keep more of the playbook avaialble to keep the Saints off balance.
Last year, the third-down struggles greatly hurt the Lions’ consistency. By starting the new year off on the right foot, the Lions can get into a more effective groove throughout the year.
Today’s best reads
- Spot the Ball: 10 Thoughts Ahead of Detroit Lions 2026 Season Opener
- Everything Jared Goff Said Before Lions Week 1 Contest Against Saints
- Detroit Lions 2026 Updated Offensive Depth Chart After Roster Cuts
- Detroit Lions 2026 Game-by-Game Predictions Following Training Camp
- Odds Lions Beat Saints in Week 1
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as 3 Keys For Detroit Lions to Defeat Saints.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 11:36 AM.