Latest / The K.B. Radio Network / Kicking Off the 2026 NFL Season: Saints vs. Lions Game Preview and Predictions You Can't Miss!
Transcript
- 0:08who that to the who that nation and welcome to the who that say podcast your podcast for d new
- 0:16orleans saints here on the kb radio network i am your fellow who that and host kevin reed and oh my god it feels good
- 0:29to be back in the swing of things we are off and running into the 2026 nfl football season and nothing says football in the new orleans saints here in the great old crescent city the 504 ed man the
- 0:51saints are in for a tall task to kick off this new season of football
- 0:58The Saints will have to travel to Detroit,
- 1:00Michigan to take on the Detroit Lions on
- 1:05Ford Field.
- 1:06It's Sunday afternoon.
- 1:10It's no easy way to put it,
- 1:11ladies and gentlemen,
- 1:13that this is a big game for many reasons.
- 1:19Number one,
- 1:20okay,
- 1:20you want to start off fast.
- 1:22Every team wants to start off fast.
- 1:25We've already got a taste.
- 1:28just this past week uh wednesday we saw the rematch to the super bowl with the seattle seahawks and the new england patriots where we saw the same outcome from the super bowl with the seattle seahawks uh coming out victorious in that game and then way down under in
- 1:46australia we saw the rams and the
- 1:4949ers clash where the
- 1:5149ers i mean came off to a fast start by just walloping
- 1:57the la rams something that i didn't see coming i did not see the rams losing that game not in that fashion you know the rams always struggle against the
- 2:0849ers because those two teams know each other so well the two coaches know each other so well so it's always a struggle for the la rams when it comes to the
- 2:1849ers but i didn't i didn't think they were going to get monkey stomp like they did
- 2:22But those two teams with the
- 2:25Seattle Seahawks and.
- 2:27the san francisco
- 2:2849ers who ironically are both in the nfc west came off came off hot you know so they're off to a really really good start especially the
- 2:3849ers because that's a division win and so that kind of counts as one and a half wins and so they're they're definitely off to a real big start to the season but in the saints case where this isn't a division game but it is a conference game.
- 2:56And this is a playoff caliber team that we're facing in the Detroit Lions.
- 3:01Just a year removed.
- 3:02Last year they came up just a little bit short by finishing the season
- 3:079-8. But they're still a vulnerable team.
- 3:10They're still a well-coached team.
- 3:12They're still a very physical team under Dan Campbell,
- 3:16who we know very well down here in New Orleans.
- 3:18He played here as a tight end,
- 3:21and he joined
- 3:22Sean Payton's coaching staff when
- 3:25Sean Payton was still the head coach of the Saints,
- 3:28so we're familiar with him.
- 3:30Then we saw how he turned things around in Detroit,
- 3:34made them an actual
- 3:36Super Bowl contender.
- 3:37Not quite getting to the Super Bowl,
- 3:39but they were challenging for the Super Bowl.
- 3:42Just came up short a couple of years ago.
- 3:45But he lost a lot of his staff with Ben Johnson going to
- 3:49Chicago to become the head coach.
- 3:51Aaron Glenn,
- 3:53his defensive coordinator.
- 3:55going back to
- 3:56New York where he played along here,
- 3:59but back to New York to coach the
- 4:02New York Jets.
- 4:04So last year was kind of a get back into the groove of things.
- 4:09They started to really latch on a little late,
- 4:12but it was too late.
- 4:14So unfortunately,
- 4:16they fell short.
- 4:17Unlike the New Orleans Saints who,
- 4:21you know,
- 4:21we were just in a heap of trouble,
- 4:24you know.
- 4:25first time head coach new head coach new system uh young quarterback and nobody was expecting the saints to do anything they actually finished better than what a lot of people thought they were going to finish last season
- 4:396 and 11 but you listen to the pronosticators and the pundits and analysts and all of these espn youtube podcast commentators
- 4:53They'll tell you that the Saints are going to be worse than they were last year,
- 4:57maybe getting four or five wins this season.
- 5:00I don't know what they're looking at.
- 5:02I don't see that.
- 5:03I'm not saying the Saints going to the Super Bowl or anything,
- 5:06but they're going to be better than that.
- 5:08I think they will be better than last year.
- 5:10I think this team is built.
- 5:13to actually make some noise in the nfc especially in the nfc south where it is a dumpster fire i mean you look around the nfc south aside from the saints uh who
- 5:29is who is a threat other i would say maybe tampa tampa is always a threat because they always play the saints hard you know uh same thing with carolina but we swept carolina last year ironically enough
- 5:43So it's there for the picking.
- 5:47And Atlanta is Atlanta.
- 5:49Atlanta,
- 5:50God bless them.
- 5:52Atlanta,
- 5:54they're starting their third-screen quarterback this opening weekend with Cooper Rush.
- 6:01Tua's hurt.
- 6:03Penix is not hurt,
- 6:04but he says he's not ready.
- 6:07So they have to go to their third-screen quarterback in order to start this season off.
- 6:12That's not a good start,
- 6:14you know,
- 6:15and it's not going to get any better because Tua is not the answer,
- 6:19and
- 6:20Pinnock has proven that he's going to be the answer.
- 6:24And nobody has done anything to kind of improve their teams in the South other than the Saints.
- 6:31I think the Saints had the better draft.
- 6:33They had the better free agency period.
- 6:37I really feel confident that the Saints can kind of squeak.
- 6:42away with this division this year but before we get to all that we're not here to preview the season we did that already we're here to talk about this sunday this sunday the saints will take on the detroit lions and it's
- 6:59already starting off bad we we are heading to the lions then no pun intended and we we're gonna we got a tall task the detroit lions are favored by six and a half
- 7:12points in this game and when i first saw that initially i was like well i don't see that i don't think the saints gonna lose by a touchdown and then i thought about it oh yeah maybe
- 7:28maybe i don't know it is i said in my prediction show that uh well in the season preview show that the saints were gonna lose this game and i'm still with that i think the saints will fall in this game
- 7:42My main thing going into this game is the effort,
- 7:46the fight.
- 7:48Can they be a contender?
- 7:50Can they push this team to the limit?
- 7:52Let me give you some examples.
- 7:54You know what made me feel good about last season?
- 7:57It wasn't much to feel good about,
- 7:59but there were some things I took away from last season that I actually felt confident about.
- 8:06You look at that first half of the season where the Saints played virtually
- 8:10all playoff teams they played the two super bowl teams uh with the seattle seahawks and the new england patriots during that run and the saints with the exception of seattle because seattle monkey stomped us in seattle but
- 8:27all the other games we played the rams we played well the rams kind of beat us half to death too but we played new england and we actually had a chance to win that game.
- 8:36We played Buffalo and for...
- 8:39three and a half quarters we were beating buffalo you know we we were in these games and i felt good about that because that's something you can build on i wasn't too upset about the losses per se but i was i was happy with the fact like okay we
- 8:56haven't gotten it together yet but we're still in these games just wait till we get it together wait till we get a full off season with
- 9:07the guy that we know is going to be the quarterback,
- 9:09Tyler Shuck,
- 9:10and wait until we get all the pieces in place that we need with the running bag situation,
- 9:16with our wide receivers,
- 9:18with our defense,
- 9:20because they didn't start clicking until late.
- 9:23You know,
- 9:23we were struggling on defense in that first half,
- 9:27and then we got better in the second half.
- 9:29Now,
- 9:30I know that all of you in the Who Dat Nation,
- 9:33at least all of you with some sense,
- 9:35are like,
- 9:36Well,
- 9:37if you look at the schedule,
- 9:38Kevin,
- 9:39the schedule was very favorable at the end of the season.
- 9:43Yeah,
- 9:43absolutely.
- 9:44We played trash teams at the end of the season.
- 9:48Pretty much in the same boat we were rocking in at the end of the season.
- 9:52That's how we had as much success as we did.
- 9:56But
- 9:57I look at that first half.
- 9:59That's what I'm judging it off of.
- 10:00The first half where the Saints were trying to figure it out,
- 10:04but they were putting up the f***.
- 10:06fight of their lives and that's all i can ask for out of this team sunday
- 10:11Pretty much the same thing.
- 10:14Sunday,
- 10:15I need the Saints to come out there like their hair is on fire.
- 10:19I need the Saints to make a statement in this game.
- 10:24Not necessarily win,
- 10:26but put people on notice like,
- 10:28wait,
- 10:29this team is actually better than what I thought.
- 10:32And that's all I'm asking for.
- 10:35Now,
- 10:35can the Saints pull off this game?
- 10:37I think they can.
- 10:39Unfortunately,
- 10:39I don't think they will.
- 10:42And my reasoning behind it is because,
- 10:46number one,
- 10:47this is the first week of the season.
- 10:49I don't know what Detroit is throwing at us.
- 10:53I don't know what the Saints are going to throw at Detroit,
- 10:55to be honest with you.
- 10:57We don't know.
- 10:58And so it's kind of hard to predict this game honestly and fairly.
- 11:03I can only go by what I saw last year,
- 11:06previously,
- 11:06during the preseason,
- 11:08and things of that nature.
- 11:10Now on.
- 11:11paper on paper this is going to be a tight game on paper this will be a one possession game like like the uh like vegas have us you know six and a half i think this will come down to the final possession and who has it i think it will come down to that i think it will come down to uh who has the ball last because
- 11:34it's going to be that tight i think both teams are trying to figure it out at this point.
- 11:39Uh,
- 11:39Detroit has more of a head start on it,
- 11:41I believe,
- 11:42because of,
- 11:43uh,
- 11:44the team that they already have.
- 11:46They have,
- 11:47uh,
- 11:47some very talented players with Jared golf,
- 11:49uh,
- 11:50uh,
- 11:51Gibbs at running back.
- 11:52Um,
- 11:53uh,
- 11:54Jamison will at receiver.
- 11:56Yeah,
- 11:56we,
- 11:57we,
- 11:57we've gone,
- 11:58we got a test.
- 11:59We got a test and oh my God,
- 12:00don't talk about defense with,
- 12:03with that wild animal,
- 12:04Adrian Hudson.
- 12:06Uh,
- 12:06who?
- 12:08That offensive line,
- 12:09we're going to see if that offensive line has been revamped.
- 12:13We're going to find out Sunday.
- 12:15That's why
- 12:16I like this game.
- 12:17I really do.
- 12:18I like this game,
- 12:19and I like where it's at.
- 12:21I've spoken to a few who-dads out there,
- 12:27a few black-and-gold alum who hate the fact that we play in Detroit in the first game.
- 12:35I don't think so.
- 12:36I'd
- 12:36I actually think this is a test.
- 12:39You need to come out with a test.
- 12:41I don't want to come out soft.
- 12:43I don't want to come out and play the Cleveland Browns.
- 12:46No,
- 12:46because we go out there and mollywop the Cleveland Browns,
- 12:50it's going to be fool's gold.
- 12:52Everybody going to think,
- 12:53oh,
- 12:53yeah,
- 12:53black and gold to the Super Bowl.
- 12:55Take a seat.
- 12:56Calm down.
- 12:59Let's relax.
- 12:59It's just one game.
- 13:01But if we go out there and actually beat Detroit,
- 13:04you're going to start getting.
- 13:05you're going to see some antennas start to pop up,
- 13:08you know,
- 13:09maybe not beat them.
- 13:10But like I've been preaching here,
- 13:13go out there and give them the fight of their lives.
- 13:17Antenna's going to go up.
- 13:18Oh,
- 13:19man,
- 13:20maybe I was wrong about the Saints.
- 13:22Maybe they're going to win eight or nine games.
- 13:24Hey,
- 13:25maybe 10.
- 13:25Who knows if they could do that to Detroit in Detroit.
- 13:30But we shall see.
- 13:32They have their word cut out for them,
- 13:33son.
- 13:34day detroit is a difficult place to open uh the lions have plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball as i said adrian hudson uh he's coming off a career high of 14 and a half sacks last season pretty much establishing himself as one of the top edge rushers in the lead uh i think he made the all pro uh team
- 13:57last season if i'm not mistaken the saints also won't have a completely healthy roster as well.
- 14:04Um,
- 14:05Alvin Kamara,
- 14:06he was limited in practice all week.
- 14:09Uh,
- 14:09he's listed as questionable for this game.
- 14:12Dealing with that MCL injury.
- 14:15Let me say this.
- 14:17I think that you shouldn't play.
- 14:20Don't rush him back.
- 14:21You know,
- 14:21we got Travis Eachen.
- 14:24Let's,
- 14:24let's see what we got there.
- 14:26You know,
- 14:26let him run the rock and,
- 14:29and we'll,
- 14:29we'll work it out from there.
- 14:31There's no point of rushing him back in.
- 14:33further injuring himself worse and now we're out of we're out of the uh alvin camara business for the entire season i don't want to do that and so if he's not 100 i'll say sit him i'll say 80 if
- 14:49he's not at 80 at least i know he did practice a little bit but if he's not you know game ready there's no point throwing him out there you know this is a really good team that we're going up Thank you.
- 15:03gets if it was a lesser team sure you know a lesser defense sure but uh i wouldn't risk it in this game
- 15:13one of the most disappointing aspects of this offseason or during the preseason was uh the loss of jordan tyson our first round pick this past season or offseason um man look
- 15:30i don't know what it is and this is a league thing this isn't really a saint's day you go around the league and you look at all these soft tissue injuries and
- 15:41on every team it's like every week you see it every single week i you watched the game the other night with uh aj brown he had it i think he had a high ankle sprain or something like that it's just so many fluke injuries like that is happening so often now maybe
- 16:02i wasn't paying much attention to it back back in the day you know maybe it was a different time and people just played through the injury which they did
- 16:11They did do that back in the day.
- 16:12You know,
- 16:13they just rub some dirt on it and get back on the field.
- 16:17But now,
- 16:18it's just months.
- 16:20You miss weeks.
- 16:23It's devastating.
- 16:24Jordan Tyson,
- 16:25he's going to be out for at least two months.
- 16:28And that's going to suck.
- 16:32Well,
- 16:32not two months.
- 16:33The first four games.
- 16:34The first month.
- 16:36But
- 16:37I don't know.
- 16:38I honestly don't know.
- 16:40I say two months because they said four weeks three weeks ago.
- 16:46Then we get to this week,
- 16:48and they're like,
- 16:48oh,
- 16:49he's going to miss four weeks.
- 16:50Wait,
- 16:50you said that when it first happened.
- 16:53It's like,
- 16:55y'all going to keep scratching this out?
- 16:57But the same thing I would say about Kamara,
- 17:00what I was saying earlier.
- 17:01Jordan Tyson,
- 17:03if we're looking good.
- 17:05in the next four weeks i will say two and two right no point of rushing him back i wouldn't rush him back you know if we can sustain this little onslaught that we're about to go on with going to detroit going to baltimore uh playing the raiders playing atlanta it's
- 17:23no point of rushing him back if we can split these four first four games or or hey if the heavens open up and we three in one or something like that.
- 17:34I,
- 17:35definitely wouldn't rush him back um yeah take your time because this is a long-term investment i do want to see him want to see him on the field he looked amazing in uh uh training camp so i am excited to see him touch the field but i don't want to rush him back and uh risk further injury because unfortunately he is injury prone you
- 17:58know going back to college dealing with those hamstrings you know and once again it's a hamstring injury again
- 18:05So,
- 18:06I don't know.
- 18:08We always deal with that.
- 18:09And then,
- 18:11the real death blow was
- 18:13Cam Jordan,
- 18:14defensive end,
- 18:15who will miss this game.
- 18:18And probably more than that,
- 18:20I don't know.
- 18:21They're real tight-lipped like they always are when it comes to the injuries.
- 18:26But
- 18:27Cam Jordan,
- 18:27he's definitely out for this game,
- 18:30dealing with a hamstring injury himself.
- 18:33And this is...
- 18:33the first time in his career that he's missing a game due to injury and that is wow to me that that is so crazy uh and i hate to see it bro because we all know this is this is his last ride this is his final season
- 18:52at least as a new orleans saint probably for his nfl career but i didn't want to see it go out like that because he has been the sheer definition of iron man
- 19:04And,
- 19:05you know,
- 19:06to go out like this,
- 19:08you know,
- 19:10hampered by injury is,
- 19:12I know that's eating him up,
- 19:14tearing him up from the inside out.
- 19:18But,
- 19:18but,
- 19:20you know,
- 19:20there are still ways that the New Orleans Saints can make this game interesting.
- 19:25There are ways that the Saints actually can pull this off.
- 19:30Detroit,
- 19:31they have injury problems of their own.
- 19:32Beard.
- 19:33two key defensive backs uh uh brian branch and uh uh kobe joseph they're out for at least a month uh they both are dealing with injuries and they're a little uncertain about their other defensive actually i
- 19:50think their whole secondary is banged up the whole second uh uh derrick moore uh i think he he was limited this week uh um it was another one man
- 20:02I had the injury report,
- 20:03but they didn't show it on here.
- 20:05I guess they're trying to be.
- 20:07secretive too because they don't want to expose the fact that their secondary is depleted but uh yeah they're in trouble in their secondary uh i think that's probably going to be a window for kelly moore and tyler shuck to just let loose i really don't want to see that but
- 20:27i'm pretty sure they're gonna they're gonna take that bait and try to sling the ball all the way up up and down the field on Detroit because of...
- 20:37that injury problem that they're suffering in the secondary.
- 20:43If they can,
- 20:44I expect it to be a competitive game into the fourth quarter.
- 20:49Detroit,
- 20:50of course,
- 20:50have the home field advantage.
- 20:53They have a talented offense.
- 20:54Defense is capable of creating problems for this young offense.
- 20:59The Lions,
- 21:01I think they'll find a way to make enough plays late to come out victorious.
- 21:06And I don't think it's going to be a touchdown game.
- 21:11I think it's going to come down to a field goal.
- 21:13I'm thinking along the lines of
- 21:1727 to 24 Lions win.
- 21:19I think it's going to come down to a field goal at the end.
- 21:22At least that's around that.
- 21:25You know,
- 21:27I think it will be a competitive game.
- 21:29I really do.
- 21:30At least I'm praying that it is.
- 21:34Deep down,
- 21:35I want the Saints to win.
- 21:37Of course,
- 21:38I want the Saints to win,
- 21:39but I just don't have enough to bet on.
- 21:44I don't have enough to sit there and definitively say that the Saints will come out victorious.
- 21:50Will come out victorious.
- 21:52I'm not super confident in that.
- 21:55But if the Saints do come out victorious,
- 21:59it's going to come down to one man and one man only,
- 22:02and that's Tyler Shuck.
- 22:04He's going to have to prove.
- 22:06that he's capable of making big throws in this hostile environment against that hampered secondary.
- 22:13If he can make those plays,
- 22:16make those big plays,
- 22:18converting on third down,
- 22:19making the right decisions,
- 22:21not turning the ball over,
- 22:22you know,
- 22:23the typical cliches,
- 22:26I think the Saints could actually pull this off.
- 22:29You know,
- 22:30if they can jump on the
- 22:32Rams, not the Rams,
- 22:33but the Lions early.
- 22:36and give this defense a chance to lay his hair back and just go,
- 22:41I think the Saints can do it.
- 22:43But they're going to have to jump on the
- 22:47Detroit Lions early.
- 22:50That's my thoughts.
- 22:51That's it.
- 22:52Because the defense,
- 22:53I believe this defense is built to maintain a lead.
- 22:57I don't know if this is the type of defense that will bring you back into a game,
- 23:02but I do think this is a defense that can,
- 23:05if you have a...
- 23:07touchdown or a 10-point lead,
- 23:10I have confidence that the New Orleans Saints can make a stop here,
- 23:13make a stop there,
- 23:14and keep the foot on the neck of the Detroit Lions.
- 23:19So,
- 23:21you know,
- 23:22that's one side of the coin.
- 23:23So
- 23:25I do think the Saints probably will fall,
- 23:28but if the Saints can jump on them early,
- 23:31if Tyler Shuck can make the right choices down the field,
- 23:35If
- 23:36Travis Etienne can let it loose,
- 23:39you know,
- 23:40run the ball,
- 23:40give us a four to five yard per carry average,
- 23:45you know,
- 23:45something like that.
- 23:47Hey,
- 23:48we're in business,
- 23:49baby.
- 23:50We're cooking.
- 23:51We're cooking.
- 23:52And so we'll see,
- 23:54man.
- 23:54I'm excited for this game.
- 23:55I am super excited.
- 23:57I'm so happy that New Orleans Saints football is back,
- 24:00just like the rest of the Houdat Nation.
- 24:03I want to know.
- 24:04What's your predictions to Sunday's game in Detroit?
- 24:08Do you think the Saints will come out victorious?
- 24:11Am I tripping?
- 24:13Am I a fake
- 24:15Saints fan?
- 24:15Like,
- 24:16I've been accused of it.
- 24:19When I told a friend about it,
- 24:21I was like,
- 24:21I don't think we're going to win.
- 24:23He was like,
- 24:23wait,
- 24:23what?
- 24:24Yeah,
- 24:24he virtually cursed me out.
- 24:28But
- 24:29I'm just trying to be real.
- 24:31You know,
- 24:31I'm trying to...
- 24:32tamper my expectations here i don't want to go out there and just yeah yeah we're gonna we're gonna mollywop detroit you know i don't want to do all that i i think that i think the saints are capable of beating them i just don't know if they will but i
- 24:48i hope and pray that i'm wrong i don't have a problem being wrong especially when it comes to my saints i have zero problems eating crow
- 25:00If the Saints come out victorious this Sunday in Detroit,
- 25:04I want to know,
- 25:05ladies and gentlemen,
- 25:05what are your thoughts?
- 25:06What are your predictions?
- 25:07Are you ready for football?
- 25:09Are you happy football is back?
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- 25:48orleans saints here on the kb radio network baby football is back in the hood at nation and
- 25:59I can't wait for Sunday.
- 26:01Don't forget,
- 26:02check back
- 26:03Sunday evening for the results show,
- 26:06the reaction show to the week one matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions,
- 26:13hopefully with me apologizing that the Saints will lose.
- 26:20Hey,
- 26:21I will gladly do that.
- 26:23But the only way you can check that out,
- 26:25hear my apology,
- 26:27check back in with us.
- 26:28Sunday evening.
- 26:30Until then,
- 26:31I'm going to be screaming,
- 26:33Who dat?