The Las Vegas Raiders will make their third trip down to New Orleans to take on the Saints in the last five years on Sunday in Week 3. And for the first time in five years, the Silver and Black have a chance to advance to 3-0. That would be quite the start to the 2026 NFL season for Klint Kubiak's team.
New Orleans is a pesky 1-1, and it will take a great performance for the Raiders to steal a win on the road in a hostile environment. Kellen Moore's squad is relentless and should challenge Las Vegas in ways that they have not yet this campaign.
Sunday will mark the 17th meeting between the two franchises. Here are some fun bits of history to know about this matchup as these two play in a pivotal cross-conference bout early in the year.
Raiders lead Saints 8-7-1 in all-time series
The first time the Raiders and Saints played each other was all the way back in 1971 at Tulane Stadium, before the Superdome was even constructed. That game ended in a 21-21 tie, but the Silver and Black, in Oakland and Los Angeles, won the next three matchups.
It was back-and-forth for the next few years, but New Orleans dominated in the early 2000s, winning three straight as well. Ever since the 2016 season, though, the Raiders have won three of the last four matchups against the Saints. Speaking of...
Signature Moment: Raiders win dramatically in W1 of magic 2016 season
For some reason, this is always the game I think of when the Raiders' 2016 season crosses my mind. Oakland traveled down to New Orleans and pulled out a victory that was a harbinger of what was to come for the rest of the year: dramatic wins.
After the Raiders jumped out to an early lead, the Saints responded with a 14-0 second quarter and led at the half. Brandin Cooks was a major thorn in Oakland's side, as he caught two touchdowns, including a backbreaking 98-yarder to start the second half.
But then the Raiders did what they did that year, clutching up when it mattered most. Derek Carr flipped over a Saints defender to convert a crucial first down, Jalen Richard housed his first career NFL touch and Michael Crabtree caught the game-winning 2-point conversion in the final minute.
Last Time Around: Raiders beat Saints 25-10 in the ultimate backup bowl
Raider Nation remembers wanting to tank at the end of the 2024 NFL season, but Antonio Pierce and Co. had different plans, of course. In what was the ultimate backup bowl, Las Vegas won its second game in a row by taking down the Saints down in New Orleans.
Aidan O'Connell was under center for the Silver and Black, and Spencer Rattler was the Saints' quarterback. Ameer Abdullah had a great game for the Raiders and led them in rushing, while other names like Alexander Mattison and Chris Collier took legitimate snaps and rushes.
Terrace Marshall Jr. even had a 28-yard catch. Of course, Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker all did their thing to aid in the win, but it wasn't exactly a star-studded late-season matchup between the two sides.
The Raiders pretty much controlled this one throughout, and on the back of Daniel Carlson's four field goals, Las Vegas won 25-10.
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