They say that the NFL is a copycat league. And while John Spytek and Klint Kubiak are trying to mold the Las Vegas Raiders in their own unique way to find success in a difficult landscape, I've said on numerous occasions this offseason that mimicking the 2025 New Orleans Saints wouldn't be so bad.
After the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl to conclude the 2024 season, the Saints plucked Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. That sounds like Kubiak. They also used premier draft capital on a young quarterback in Tyler Shough, as Las Vegas did with Fernando Mendoza.
And although New Orleans wasn't exactly great last year, they improved dramatically as the year went on. They began the season with the rookie QB on the sidelines, as fans expect the Raiders to, but put in Shough halfway through the campaign. He went 5-4, winning four of his last five games.
That could very easily be the rough blueprint for the Silver and Black during the 2026 NFL season. The Saints ended the year red-hot with tons of promise and still landed the No. 8 overall pick. The expectation is that they'll be in the running for a division title and perhaps more this year.
If Las Vegas can follow in New Orleans' footsteps, that wouldn't seemingly be such a bad thing. But the jury is still out on the Saints this year. Luckily for the Raiders, they'll get an in-depth look at their potential future in Week 3 when they travel to The Big Easy and play at Caesars Superdome.
To familiarize ourselves with New Orleans even more, we spoke to Darrion Gray of WhoDatDish, FanSided's dedicated Saints site. He provided valuable insights about the team that Raider Nation will want to read ahead of the early-season matchup.
New Orleans Saints are no pushover for Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3
Q: The Raiders are sort of following the blueprint that the Saints did last year by plucking a Super Bowl-winning OC and pairing him with a promising young QB. Do New Orleans fans have a lot of faith that things will fully turn around heading into the 2026 season?
A: This is the most optimistic the Saints have felt going into a season since the Derek Carr signing. That quickly crashed and burned, but this situation is much different. Instead of being excited about the introduction of a new quarterback, the excitement stems from what Tyler Shough has already shown in a Saints uniform.
Q: I've got to ask about Tyree Wilson. How has he fared thus far during the offseason program, and what kind of role do you envision him having for the Saints this year and beyond?
A: It feels like a N/A on how he’s looked so far. It’s been primarily 7-0n-7 work, so we’ll have to wait until pads come on before it can truly be determined. Wilson’s role in New Orleans will likely be fourth man in the rotation with a high upside. Things never worked out with the Raiders, but there’s hope he can do more in Brandon Staley’s system. The role will be minimal, so expectations are tempered. The mood is hopeful more than expecting around Wilson.
Q: Franchise cornerstone Cam Jordan finally re-signed after a bit of drama. What do you think the future holds for Alvin Kamara? Do you think the Raiders will even face him in Week 3?
A: My gut says Kamara is a Saint in 2026. There’s limited benefit to trading him and essentially no benefit to cutting him; however, it’s impossible to ignore the seemingly bad blood that appears to have formed from the Saints' side towards Kamara. They’re a better team with him on the roster, so it would be best to keep him around. Right now, it’s a toss-up.
Q: What was the biggest or most impactful move that the Saints made this offseason?
A: I have to cheat on this one. The biggest move the Saints made is a bit of a tie between signing Travis Etienne and drafting Jordyn Tyson. Kellen Moore recently talked about how the best teams are able to win in multiple ways, and Etienne allows the Saints to do that. Drafting Tyson makes the offense 10x more exciting. It gives the Saints the potential for two No. 1 receivers and one of the more dynamic offenses in the league.
Q: New Orleans has improved a lot over the last two years. But is there one area that you would still consider a weakness that Las Vegas may be able to exploit early in the season?
A: Run defense is still a question mark. They made some additions that could help, but Vernon Broughton and Christen Miller are still extremely inexperienced options. The Saints attempted to address the weakness, but it may take some time before Miller, the rookie, and Broughton, who essentially missed his entire rookie season, get their feet underneath them on the professional level. With Ashton Jeanty on the other side, this is the part of the game that could get Las Vegas the win.
Q: The Saints are a rising team with a lot of promise. Do you believe there is one facet of the game that is an underrated strength for them that could dramatically tilt the balance in this matchup?
A: The rise of Chase Young really isn’t getting a lot of attention outside of New Orleans. He just recorded his first double-digit sack campaign despite missing the first 5 games of the season. He became a dominant force at times. If that continues into next season, he could genuinely be a game wrecker for the Saints' defense.
Q: Would you rather face Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins?
A: In Week 3, give me Mendoza simply due to it being early in the season.
Other Las Vegas Raiders 2026 season previews:
Week 1 - Miami Dolphins
Weeks 2&14 -Â Los Angeles Chargers
Weeks 4&18 - Kansas City Chiefs (Coming Soon)
Week 5 - New England Patriots (Coming Soon)
Week 6 - Buffalo Bills (Coming Soon)
Week 7 - Los Angeles Rams (Coming Soon)
Week 8 - New York Jets (Coming Soon)
Week 9 - San Francisco 49ers (Coming Soon)
Week 10 - Seattle Seahawks (Coming Soon)
Weeks 11&15 - Denver Broncos (Coming Soon)
Week 12 - Cleveland Browns (Coming Soon)
Week 16 - Tennessee Titans (Coming Soon)
Add us as a preferred source on Google