Football is a funny game. Seriously. You can outgain an opponent, control the clock, and have the home crowd screaming their lungs out in the Superdome, yet still walk away with a loss that feels like a punch to the gut. That’s exactly what the Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints matchup gave us to kick off the 2025 season.
It was a game defined by "what ifs" and "how did that happen?"
On paper, the Saints should have owned this. They had the debut of a high-profile offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. They had a young, hungry quarterback in Spencer Rattler getting a real shot. And yet, the Cardinals—a team many experts had written off before the coin toss—marched into New Orleans and stole a 20-13 victory. It wasn't pretty. It was, honestly, a bit of a mess. But it tells you everything you need to know about where these two franchises are heading in 2026.
The Stat Sheet That Lies to Your Face
If you just looked at the box score of the Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints game, you’d be confused. New Orleans actually put up more total yards (315 to Arizona's 276). Spencer Rattler threw for 214 yards, outpassing Kyler Murray's 163.
So, how did Arizona win?
Discipline. Or rather, a complete lack of it from the Saints. New Orleans committed 13 penalties. Thirteen! You can’t win in the NFL when you’re constantly moving backward. It’s like trying to run a race with your shoelaces tied together. Every time the Saints got some momentum, a yellow flag hit the turf.
✨ Don't miss: Simona Halep and the Reality of Tennis Player Breast Reduction
Key Performances That Mattered
- Kyler Murray (ARI): He didn't put up monster numbers, going 21-of-29. But he was efficient. Two touchdowns, zero interceptions. That’s the Kyler the Cardinals need to see more of—the one who takes what the defense gives him.
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (ARI): The hype is real. His 45-yard reception was a thing of beauty, effectively setting the tone for the afternoon. He finished with 71 yards and a score, proving he’s already the focal point of that offense.
- Alvin Kamara (NO): Still the heartbeat of the Saints. He scored the team’s only touchdown, an 18-yard scamper that happened to be the 1,000th touchdown scored in the history of the Caesars Superdome. Talk about a bittersweet milestone.
- Spencer Rattler (NO): He looked... okay? 27-of-46 isn't world-beating, but he didn't look overwhelmed. He just didn't have much help from an offensive line that let him get sacked five times.
Why the Saints Couldn't Close the Gap
The ending was pure chaos. With 13 seconds left, the Saints were at the Arizona 18-yard line. The Dome was shaking. Rattler spiked the ball to stop the clock. Then, three straight incompletions.
Budda Baker—who is basically a human heat-seeking missile—delivered a massive hit on Juwan Johnson in the end zone that probably would have been a touchdown in a different universe. Baker joked after the game that Johnson was "11 and a half feet in the air" catching that ball. But the hit dislodged it. Game over.
It highlighted the biggest issue for New Orleans: they can move the ball, but they can't finish. It’s been a recurring theme. The Saints ended a six-game winning streak in season openers that day, and it felt like the beginning of the end for the Jonathan Gannon era in Arizona, too, despite the win.
Wait, what?
Yeah, sports are weird. Arizona won that game but went on to have a miserable 3-14 season. Gannon was eventually relieved of his duties in January 2026. It goes to show that a Week 1 win in the Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints series doesn't always mean you've found the secret sauce.
🔗 Read more: NFL Pick 'em Predictions: Why You're Probably Overthinking the Divisional Round
Looking Back at the History
This rivalry—if you want to call it that—is surprisingly even. After that 2025 meeting, the all-time regular-season series stands at 16-15 in favor of the Cardinals. They’ve been playing each other since 1967, back when the Cardinals were in St. Louis and the Saints were, well, still the Saints.
Most fans remember the 2009 NFC Divisional Playoff game. The Saints absolutely demolished the Cardinals 45-14 on their way to winning Super Bowl XLIV. That’s the peak of this matchup. Since then, it’s been a lot of back-and-forth. Before the 2025 game, the last time they met was a wild Thursday Night Football game in 2022 where Arizona won 42-34, mostly because the Saints threw two pick-sixes in the first half.
Basically, when these two teams meet, expect the unexpected. Usually, it involves a lot of points or a lot of mistakes. Sometimes both.
Roster Turnover: The 2026 Reality
As we stand here in 2026, both teams look radically different than they did in that September opener.
Arizona is in a full-blown reset. They hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They’ve used 80 different players this past season—a league high. They just signed Josh Karty to fix their kicking woes because Chad Ryland couldn't find the uprights toward the end of the year.
💡 You might also like: Why the Marlins Won World Series Titles Twice and Then Disappeared
Meanwhile, the Saints are still trying to figure out if they're rebuilding or "retooling." They've signed a bunch of guys to "futures" contracts, including names like Dalys Beanum and Beanie Bishop Jr. They’re looking for youth in the secondary. The core of Kamara and Jordan is aging, and the window that felt so wide open in the Drew Brees era is now just a tiny crack.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
People tend to think the Saints are unbeatable at home. Historically, that’s somewhat true; they hold a 9-4 edge over Arizona in New Orleans. But the "Dome Magic" has faded lately. Losing a season opener at home to a team that would eventually finish with 14 losses is a massive red flag.
Another misconception? That Kyler Murray is the problem in Arizona. If you watch the film of the Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints game, Murray was the only reason they moved the chains. The offensive line was a sieve. Trey McBride—who is arguably the best tight end in the league right now—is Murray’s only reliable safety valve besides Harrison Jr.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
If you’re a fan or a bettor looking at future matchups between these two, stop looking at the jersey and start looking at the trenches. The Saints' offensive line is in shambles. The Cardinals' defense is opportunistic but lacks depth.
Here is what you should actually be tracking if you want to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the Cardinals' Coaching Search: With Gannon gone, the next hire will decide if Kyler Murray stays or if Arizona resets at QB with that No. 3 pick.
- Monitor the Saints' Salary Cap: It’s a yearly tradition, but they are once again in a spot where they have to make tough choices on veterans like Cam Jordan.
- Trey McBride's Target Share: He is a monster. In 2025, he was a near-unanimous All-Pro. If the Saints play Arizona again, the game plan starts and ends with him.
The Arizona Cardinals vs New Orleans Saints rivalry isn't the biggest in the NFL, but it’s a perfect microcosm of the league's middle class—teams that are one or two disciplined games away from greatness, or one or two penalty-filled afternoons away from a Top 5 draft pick.