3 Keys to Victory for Saints Against Raiders in Week 3

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On Sunday at 3:25 PM CT, the New Orleans Saints kick off their home slate at the Caesars Superdome against the Las Vegas Raiders before a packed crowd of 73,000 black-and-gold faithful.

The Saints (1-1) enter following a 24-17 upset win over the Baltimore Ravens, while the undefeated Raiders (2-0) arrive after a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers (26-14).

New Orleans boasts a high-powered unit ranking seventh in total offense (383.5 yards per game) and second in passing (305.5 yards per game). Quarterback Tyler Shough leads the NFL with 662 passing yards, aided by receivers Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Juwan Johnson.

They will face a formidable Raiders defense led by edge rusher Maxx Crosby and linebacker Nakobe Dean that ranks ninth overall (allowing 284.5 yards per game), holds second place in takeaways with five, and is tied for the NFL lead with eight sacks.

Here are the primary keys to victory for the Saints.

The Run Game Has to Get Going

To bring balance and versatility to their offense, the Saints urgently need to jumpstart a rushing attack that has rank among the league's most ineffective.

During last week's win over Baltimore, New Orleans found little traction on the ground, managing a lackluster 65 yards on 27 carries for a 2.4-yard average. Stripping out Shough's scrambles paints an even grim picture: 42 yards across 18 rushes, averaging a meager 2.3 yards per attempt.

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The backfield duo of Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara failed to establish any rhythm, producing just 40 total yards on 17 attempts. Although Kamara's muted output is understandable given his ongoing return from injury, Etienne's meager 25 yards on eight carries raises genuine concern.

In facing a challenging Raiders defensive front, establishing a reliable ground game is an absolute necessity.

Protect Your Quarterback

The main concern is losing left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to ankle surgery. Replacement Asim Richards debuts against a Raiders defense tied for the NFL lead with eight sacks and a league-best 50% pressure rate, posing a threat to Shough.

The Saints already proved they can manage without Banks: after Richards stepped in against Baltimore, Shough went 12-of-14 for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-point fourth-quarter comeback win.

Can Richards and the offensive line replicate that success against another formidable pass rush? Time will tell if this matchup turns out to be a thrilling success or an endlessly agonizing struggle for the next two to three months without Banks.

Make Kirk Cousins Beat You

The Saints' defensive priority should be taking away everything that makes the Raiders' offense comfortable and putting the game squarely on Kirk Cousins' right arm.

That does not mean Cousins hasn't played well. The 38-year-old has helped Las Vegas start 2-0, completing 67.8% of his passes for 413 yards and six touchdowns. However, he has also thrown three interceptions, giving New Orleans opportunities to create turnovers if it can force Las Vegas into obvious passing situations.

The biggest objective should be limiting the Raiders' rushing attack early and forcing Cousins to throw repeatedly rather than allowing Las Vegas to dictate the game with balance and play-action. His efficiency has already declined as his workload increases: Cousins has completed 90% of his first 10 attempts in games with a 117.7 passer rating, but that rating falls to 75.6 on attempts 21 through 30.

New Orleans also needs to generate pressure when those passing situations arrive. Cousins has been sacked only twice through two games. The Saints cannot allow him to operate from clean pockets and pick apart the secondary.

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