An interesting conversation should start now.
The New Orleans Saints couldn't win the first game of the season, and although it started ugly, the team showed fight and stayed alive to force overtime. Most of the focus in the first half, and some of the third quarter, was on just how bad the Saints' offensive was, which is understandable because goodness it was horrible. Still, the Saints' defense came to play in that first half.
Somehow, the New Orleans defensive unit led by DC Brandon Staley kept the Lions to only 7 points in the first half. What makes it even crazier is that the game should have been 7-7 after a stripped sack from Chase Young that got returned for a touchdown. That play was then ruled an incomplete pass in one of the most confusing decisions we've seen from a ref in a while.
Throughout the game, aside from the first and last touchdowns allowed, the defense faced tough situations to stop the Lions from scoring. When the Lions were in less advantageous field position, New Orleans' defense did its job and got the Saints offense the ball again.
During this great defensive performance, the standout player was Vernon Broughton.
Before getting to his performance, let's talk about the view on Broughton entering the season. After Bryan Bresee, a player who just had his 5th-year option picked up and whom the Saints had high hopes for, went down with a season-ending injury, Broughton was put in his role. Last season, Broughton had a decent first game for the Saints, but was ruled out for the rest of the season after his own injury. After being a third-round pick, there was pressure on Broughton to succeed, so with Bresee also being out, this could have been a bit of a make-or-break year for the young player.
Well, he didn't just do well; he was outstanding. He held his own against a decent Lions offensive line, looked dangerous every time he was able to rush the passer, pressured Jared Goff multiple times, and wasn't pushed around against the run. He was reminiscent of Bresee around two seasons ago, before the former first-round pick made strides in his run defense.
It's too early to say that Broughton is the Saints' best defensive tackle, and he's going to need to show consistency throughout this season, but if that does happen, there is suddenly a decision the Saints may need to make. Of course, in the 2027 season, a 3-4 DE duo of Broughton and Bresee could be dangerous, but when the Saints are making their decision on extending Bresee, Broughton may be a major factor.
