Aug 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore calls for the field goal unit against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

3 Saints-Cardinals Week 1 Predictions - Including Rookie Breakout

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The 2025 National Football League season officially is here.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys began the season on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field with the Eagles coming out on top. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will take the field on Friday night from São Paulo, Brazil.

New Orleans will begin its action on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals with kick-off scheduled for 1 p.m. ET from Caesars Superdome.

It's an exciting time to follow the Saints. Kellen Moore came in as the team's head coach this offseason after winning the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. He's going to try to turn things around and the Saints arguably have a solid mixture of veterans and young guys ready to make some noise in the weak NFC South division.

Will the Saints take down the Cardinals on Sunday?

Here are three predictions for the Saints and Cardinals Week 1 matchup:

Kelvin Banks Jr. breaks out and is the highest-rated offensive lineman in the game by PFF
This is pretty niche. But, Banks impressed throughout the preaseaon and Pro Football Focus shared afterward that he was the highest-rated pass-blocking offensive tackle in the preseason at 88.1. Banks could be in a big day right away in his first regular-season game with the Saints after being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The highest-graded pass-blocking OT this preseason:

⚜️ Kelvin Banks Jr - 88.1 pic.twitter.com/lh00QupiYI
— PFF (@PFF) August 18, 2025

Alvin Kamara tallies for over 120 rushing yards
The Saints have made it clear over and over that they are going to ride Kamara in the running game. Moore has talked about Kamara as a weapon and how the Saints play to utilize his skills. Last year, the Eagles thrived in the running game thanks to Saquon Barkley. Now, Moore has Kamara at his disposal. Last year, the Cardinals finished 20th in rushing defense based on yards allowed. Expect a big game from Kamara.

Saints continue home opener winning streak
The Saints are leading the league with six straight home opener victories. With all of the excitement of the day with it being Moore's first game as the team's head coach and it being a division game, this streak should continue.

More NFL: Saints Facing Week 1 Injury Concerns

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: