Part of the beauty of a season opener is that you really don’t know what you’re going to get — especially with a new coaching staff. For the Saints, the result Sunday wasn’t unexpected: the Arizona Cardinals, six-and-a-half point favorites, won by a touchdown. Here are my four takeaways from the Week 1 loss: 4. A fourth-quarter rally that kept things interesting The Saints scored just 13 points, and offensive struggles were expected. Still, the late rally was a pleasant surprise. Despite poor quarterback numbers — ranked 25th out of 30 starters through Sunday — the Saints managed to put themselves in position for a dramatic finish. A near-catch by Juwan Johnson in the final minute came just inches away from stealing a win. 3. Cam Jordan turns back the clock Without Chase Young, who has looked great in practice but wasn’t available Sunday, many thought the Cardinals’ quick-tempo offense could overwhelm the Saints. Instead, Cam Jordan anchored a surprisingly strong pass rush. 2. Penalties, penalties, penalties The most glaring issue? Self-inflicted mistakes. The Saints tied Tennessee for the most penalties in Week 1 with 13 (16 flags thrown, three declined). Even worse, eight were pre-snap penalties — false starts, illegal motions, mental mistakes. For context: the NFL team with the most pre-snap penalties in 2023 averaged 3.5 per game. The Saints had more than double that on Sunday. 1. Close doesn’t count Special teams and defensive coaching shined late — including a blocked field goal by rookie Bryan Bresee and a perfectly-timed Alontae Taylor blitz — giving the Saints a chance at an upset. But “almost” doesn’t earn wins. The Saints start the season 0-1. The second half was exciting, but the opener showed fans what to expect: a team on the right road, but likely facing a long, bumpy drive in 2025.