DOWN X DOWN › week 16 › Cardinals at Saints
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 16 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Caesars Superdome

NOvsARI

Saints offensevsCardinals defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Saints, 8 for Cardinals. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

ARI offenseNO offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Red zone touchdowns

Saints score a touchdown on 74% of red zone trips (2nd). Cardinals allow 67% (21st).

02
Opportunity

Deep right is open

Cardinals are worst against deep right throws, allowing +0.75 EPA per attempt. Saints send 6% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Nowhere to run

Saints' run game is 26th in EPA per carry (-0.16). Cardinals allow -0.14 (6th).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Saints gain 4.9 yards per play (29th). Cardinals give up 5.8 (24th), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

ARI Cardinals

15Gardner MinshewQB · 17/23 · 188 yds · 3 TD · 0 INTEPA per dropback +0.604Jeremiyah LoveRB · 76 car · 268 yds · 2 TD · 11 recEPA per touch -0.1485Trey McBrideTE · 66 rec · 544 yds · 5 TD · 86 tgtEPA per target +0.29 · 16th14Michael WilsonWR · 45 rec · 486 yds · 2 TD · 81 tgtEPA per target -0.013Budda BakerStrong Safety · 51 tackles · 3.5 sacks · 1 INT · 4 PD1 INT29Denzel BurkeRight Cornerback · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD1 INT

NO Saints

6Tyler ShoughQB · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 20th41Alvin KamaraRB · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.1012Chris OlaveWR · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgtEPA per target +0.53 · 18th14Devaughn VeleWR · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 25th99Chase YoungStrongside Linebacker · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD7 sacks · T-3rd in the NFL96Carl GrandersonWeakside Linebacker · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL
The series · Cardinals and Saints since 1999, and this season's records11 meetings

The Saints lead the series 6–5 since 1999 (they first met in 2000). The Cardinals have won the last 2. Sep 7, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Superdome: the Cardinals won 20–13. Spencer Rattler started at quarterback for the Saints and Kyler Murray for the Cardinals; Kellen Moore and Jonathan Gannon coached.

Cardinals at home4–2the Cardinals' record
In New Orleans1–4the Cardinals' record
Most pointsCardinals 42 · Saints 482022 · 2016
Biggest winCardinals by 24 · Saints by 312004 · 2009
Playoffs0–1the Cardinals' record

The last 5

2025 · Wk 1ARI 20 at NO 13
2022 · Wk 7NO 34 at ARI 42
2019 · Wk 8ARI 9 at NO 31
2016 · Wk 15NO 48 at ARI 41
2015 · Wk 1NO 19 at ARI 31

2026 records

CardinalsSaints
Overall3–52–5
Division1–20–1
Conference2–41–3
Other conference1–11–2
Home0–30–4
Away3–22–1
Last 5LLWLWLLLWL
StreakWon 1Lost 1
Points a game21.9 – 29.823.1 – 27.7

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Cardinals' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Saints offense against the Cardinals defenseDepth charts
Cardinals defense · 4-3 DSaints offense · 3WR 1TE72Richards76Edwards78McCoy51Ruiz75Fuaga83Johnson6Shough41Kamara12Olave18Lance14Vele55Stills97Nolen51Lopez10Sweat50Gibbens1Wilson25Collins29Burke13Clark16Melton3Baker28Wingard

Saints offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBTyler Shough#6 · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INT
  • RBAlvin Kamara#41 · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 rec
  • WRChris Olave#12 · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgt
  • WRDevaughn Vele#14 · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgt
  • WRBryce Lance#18 · 9 rec · 78 yds · 1 TD · 22 tgt
  • TEJuwan Johnson#83 · 26 rec · 255 yds · 3 TD · 37 tgt
  • LTAsim Richards#72
  • LGDavid Edwards#76
  • CErik McCoy#78
  • RGCesar Ruiz#51
  • RTTaliese Fuaga#75

Cardinals defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEDante Stills#55 · 21 tackles · 1 sack · 2 PD
  • RDTWalter Nolen III#97 · 13 tackles · 1 sack
  • LDTRoy Lopez#51 · 23 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • LDEJosh Sweat#10 · 21 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBJack Gibbens#50 · 60 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • MLBMack Wilson Sr.#1 · 54 tackles · 1 PD
  • SLBZaven Collins#25 · 23 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • RCBDenzel Burke#29 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • LCBKei'Trel Clark#13 · 15 tackles · 3 PD
  • NBMax Melton#16 · 22 tackles · 4 PD
  • SSBudda Baker#3 · 51 tackles · 3.5 sacks · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • FSAndrew Wingard#28 · 30 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · NO offense against ARI defense
StatNO NO offFavors NO · Favors ARIARI ARI def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.04#22
+0.08#26+0.00
Success rate
42%#22
43%#1344%
Yards per play
4.9#29
5.8#245.4
Explosive play rate
7%#30
10%#199%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.01#19
+0.23#31+0.03
Sack rate
5%#10
8%#97%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.16#26
-0.14#6-0.08
Yards per carry
3.2#31
3.9#134.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
43%#10
41%#1741%
Red zone TD rate
74%#2
67%#2161%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
162#9
152#21147
TE yards per game
51#20
56#2055
TE targets per game
8.3#10
7.0#127.6
RB receiving yards per game
33#13
30#1332
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Saints: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.137% of throws
+0.893% of throws
+1.026% of throws
Short
+0.1935% of throws
+0.0510% of throws
-0.0340% of throws

Cardinals: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.5316 throws
+1.078 throws
+0.7523 throws
Short
+0.3171 throws
+0.3945 throws
+0.1767 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.