One of New Orleans’ key offensive players is set to be sidelined for a bit.
Via multiple reporters, head coach Kellen Moore said in his Monday press conference that running back Travis Etienne will have some “time lost” due to the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders.
Moore did not specify a timeline for Etienne’s return.
In his first season with the Saints, Etienne has rushed for 128 yards and caught 11 passes for 51 yards in three games.
The Saints also have Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and CJ Donaldson on their 53-man roster at running back.
Saints Clips
The Saints were upset that they had a fumble recovery taken off the board in their Week 1 loss to the Lions and they weren’t any happier about the application of the rules in the fourth quarter of Week 3.
Quarterback Tyler Shough fumbled when he got hit by Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce while trying to deliver a pass and Maxx Crosby recovered the ball. In Week 1, officials overturned Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s fumble because they ruled Goff had started his throwing motion prior to being hit by Saints defensive end Chase Young and that made it a forward pass even though the ball went backward.
Shough’s fumble did not get overturned via the same rule. After Sunday’s game, Shough said he believed that it should have been.
“I thought I threw it. Me, personally, I thought my arm was going forward,” Shough said at his press conference. “I’m not exactly sure on the rule. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’ve got to get it out sooner regardless.”
NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth told pool reporter Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune why the ruling was different this time.
“With the ruling on the field of a fumble recovered by the defense, that is an automatic booth review which any automatic booth review is either confirmed with New York to confirm the ruling on the field, or we stop the game if we need to. On that play, we were able to confirm that the defenders’ right hand hit the ball and the hand. The quarterback clearly lost control of the ball before his hand was coming forward. We were able to confirm the ruling on the field. . . . All we are looking for is the hand coming forward with control to make it an incomplete pass. In the play that happened today, the hand was not coming forward with control of the ball.”
The Saints disagreed with that interpretation, which gave them plenty to lament after the game. The Raiders turned the fumble into a go-ahead touchdown that helped them go from being down 11 points to winning the game 35-27.
For just the second time since 2002, the Raiders are 3-0.
After entering the fourth quarter down 27-22, Las Vegas picked up four takeaways in the final period to defeat New Orleans 35-27.
While the Raiders held a 16-13 lead at halftime, the Saints were able to score twice in quick succession in the third quarter to ostensibly take control of the game. Tyler Shough threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson before the Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Shough then connected with Noah Fant for a 16-yard score to put New Orleans up 27-16 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
But it was all Las Vegas from there. Mike Washington scored on a 36-yard touchdown run to cap a quick, five-play drive. The two-point conversion failed, keeping the score at 27-22, New Orleans.
That’s when the turnovers began, with Shough losing the ball on a strip-sack in Las Vegas territory on third-and-4 from the Las Vegas 29.
Kirk Cousins hit Cody White for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a 28-27 lead with 9:21 left in regulation.
Down by one, Shough then threw an interception that set up Cousins’ 4-yard touchdown to Brock Bowers — who was making his 2026 debut — for a 35-27 lead.
For the Saints’ third turnover, Shough was again strip-sacked with 2:21 left in regulation on fourth-and-1 deep in Las Vegas territory.
And while the team got the ball back, Johnson fumbled with just under a minute left, and the Raiders recovered to clinch their victory.
Sunday’s win was the first time the Raiders scored at least 30 points since defeating the Chargers 63-21 on a Thursday night in December 2023.
As noted by the CBS broadcast, the game also tied an NFL record with six touchdown receptions by tight ends. The only other time that had happened was in 1981 in a matchup between the Chargers and Raiders.
Cousins finished 22-of-33 for 248 yards with three touchdowns. That makes him the first QB in team history to record at least three passing TDs in each of the club’s first three games. He’s also the first since Lamar Jackson in 2022 to record at least three passing TDs in each of his team’s first three games.
After undergoing a meniscus trim, Bowers was as excellent as ever, catching 10 passes on 13 targets for 116 yards with a TD.
On the other side, Shough finished 29-of-42 for 255 yards with four touchdowns, an interception, and two lost fumbles. Chris Olave led with nine catches for 107 yards.
At 3-0, the Raiders will host an AFC West showdown with the fellow 3-0 Chiefs next weekend.
The 1-2 Saints will host the 1-2 Falcons next Monday night.
The Saints have started the second half with a stop and a score, then a takeaway and a score.
While New Orleans was down 16-13 at halftime, the game has quickly turned in the Saints’ favor, with the club taking a 27-16 lead.
Tyler Shough connected with Juwan Johnson for the tight end’s second touchdown of the day midway through the third quarter, giving New Orleans a 20-16 lead.
The 1-yard TD pass capped a 12-play, 87-yard drive that took 6:50 off the clock.
The Saints did not generate a defensive stop in the first half, with the Raiders scoring on each of their four possessions. But New Orleans forced a quick three-and-out to open the third quarter, giving the offense the opportunity to take the lead.
New Orleans then got the ball back on the ensuing kickoff, as Dylan Laube fumbled with Anfernee Jennings picking up the loose ball for a takeaway.
A play later, Shough found Noah Fant for a 16-yard touchdown to give the Saints a two-possession advantage.
Saints running back Travis Etienne appeared to suffer a hamstring injury on his 16-yard run the play before Shough’s fourth TD pass.
Raiders receiver Jack Bech is out with a forearm injury suffered late in the first half. And Saints defensive lineman Carl Granderson is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Additionally, Justin Reid kicked off to start the second half. According to Nick Underhill of neworleans.football, Daniel Carlson is not hurt, the Saints just wanted to do something different. Carlson had missed the landing zone on a kickoff earlier in the game.
The Saints and Raiders put together an entertaining first half, with a late field goal giving Las Vegas a 16-13 lead at halftime.
The Raiders scored on all four of their first-half possessions, though three of those drives ended in field goals. Matt Gay connected from 41, 37, and 25 yards out in the first half.
Las Vegas’ other seven points came from a 3-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Michael Mayer.
Cousins ended the first half 15-of-22 for 169 yards with a touchdown. Brock Bowers, in his first action of the season, had seven receptions for 87 yards before the break.
For New Orleans, quarterback Tyler Shough is 10-of-16 for 91 yards with two touchdowns. He also has a 36-yard rush. Former Raider Daniel Carlson had his first extra point blocked, which is why the team has 13 points.
The Raiders have 16 first downs and are 5-of-7 on third down.
The Saints have 10 first downs and are 6-of-8 on third down.
Saints defensive lineman Carl Granderson went to the locker room early with medical staff. Saints linebacker Pete Werner is questionable with a stinger.
Raiders receiver Jack Bech also walked into the locker room for halftime with trainers.
Las Vegas will receive the second-half kickoff with a chance to double up.
For the first time in a long time, the Saints have a lead after the first quarter.
Tyler Shough connected with tight end Juwan Johnson for a 2-yard touchdown.
But the extra point was blocked, keeping the score at 6-3, New Orleans.
While the Saints started the game with a three-and-out, they were able to get down the field for a 13-play, 79-yard drive on their second possession. The team converted four third downs on the way to the end zone, including Shough’s TD pass on third-and-goal.
The Raiders’ offense got Brock Bowers involved immediately, with Kirk Cousins hitting the tight end three times for 37 yards on the way to a field goal.
This is the first time the Saints have ended the first quarter with a lead under head coach Kellen Moore. The last time they had ended the first quarter with a lead was on Dec. 8, 2024 — when the club defeated the Giants, 14-11.
Brock Bowers is officially ready to make his 2026 debut.
Bowers is active for Sunday’s contest between the Raiders and Saints after being listed as questionable.
Bowers underwent a knee procedure a few weeks ago, which sidelined him for Las Vegas’ first two games.
For New Orleans, cornerback Martin Emerson is inactive after being listed as questionable.
The Raiders’ inactives are quarterback Aidan O’Connell, cornerback Darrell Luter Jr., safety Treydan Stukes, safety Dalton Johnson, guard Bryce Cabeldue, and defensive tackle JJ Pegues.
New Orleans’ inactives are Emerson, quarterback Zach Wilson, receiver Barion Brown, defensive lineman Christen Miller, tight end Treyton Welch, defensive tackle John Ridgeway, and edge rusher Tyree Wilson.
When the Raiders face the Saints on Sunday in the Superdome, the game will have significant meaning for Las Vegas receiver Jack Bech.
Bech’s brother, Tiger, was killed in a New Orleans terrorist attack on New Year’s Day in 2025, along with 13 others.
“I just want to rewrite this wrong in New Orleans,” Bech told Sam Warren of The Athletic earlier this week. “Get that nasty, dirty taste out of our mouth.”
It will be Jack Bech’s first NFL game in New Orleans, the city to which his family would travel to watch Saints games when he and Tiger were growing up.
Jack Bech has been fueled by his brother’s memory. And their childhood memories include attending games at the Superdome and dreaming of playing there one day.
Bech said that it “would mean everything” to Tiger to see Jack achieve that dream.
“I know he couldn’t be any happier right now,” Bech said.
A second-round pick of the Raiders in 2025, Bech has caught five passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in two 2026 games. As the Raiders try to move to a surprising 3-0 record (after going 3-14 last year), Jack Bech will be ready to make an impact.
The challenge will be to control and direct the emotions he’ll be feeling. Receiver coach Zach Azzani has been helping Bech find the right balance.
“He said, ‘Play the game with emotions; don’t be emotional,’” Bech told Warren. “It’s something that’s been super helpful for me. . . Give it everything, leave everything on that field and see what happens by the end of the game.”
Whatever happens, Jack Bech will surely be feeling the presence of his brother in a building where they enjoyed watching Saints games as boys.
Tyler Shough’s fourth-down quarterback sneak for the game-winning touchdown was controversial. The Saints quarterback may or may not have crossed the goal line, but replay upheld the on-field touchdown ruling with 1:28 left.
Officials, though, missed a facemask penalty against Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith on the play.
The NFL admitted the officiating error on Saturday by announcing an $11,941 fine for Smith for the facemask.
Ravens outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson was hit with a $17,911 fine for a hit on Shough before the 2-minute warning. He was penalized for putting his full body weight on Shough on the hit, helping the Saints get on the doorstep of the end zone.
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave will pay an $11,941 fine for taunting Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Officials penalized Olave during the game.
The Saints have ruled out two and have one more player listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders.
Receiver/returner Barion Brown (hamstring) and defensive lineman Christen Miller (toe) are both out. Neither player was able to practice this week.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (shoulder) is questionable after he returned to practice as a limited participant on Friday.
Running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) safety Jonas Sander (knee), defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd (hip), edge rusher Chase Young (calf), linebacker Isaiah Stalbird (shoulder), and running back Kendre Miller (illness) are all off the injury report and are set to play.
