Saints carry league-worst minus-128 first-quarter differential under Kellen Moore

No other NFL club is worse than minus-65 over the 23 games.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 7h1 min read

That’s a problem. Via @WerderEdNFL on X

What happened: New Orleans has been outscored by 128 points in opening quarters across 23 games with Kellen Moore as head coach, per Sheil Kapadia. A 63-point margin separates the Saints from the next-closest NFL club (-65) over that span, a deficit Ed Werder highlighted Friday.

Why it matters: Slow starts have kept New Orleans (2-4) in constant comeback mode and sitting 10th in the NFC standings during the 2026 regular season. Even after a 34-27 road win at the New York Giants on Oct. 18, digging early deficits leaves little margin for error in the conference wild-card race.

By the numbers: Saints' first-quarter point differential through 23 games under Kellen Moore, worst in the NFL. -65: Next-worst first-quarter point differential by any NFL team over that span. 2-4: New Orleans' 2026 record (10th seed in the NFC) entering the weekend after a 34-27 victory over the Giants.

What to watch: Moore's opening-script play-calling and early-down approach will be a focal point as the Saints look to string together consecutive wins and climb back toward .500.

Sources

@WerderEdNFL 2026-10-23T13:16:39.216894+00:00

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