New Orleans spent its draft capital trying to speed up the timeline around Shough, taking receiver Jordyn Tyson 8th overall — the highest a Saints receiver has gone since 1978 — and tight end Oscar Delp in Round 3. They also added Travis Etienne in free agency to pair with Alvin Kamara, a backfield combo that's drawn real praise this offseason. The one loose thread is Chris Olave, who's coming off a career year but is still working toward a contract extension heading into camp, which is the type of situation that can hang over a receiver room if it drags.
Neither team made the playoffs last season, but they got there very differently. The Raiders were bad from start to finish and it cost Pete Carroll his job after one year; the Saints were bad for 2 months and then looked like a different team once Shough took over, going 5-4 down the stretch. That split matters heading into a Week 4 matchup — New Orleans has continuity at coordinator and scheme, while Vegas is still installing a new staff and figuring out who's actually taking snaps behind center.
Cousins reportedly got the bulk of first-team reps over Mendoza this offseason, and ESPN's Adam Schefter has pegged him as the Week 1 starter given his history with Kubiak. If that holds, this becomes a game about whether a 37-year-old quarterback and a rebuilt scheme can generate points fast enough to keep pace with a Saints offense that's actually trending in the right direction. Vegas fans have reason for cautious optimism after an offseason overhaul, but 3-14 doesn't get erased by one coaching hire — it gets erased by results, and this is an early one on the schedule to watch for.