Cameron Jordan, DT John Ridgeway III and DT Khristian Boyd were all inactive for New Orleans' pass rush, while Detroit's own trouble sat in the secondary, where safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph stayed on the reserve/PUP list and rookies Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox drew the assignment on Chris Olave. The total had already been climbing off the open before kickoff, and a game that wound up producing 61 combined points showed exactly why.
Shough turned it over twice in the first half — two interceptions and a lost fumble on a sack — digging the 21-point hole almost single-handedly. But he settled in from there, finishing 35-of-56 for 410 yards and 3 touchdowns, and led back-to-back scoring drives capped by a 9-yard touchdown to Juwan Johnson with 1:07 left that tied the game at 24 and forced overtime.
Detroit got the ball first in overtime, and Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for his second touchdown of the day to make it 31-24. New Orleans answered right back, with Shough hitting Noah Fant for an 8-yard score in the end zone, but coach Kellen Moore chose to go for the win rather than kick the extra point — and Shough's 2-point pass fell incomplete, sealing a 31-30 Detroit win.
Jahmyr Gibbs finished with a career-high 29 carries for 156 yards and matched his career high with 3 rushing touchdowns, while Chris Olave's 10 catches for 182 yards were the best receiving day either offense produced. It was a messy, turnover-filled opener for both rosters, and the two shorthanded units — Detroit's safety group, New Orleans' front seven — get a full week to try to get healthier before Week 2.