One turnover, one overtime loss

New Orleans fell 31-30 to Detroit in overtime on Sunday and forced exactly one official takeaway all game.

Broughton got the only one

The lone official turnover was a strip-tackle by second-year defensive lineman Vernon Broughton, the first of his Saints career.

He caught Jahmyr Gibbs from behind

In the second quarter, Gibbs caught a short pass and tried to reverse field. Broughton, all 311 pounds of him, ran the All-Pro back down from behind.

Wrestled loose on the way down

He pulled the ball free from Gibbs and grabbed it himself as both players hit the ground. A strip and a recovery in one motion.

The challenge flag actually worked

Officials ruled Gibbs down by contact. New Orleans challenged and won, a rarity given Kellen Moore went 1-for-6 on challenges last year.

He just wanted out of the pile

Broughton says he wasn't thinking about prying the ball loose. He was thinking about escaping the scrum and getting to the runner still on his feet.

“I saw him running, and nobody had him down yet.”

Credit the warmup drill

Broughton pointed straight at the coaching staff. They carry a ball through warmups every day and punch at it until stripping becomes muscle memory.

“Every day they come with the ball during warm ups and literally punch it out.”

Grabbing beat punching

Asked why he took the ball instead of punching it out like the drill teaches, the 2025 third-round pick laughed off the improvisation.

“I just felt it (the ball) and just took it.”

Solid is not good enough

Broughton thinks the defense is starting to jell, but he refused to call the Detroit performance a success. There is still cleanup work ahead.

“Obviously, it wasn't good enough. We've got to do better.”