GLENDALE – One surprising detail heading into the season opener between the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints, is the one-sided battle between head coaches Jonathan Gannon and Kellen Moore. The two faced off four times as opposing coordinators, with Moore’s team winning three out of the four times by scoring 40+ in those games.
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Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Cardinals HC Gannon on struggles vs. Moore:
If you go back and look at my track record against him, it’s not good, truthfully,” Gannon said on Wednesday. “He’s very creative. It makes it really hard on the defense how he calls the game. … And not just because he’s got good players — take that out of it. Schematically, he’s hard to defend. … He’s always been ahead of me. We got our work cut out for it. … I got a high opinion of Kellen.”
Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore looks on against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Despite the lopsided nature of the two coaches duels, Moore won’t have the same level of personnel as he did with the Dallas Cowboys. Instead of having a three-time Pro-Bowl quarterback Dak Presscott, Moore will have to rely on second-year Spencer Rattler to run his creative offense.
Regardless of Rattler’s inexperience, the weapons are on par with Dallas. Moore will have Pro Bowl caliber players like wide receiver Chris Olave and three-time All-Pro running back Alvin Kamara at his disposable against a retooled Cardinals defense.
Jun 10, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen III (97) talks with Calais Campbell (93) and Dante Stills (55) during minicamp at the teams Arizona Cardinals Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In the first two weeks of the 2024 season, the Saints offense lived up to its weapons, scoring 40+ points in back-to-back weeks, but struggled after injuries derailed the team. New Orleans has won the last six season openers, and despite being +6.5 underdogs, have the history on its side to pull off the upset.
Arizona Cardinals have everything to prove in 2025 NFL season
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
