The New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions meet on Sunday with Chase Young and Penei Sewell identified as the biggest matchup in the game. It is the kind of one-on-one battle that can decide whether a pass rush gets home or disappears into the pocket.
Young arrives with momentum. In 2025, he played in 12 games, posted a career high in sacks and matched his career second-best total with 15 quarterback hits, a sign that offenses had to account for him on nearly every snap. He is also entering his first season as a Saints team captain, which only sharpens the expectation that he will help set the tone when the Saints line up against the Lions.
Sewell is the reason the matchup carries so much weight. He is a four-time pro-bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro who has mainly played right tackle in the NFL, but on Sunday he will make his first professional start as a blindside blocker. He played left tackle in college, and last month he said he wanted the change handled as soon as possible, while also acknowledging that he knew it would not happen that quickly.
That adjustment matters because Sewell’s résumé and his recent pass-protection numbers do not point in the same direction. He ranked outside the top 40 in pass-block win rate last year, and an NFL coordinator told that he “doesn't win a lot in pass protection against real guys, just like everyone else.” That is a harsh way to frame a player of Sewell’s stature, but it also explains why this switch is being watched so closely. The left side asks for different timing, different angles and a different feel, and there is a real question about how comfortable he will be there when Young comes off the edge.
For the Saints, the matchup is bigger than one sack chance. Young’s pressure can force the pocket to move and open space for the rest of the line, which is why the attention he draws has become part of the story around him. For the Lions, Sewell’s first start as the blindside protector is a test of whether a decorated tackle can make the transition cleanly against one of the league’s most watched rushers. Sunday will not answer every question about the switch, but it will show quickly whether the Saints can turn that edge into an advantage.
