Saints Face Second Disputed Fumble Ruling in Three Weeks

The New Orleans Saints fell to 1-2 after a 35-27 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, a game that ended with the Saints sideline questioning a quarterback fumble ruling for the second time this season, according to ESPN.

The Raiders improved to 3-0 with the win, according to ESPN's reporting on the game. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game to tight end Noah Fant, per ESPN video from the contest, but the offensive output was not enough to offset the loss.

What happened when the Saints hosted the Raiders?

ESPN reported that New Orleans left Sunday's 35-27 defeat "just as confused about the application of the call as they were in Week 1," a reference to a disputed fumble ruling that has now surfaced twice in the Saints' first three games of the season. The network did not detail the specific in-game sequence beyond noting that the ruling again went against New Orleans.

"The Saints (1-2) walked away from Sunday's game, a 35-27 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders (3-0), just as confused about the application of the call as they were in Week 1." — ESPN, Sept. 27, 2026

How did the quarterback fumble rule apply in Week 1?

The first disputed call came in New Orleans' Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions, per ESPN. Saints edge rusher Chase Young sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff, and the ensuing fumble was picked up and returned for a touchdown on the field. Officials overturned that ruling and instead called the play an incomplete pass, citing what ESPN described as a "little-known" application of the quarterback fumble rule. ESPN's account of the review's technical basis was cut off in the material reviewed for this report, so the precise rule language cannot be independently confirmed here.

Why do two calls in three weeks matter for the 1-2 Saints?

Two disputed rulings inside a three-game sample is a small dataset, but it is not zero. New Orleans has now had a scoring or field-position outcome overturned or disputed in one of every three games played this season, based on the two incidents ESPN has reported — the Week 1 Lions game and Sunday's Raiders loss. Whether that reflects a pattern in how officials are applying the rule to Saints defenders, or simple variance in a league that plays hundreds of snaps a week, is not something the available reporting resolves.

Data box: Saints through three weeks

• Record: 1-2, per ESPN
• Sunday's final score vs. Las Vegas: 35-27, per ESPN
• Raiders record after the win: 3-0, per ESPN
• Shough-to-Fant touchdown passes in the Raiders game: 4th touchdown pass of the game, per ESPN video caption dated Sept. 27, 2026

Timeline: two calls, two losses

• Week 1: Saints edge rusher Chase Young sacks Lions QB Jared Goff; the fumble is recovered and returned for a touchdown on the field, then overturned to an incomplete pass, per ESPN.
• Sept. 27, 2026: Saints host the Raiders. Tyler Shough throws his fourth touchdown pass of the game to Noah Fant. New Orleans loses 35-27, and ESPN reports a second disputed fumble ruling goes against the Saints. New Orleans falls to 1-2; Las Vegas improves to 3-0.

What are the Saints watching for next?

ESPN's report does not include on-record player or coach reaction beyond describing the team as confused, so no direct quotes from the New Orleans locker room are available in the source material reviewed.

What to watch

• Whether the NFL officiating office issues any public clarification on the quarterback fumble rule as applied in the Raiders game, following its handling of the Week 1 Lions play.
• Whether Tyler Shough's four-touchdown performance against Las Vegas becomes a recurring workload as New Orleans' offense develops.
• Whether New Orleans' 1-2 start, with two disputed officiating sequences in three games, becomes a talking point in league officiating reviews later in the season.

ESPN's original report, including full game details, is available at the originating story.