The New Orleans Saints are traveling to California to take on the Los Angeles Rams. New Orleans had a busy week, participating in two joint practices, making starters unlikely to appear in the team’s second preseason matchup. Despite a lack of starters, there are still plenty of matchups to keep an eye on for Saturday.
Saints run game vs. Rams run defense
One of my biggest keys to the game is getting the run game going. While an obvious feature of a good offense, it will be a bit more important for the Saints as they look for a potential
RB2 while Alvin Kamara is out with an injury.
The two feature backs for Saturday will be Kendre Miller and Devin Neal, each former draftees who have promising upsides. Both Neal and Miller also missed significant time last season with injuries.
The two young running backs won’t have it easy, however. They’ll be facing one of the better run defenses in the NFL that features plenty of talent. While I doubt Myles Garrett makes an appearance, other stars such as defensive tackle Braden Fiske have found early success in the league and could be a problem for the two young backs.
Despite a tough matchup, Los Angeles allowed 125 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per carry in their preseason opener to the Kansas City Chiefs. While the Saints were on the opposite end of the spectrum, rushing for just 56 yards on 13 attempts. If New Orleans wants to sneak out with a win on Saturday, it would likely come from a strong game from either of their young running backs.
Saints wide receivers vs. Rams secondary
The Saints wide receivers make consecutive appearances in key matchups, this time against the Rams’ rebuilt secondary. With news that Jordyn Tyson will be out for at least the first month of the regular season, an opening for WR3 has become more pivotal.
New Orleans has plenty of prospects hoping to earn that role when the regular season starts. Bub Means and Barion Brown each had strong showings in the team’s first matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Bryce Lance has continued to make plays throughout training camp and joint practices.
While we might not see Trent McDuffie for the Rams, we still may see their other big-money corner in Jaylen Watson and the surging Emmanuel Forbes Jr, who has revived his career a bit with Los Angeles. Facing a strong cornerback room, it will be important to see which wideouts stand out the most.
DE Michael Heldman and DE Garrett Nelson vs. Rams quarterbacks
While this could’ve been the Saints pass rush vs the Rams pass protection, I really wanted to highlight Michael Heldman and Garrett Nelson, each of whom had outstanding games against the Jaguars. Heldman ended the day with 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss, while Nelson had a strong game, logging a sack and tackle for loss himself.
Heldman and Nelson were an unstoppable pass rush duo in the team’s preseason opener and look to continue that success as they work towards making the final 53-man roster.
It won’t be easy, however, as the Rams didn’t allow a single sack in their last preseason matchup. While the offensive line certainly did their jobs, it was quarterback Ty Simpson who made quick and decisive decisions, making it impossible for the pass rush to reach him.
Heldman and Nelson need to follow up their big games with another strong outing, and will have the chance to do it against a young quarterback.
