The New Orleans Saints take the field on Friday for the final dress rehearsal of the preseason in a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. This matchup should not turn into the Royal Rumble that took place last week during the joint practice session between the two teams.
The Saints are coming into the game following one of their worst performances of the preseason. The Saints gave Zach Wilson the opportunity to start last week vs. the Rams, and his play was not that inspiring. Rattler finished the game,
although his wasn’t much better.
Kellen Moore said that Tyler Shough and most of the starters will sit out of this game, which is wise given the growing number of injuries, as it’s best to have them ready for Week 1 vs. Detroit.
Wilson and Rattler are both competing for the No. 2 spot, and so far, neither one of them has really taken the job. Wilson had his moments against the Jaguars, but the regression that took place against the Rams has to be noticed. Rattler hasn’t been terrible, but he also has not been good.
Rattler finished the game against the Rams 14-of-23 for 141 yards with an interception that was returned 100 yards. So, his interception was returned for nearly the same amount of yardage that he threw for. Wilson finished the day with six completions on 12 attempts for 55 yards and an interception as well.
The confidence in the backups is not high right now, but this week will be an opportunity for them to show that last week was a fluke and not the norm.
As for the Cowboys, they are locked into a backup quarterback battle as well. However, there seems to be more confidence in their backup situation, as Joe Milton and Sam Howell are apparently “neck and neck” in that race, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer on Monday.
Schottenheimer said that over the past two games, Milton has played beautifully and Howell has made some really good plays as well. The two quarterbacks have alternated the starting role over the past two weeks, so it will be interesting to see who gets the nod against the Saints if Prescott is held out.
In his start last week against the Cardinals, Milton finished 9-of-13 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns while adding another touchdown on the ground. Not to mention, he had zero turnovers. Howell, on the other hand, finished that game 7-of-10 for 65 yards with one interception.
In the game vs. Seattle, Milton finished 12-of-15 for 107 yards and one touchdown. Howell finished 8-of-12 for 94 yards and one touchdown. Both finished with nearly identical passer ratings in that game, with Milton at 118.6 and Howell at 118.1.
The Cowboys are undefeated so far in the preseason, and their quarterback play is a big reason why.
Can the Saints get what would be their first and only win of the preseason in the finale on Friday and put a blemish on the Cowboys’ preseason record?
In order to accomplish that, the quarterback play for the Saints needs to step up and remain consistent throughout the entire game. It should be a fun game in Dallas.
