The New Orleans Saints had a very up-and-down first game of the season, but I think what surprised me most was the lack of impact from the rookies. Maybe I was a bit too confident in the Saints’ use of these players, but it was an overall quiet day from the first-year players, aside from maybe two who stood out.
Week 2 may be different, and if the Saints want to win, it should be.
DT Christen Miller
On the Saints roster, Christen Miller had to overcome both Davon Godchaux and Nathen Shepherd in front of him, but he still
got on the field against the Lions. Godchaux didn’t have a great game, and Shepherd made some plays here and there, but I saw no reason Miller wouldn’t be on the field. He did have a hold in the game, which was the main knock, but overall, he looked strong and performed well enough to consider playing him more.
Against the Baltimore Ravens, Miller’s strenght and run defense are a necessity. RB Derrick Henry is inevitable. Stopping him is one of the most difficult things to do in the NFL, and it doesn’t help that Lamar Jackson is back there with the threat of running himself. Miller must see the field more.
TE Oscar Delp
Delp didn’t play in Week 1 because of his hamstring injury, and it looked like the Saints missed him. Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant both made plays in the air, but Delp’s blocking would have helped a lot. There were a couple of plays where Johnson’s blocking could have been better (although it wasn’t bad blocking), and moments where Treyton Welch did struggle holding blocks. Of course, we haven’t had consistency from Delp in the air, but I do think his presence would have changed the game a bit.
Now for the Ravens matchup, I’m not sure Delp plays. Hamstrings are tricky, and the group of three that played against the Lions were not bad, just could have been better.
OG Jeremiah Wright
Wright also didn’t play in Week 1, but it was because Cesar Ruiz started in front of him. This will be a bit more about Ruiz and why a change could be made. Nothing on Sunday showed us that the improvements Mickey Loomis noted at the end of last season happened. Ruiz struggled in run blocking, was pushed back multiple times in pass protection, and was just flat-out beat throughout the game. To give Ruiz a compliment, he was a bit more consistent as a pass protector, just not where the Saints want him to be.
I doubt a change will be made anytime soon; I just wanted to note that with Wright having a great end to the preseason, the Saints may want to see what they have in the rookie.
WRs Bryce Lance
Although Lance wasn’t listed as WR3 entering this game, he played like it, and the Saints put him in that role early in the matchup. They must have seen something to know Lance would be the better fit against this Lions defense, and it worked. Lance got open in the short game, had some nice run-after-the-catch moments, blocked well, and made one of the day’s biggest plays, converting a massive fourth-and-long.
It’s going to be a more difficult matchup against the Ravens, but Lance may be the perfect WR3 option to make the tough catches when needed, similar to Devaughn Vele
WR Barion Brown
Barion Brown’s inclusion in the offense was probably the surprise of the day. The rookie, after a really impressive preseason, did not play much. He had one handoff that went for a short gain, but that was about it. I do wonder if the Lions just really played him well and Lance was just the better fit for this matchup. The questionable moments happened on the kick returns, which were not great.
The Ravens’ secondary is very good, and with head coach Jesse Minter being defensively focused, I think this could be another quiet game from Brown.
OT Mason Murphy
Murphy was a healthy scratch against the Lions, and that should be the case again in Week 2.
Injured players:
- WR Jordyn Tyson
- DB Lorenzo Styles Jr.
