Up: QB2 battle
Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson each had significantly better days on Friday night after, to say it nicely, terrible showings against the Los Angeles Rams. Rattler finished the day completing 8-of-his-10 pass attempts for 79 yards. Rattler also logged an 8-yard rushing touchdown. Wilson had a solid day as well, completing 9/12 passes for 93 yards.
The decision on QB2 will be important, but not an easy choice. Wilson looked great in the team’s preseason debut, but Rattler has slowly fought back. No
matter who earns the job, strong showings from each of the young passers give the team more confidence heading into the regular season.
Up: Run game
New Orleans had a better day running the ball in the win against the Cowboys after struggling against the Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Saints ended the day with 169 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
While the running backs did have a good day, it was Rattler and wide receiver Barion Brown who first added to the team’s rushing touchdown total, before newly acquired Zamir White was the first running back to find the end zone.
Kendre Miller continued his strong preseason showing, rushing for 42 yards on 9 attempts. Audric Estime continued his push to make the 53-man roster, adding 46 yards on the ground on 4 carries, including a 33-yard rush. Finally, White added 23 yards on 4 carries.
The run game will be a big factor for the Saints in the upcoming season, and their lack of a run game during the preseason has been a concern. With Kellen Moore calling plays on Friday, the black and gold’s run game looked significantly better.
Up: K Daniel Carlson
The Saints added veteran kicker Daniel Carlson to their kicker battle after Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown struggled and became inconsistent throughout training camp and the preseason. Carlson has been an established kicker in the NFL over the years and looks to be the favorite to win the job for New Orleans.
Carlson opened up scoring for the Saints on the opening drive, making a 38-yard field goal. With less than two minutes remaining, New Orleans looked to the veteran kicker on a 53-yard attempt to give the Saints the lead. Carlson nailed the kick and may have locked up the starting job.
Down: Pass defense
While they started strong, the Saints’ pass defense was poor on Friday. Cowboys quarterbacks finished the day 20/33 for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns. This follows the Saints’ poor performance against the Rams, when they allowed 254 yards.
The Cowboys’ passing offense mostly came alive when Sam Howell took over. The veteran passer ended the day 12/18 for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns for a 130.6 passer rating. Saints defensive backs weren’t terrible, and it was usually better throws than it was bad defense, but a consecutive week of failing to stop the passer raises concern for New Orleans’ secondary depth.
The Saints also logged just two sacks after failing to take down a quarterback against Los Angeles. With a lack of a pass rush and struggles in the secondary, there remains a bit of a concern over defensive depth going into the regular season.
Down: Injuries
The injury list grew in Friday’s win, with linebacker Jaylan Ford, pass rusher Michael Heldman, and Estime leaving the game and not returning. New Orleans has dealt with a laundry list of injuries during training camp, and it unfortunately continued in their preseason finale.
The most important part coming out of training camp and preseason is remaining healthy, and the Saints haven’t been able to do that. With more Saints being kept out of practices and games, injuries were the black and gold’s biggest enemy throughout the preseason.
