It's finally that time. A couple of NFL games have already wrapped up in Week 1, but the New Orleans Saints are about to join the party in their season kickoff game with the Detroit Lions. And there's a lot of weight in this one. We've entered Year 2 of the rebuild under head coach Kellen Moore, who found something in second-round quarterback Tyler Shough last season that spurred the Saints into investing big in free agency this spring. Now we're going to see all of that work come together. Will it be enough? Here are four storylines we're watching closely going into Sunday's matchup.
Will a lack of preseason reps matter?
Shough threw just as many passes in the preseason as his Week 1 opponent, Jared Goff: zero. Zilch. Nada. Without a quarterback competition to figure out, Moore
was comfortable keeping Shough and the rest of the starters on the sidelines for their three preseason games. Instead, they got their work in during joint practices with each of those preseason opponents -- a total of more than 150 practice reps, according to Moore. Maybe a couple of dozen reps in the games would have made a difference. Maybe it won't. We're about to find out.
The defense is younger, but are they better?
Cameron Jordan won't be playing in this game (due to an injury). Neither will Demario Davis (after he left in the spring). Tyrann Mathieu is long gone and Isaac Yiadom isn't on the team after being named a Week 1 starter a year ago. The Saints have just three defenders over 30 years of age, and two of them play defensive tackle -- Nathan Shepherd and Davon Godchaux. The only one tasked with covering the middle of the field is Kaden Elliss, who is six years younger than Davis. This group has fresh legs, but does that make up for experience?
What's the impact of the rookie draft class?
Half of the Saints' eight-man rookie draft class won't play on Sunday, including two of their first three picks: first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (injured reserve), third-round tight end Oscar Delp (ruled out with injury), fifth-round safety Lorenzo Styles Jr. (injured reserve), and seventh-round cornerback TJ Hall Jr. (inactive on the practice squad). That's putting high expectations on second-round nose tackle Christen Miller to make some splash plays, but he's expected to back up Godchaux, at least early on. We're confident that wide receivers Bryce Lance and Barion Brown will get some touches, but will fourth-round guard Jeremiah Wright dress out this week as the eighth active offensive lineman?
Was last year's season-opening loss a one-off?
The Saints won six consecutive games in Week 1 before dropping a loss to Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals in Moore's debut. Are slow starts the new normal, or was that just a consequence of so much turnover (and Shough not being ready to start in September)? Competing well against a team with playoff aspirations, like Detroit, is one thing. We need to see if New Orleans can take the field, play mistake-free football, and move with urgency after a sluggish and sloppy start last season.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 4 storylines to watch in Saints at Lions: Do preseason reps matter?
