Preseason began for the New Orleans Saints with a 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. The Saints had some very good moments in jumping out to a 20-6 halftime lead. However, the Jaguars outscored New Orleans by an 18-0 margin in the second half to come away with the win. While the final score and winner/loser doesn't matter, it is worth paying attention to several factors in the game itself. As the Saints near closer to the games that count, here are some players who had thumbs up and thumbs down performances from their preseason opener.
Thumbs up
- Bub Means
- Michael Heldman
- Zach Wilson
- Jaylan Ford
- Jayden Price
Means put everyone on notice that he's very much a factor to win a receiving spot with the Saints. All in the first half, Means caught 4 of his 5 targets for a game-high 77 yards, including a catch for 37 yards and one for 28 yards that set up a touchdown pass from Zach Wilson to Oscar Delp. Rookie wideouts Jordyn Tyson, Barion Brown, and Bryce Lance have been getting the early training camp headlines. Brown had a good game of his own with 4 catches for 53 yards. At least against Jacksonville and with a good start to camp of his own, Bub Means is very much in the mix for a receiver role.
Michael Heldman and Garrett Nelson were both disruptive on the edge through the first half against the Jaguars. Nelson had a few pressures along with a sack and was a handful for blockers. Fadil Diggs contributed a sack of his own. It was Heldman who was the team's star at the position though, as the undrafted rookie had 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss among 6 total stops. Both Heldman and Nelson left with minor injuries, but each showed that they shouldn't be overlooked as potential members of the New Orleans edge rusher rotation.
Zach Wilson showed that he isn't going to concede the backup quarterback position to Spencer Rattler without a fight. Wilson was sharp, completing 11 of 16 throws for 145 yards and a touchdown. He moved the team well, seemed to have a solid grasp of the offense, and most importantly looked for plays down the field and hit some of those throws with accuracy. As he tries to jump-start his own career, Wilson closed the gap significantly in the backup quarterback battle.
Jaylan Ford flashed the best football of his short NFL career. Ford had 8 tackles along with an impressive interception, all in the first half. He moved to the play decisively and showed nice open field agility, both traits he excelled in with the Texas Longhorns. With linebackers Kaden Elliss, Pete Werner, and Danny Stutsman all on the sideline, Ford staked his claim to one of the the team's remaining linebacker spots.
Jayden Price carried his standout training camp showings into the first preseason outing. Price had a first half interception and stood up very well in coverage. The former UFL star is solidifying a role in the Saints defensive backfield. Veteran cornerback Martin Emerson had a good outing too, but Price is playing like he could very well steal a spot from one of the other veterans.
Thumbs down
- Spencer Rattler
- Moliki Matavao
- Torricelli Simpkins
- Charlie Smyth
Rattler continued to be Rattler; a solid practice player who rarely gets things done in a game. He completed 8 of 11 passes, but for a woeful 42 yards and 5.25 per completion. Rattler continues to show poor pocket awareness and an inability to read defenses consistently. He was sacked twice and lost a fumble, but often doesn't even look for plays down the field. It's still fairly early, but Zach Wilson may have taken the lead in the battle for the number two quarterback.
Moliki Matavao did not make a strong case for the Saints to keep four tight ends. Matavao has looked good as a blocker and has made some nice catches in practices. He did neither against the Jaguars, struggling to gain advantages as a blocker and failing to gain separation for his quarterbacks.
Torricelli Simpkins is another who failed in his first game opportunity to show that the Saints had some competent offensive line depth. New Orleans quarterbacks were sacked 4 times and too often rushed, while Saints backs averaged less than 3.5 yards per carry. Simpkins was only one of a line that generally played inconsistently at best. But, with the loss of veteran Dillon Radunz for the year, Simpkins did little to make anyone believe that the team shouldn't look for additional interior offensive line help.
Charlie Smyth looks like he's fallen behind Tanner Brown in the kicker battle. Smyth hit both of his extra points, but missed a 52-yard field goal. Yes, it was a long attempt, but it was inside and merely compounds the recent struggles he's had in practice. Smyth, along with the rest of the team, now have two more preseason games and more training camp to either reverse their fortune from the Jacksonville performance or strengthen their push for a roster spot for those who played well.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Thumbs up, thumbs down from Saints' preseason loss vs. Jaguars