Preseason game No. 1 is in the books. The Saints lost the exhibition opener 17-13 at the hands of the Houston Texans.
It wasn’t all good and it wasn’t all bad, but here are three players that either helped or hurt their cause to make the team or earn a starting job.
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HELPED
LB Chase Hansen
He’s been in and out of the Saints organization for the past three seasons since entering the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin. New Orleans liked him a lot over the last three years but could not keep him healthy. Hansen even made the Saints active roster in 2020 only to have his season cut short due to injury. The 29-year-old recorded two tackles for a loss and an interception against Houston. Not bad for a guy that signed with the Saints less than a week ago.
WR Dai’Jean Dixon
The Nicholls State product snagged three receptions for 33 yards in his professional debut. Dixon looks like he belongs. He is not flashy. He's not going to wow people, but he will quietly catch the ball and move the chains. Dixon is a player to watch as a practice squad candidate.
TE Juwan Johnson
He was only targeted once in the passing game, a ball that was tipped up for an interception, but he made an impact on special teams. He logged the first special teams tackle of the game, and that's where he's going to have to make an impact. That definitely helped his cause.
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HURT
WR Tre’Quan Smith
Tre had better start flashing and it better be soon. Smith is quickly sliding down the depth chart at a stacked wide receiver group. Right now, he is the sixth best receiver on the team and that is debatable. Smith had a touchdown pass go right off his hands in the loss to the Texans. That cannot happen in the NFL. He's very much on the bubble right now.
RB Abram Smith
The fastest way for a running back to end up in the doghouse of the head coach is putting the ball on the ground. That is what Smith did against Houston. Baylor's single-season rushing leader had a crucial fumble inside the 5-yard line, a moment that helped Houston flip the result in the final seconds. “You are taking points off the board,” explained the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert. “That is how the coaches will look at it.”
LT Trevor Penning
By no means am I suggesting that Penning is on the roster bubble -- not a chance. But Penning is a long way off before the Saints can count on him at left tackle. If you took the time to watch Penning you will see what I’m talking about. In the run game, he is going to be just fine. He is physical and nasty. In the passing game, not so much. Penning has struggled throughout camp in pass protection and that held true against the Texans. With time and patience, he will be fine. Veteran James Hurst will be the starting LT Week 1 vs Atlanta.
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Lagniappe: We are over the hump of the first preseason game. Up next, it is off to Green Bay for a week of joint practices with the Packers ahead of Friday night’s preseason game No. 2. The Saints will travel to title town on Monday and practice against the cheese heads Tuesday and Wednesday. This might be the most telling part of camp. The Packers are one of the teams in the NFC that will have a say about who represents the conference in the Super Bowl. Football is here … ain’t it cool? (Yes, that's a Broken Arrow reference)