Week 2 of the preseason will probably be a lot like the first for the Saints, but will any of the faces change?
The Saints and Packers have already gotten a good bit familiar over two days of joint practices, and that action will be taken onto Lambeau Field to close out the week in a rare Friday kickoff.
With only two more preseason chances, a good number of players will still be looking to claim a spot on the active roster. With that in mind, here are the five things I'm watching most closely in Week 2.
━━━━
1. WHO ALL IS OUT THERE?
This one's a bit obvious, but it's still important. Several Saints players seemed to get nicked up this week (think James Hurst, Dwayne Washington and Alontae Taylor). Will they go at all? How about the veterans like Alvin Kamara, Mike Thomas, Cam Jordan, Mark Ingram and so on? We'll have to wait and see.
But we'll learn something whether they're out there or not. If AK plays, those are the reps you'd better win. If he's not, then you get to see one of the other three contenders for a roster slot behind the first-team offensive line. The same will be true again, as it was last week, if Pete Werner and Demario Davis miss action. That feels likely.
Taking attendance is never exciting, but it's important.
━━━━
2. HOW TREVOR PENNING RESPONDS
Pro Football Focus might have given Trevor Penning a 90.9 rating, but there was more than enough questionable tape to have kept the rookie busy throughout the week. We always knew he was going to be a monster in the run game, and the size/athleticism combo is impressive any way you slice it. But pass protection is a lot more technical. Technique, recognition, reaction. It all comes into play, and Penning has to show he's picking that up.
The other element? If Hurst's foot injury keeps him out, It'll have to be Penning climbing in there to block Green Bay's first-team front (or however much of it plays). We'll see exactly where he is if that's the case.
━━━━
3. SHOW ME SOME RUN DEFENSE
Making a 4th-round rookie look like a future star in his first career NFL action isn't an ideal scenario for anyone. But that's exactly what happened, with Dameon Pierce ripping off 49 yards in just five carries (that's a clean 9.8 yards a carry). The defense held up well against the rest of Houston's running back roster, but I'm still not convinced.
Neither Aaron Jones or AJ Dillon saw action in Green Bay's opener and I don't know if they'll be in this one. But Malcolm Roach, Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street and company have to show they can hold up in the run game, because lockdown corners don't have quite as much an impact if you're getting shredded on the ground.
There is one caveat: David Onyemata didn't play in the preseason opener (see No. 1), and he'll change a lot of the equation for that group. I'd still like to see the depth be more effective, though.
Related
━━━━
4. CAN ANDY DALTON DO IT AGAIN?
I wish this Andy Dalton note could be a Jameis Winston note, but his chances to get out there are slim to none, based on what his head coach said on Wednesday. That means the Red Rocket, or rifle, or whatever his arm represents these days gets another shot to lead the first-team offense.
Last week without Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Alvin Kamara or Mark Ingram (see No. 1) the veteran QB marched down the field on the team's opening possession and punched the ball in on a screen to Dwayne Washington. It's hard to do much better than that.
If he can repeat that performance this week, it'll just add more and more confidence to the idea that Dalton could lead this team to positive results if he does end up being needed. We'll also get some looks at the WRs to see if there's any development there. Reports are that Chris Olave was getting open at will in joint practices. A big moment in the rookie's direction would be nice to see.
It'd still be nice to see Jameis back at some point this preseason, but knowing the offense he's coming back to is firing on all cylinders is undoubtedly a good thing.
Related
━━━━
5. ABRAM SMITH FUMBLE?
I'd like to see more Abram Smith earlier in the game, but I'm not sure we'll get it. I thought the rookie looked the most explosive. He ran with power, his hands looked solid. The run he fumbled on would've been impressive had he hit the ground with the ball in his hands. I don't think one mistake like that gets held against you. But if it happens again, both start to be even more concerning, because you didn't learn from your mistake.
And defenders trying to punch out the ball is a fact of life in the NFL. This is a game where Abram can show that he's not a fumble-prone player. If he can do that I think he's got a legitimate shot to make the roster. The touch share was virtually even in Week 1, too. Each running back touched the ball between 8 and 12 times. How that skews this week will be important information.
━━
Check out our new podcast Inside Black & Gold, wherever you get your podcasts. LINKS: Apple | Spotify | Audacy ... remember to rate and subscribe!