The New Orleans Saints got a chance to test themselves against another team on Thursday, and one thing became clear: The defenses were in control.
Chase Young in particular had a dominant day against the Rams offense with multiple would-be sacks and three pass breakups. The Saints also had three interceptions, including a third consecutive practice with an interceptions for safety Julian Blackmon. The performance had the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert feeling very positive about that side of the ball.
"I’d say both defenses won, but overall I think our players we expect to make plays made plays," Hebert told Mike Detillier and Steve Geller on WWL. "Chase Young, I mean, was dominant. He’d have had like three sacks. He had three pass breakups, and then looking at Demario Davis, he’s flying around like it was definitely gameday for him, so he was dominant."
Hear the full interview with Bobby Hebert in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Hebert also highlighted strong days for DT Nathan Shepherd and edge rushers Chris Rumph and Fadil Diggs.
Things were similar for the Rams defense, which harassed the Saints QBs for three sacks and stuffed the run for the majority of practice. Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener did avoid any turnovers, though, and both Rattler and Shough found long TD passes on the day. Rattler's was a 50-yard deep ball that he dropped in the bucket to Rashid Shaheed, and Shough's was a well-placed ball on a crossing route that Mason Tipton took and outran defenders for a 60-yard TD. Shough also led a 2-minute drive to end the practice for what would've been a 43-yard game-winning field goal attempt based on the situation.
Still, the way camp has progressed, it's sure feeling like the defense will have to keep scoring low throughout the season for the Saints to win games. More days like Thursday will be needed.
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“Definitely has to be under 20 points, and that should be enough, winning defense, but being realistic, I’m saying right now, I hope 16 or less. … I know, it looks like we’d be — I don’t know, just watching, there’s explosive plays," Hebert continued. "We watched Tom Brady and Drew Brees and just like, man, this game would be very entertaining. I don’t know, today looked like the practice, and it was highly competitive. It was just for the defense, I don’t know, it’d have been a 13-10 type of game."
The practice wrapped up the California swing for the Saints, who will head home on Friday ahead of a Week 2 preseason matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the 83-play joint practice, a large number of veterans will be expected to sit out again, but the quarterback competition will continue in earnest.
"We’re gonna see what happens Sunday, is that we’d better be in low-scoring games or we’re not gonna win for sure," Hebert said "I just don’t see us being in a shootout ever to win, so we’re gonna have to kick butt and then be opportunistic taking away the football.”