After weeks of training camp practice, it's finally time for something resembling full-speed tackle football. I know I'm ready.
And hopefully that's the case for a host of Saints players heading into a prime opportunity to make their case for a roster spot. This will likely be the biggest chunk of playing time to battle out for those depth spots, it can't be wasted.
My top-five pregame notes/questions:
- No Jameis Winston, and Andy Dalton likely won't see a ton of action. This will be (mostly) the Ian Book show, and it's on him to prove he has what it takes to be a trusted backup and force the team to keep a third QB.
- Watch closely for the RB pecking order. I don't expect to see Alvin Kamara or Mark Ingram, and if they do play it'll be minimal. Keep an eye on who comes out of the pack of Devine Ozigbo, Tony Jones Jr., Abram Smith and Dwayne Washington first. The player who shines the brightest today will have taken a major step forward in that positional race.
- These games will be the chance for James Hurst to lock down the starting LT spot. If he struggles, that could open the door for Trevor Penning.
- Can Dai'Jean Dixon or Kirk Merritt do enough to force the Saints to keep them around?
- Who steps forward at linebacker with Demario Davis, Pete Werner and Zack Baun likely inactive?
Related
Scroll down the page for how to watch, stream or listen to the game, the live score, updates and top plays from Monday Night Football in Week 7.
THE GAME | PRESEASON WEEK 1
WHO: Saints (0-0) at Texans (0-0)
WHERE: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
WHEN: 7 p.m. (central)
TV: FOX
LISTEN: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3 & the Audacy app
━━━━
THE SCORE
Refresh page for latest updates
━━━━
THE HIGHLIGHTS
WE SEE YOU, TONY.
The tweet says it all.
━━
HANSEN GETS ONE BACK
Yep, Chase Hansen had a solid day.
━━
TURNOVERS ARE KILLERS
It was a rough start for Ian Book, and it particularly stung in a setting where it felt like he needed to stand out. His first drive ended on an overthrow to a wide-open Juwan Johnson that the TE tipped up for an interception.
On the next drive it was a fumbled exchange with backup center Nick Martin. Oof.
━━
ANDY TO DWAYNE. IMPRESSIVE.
Patience is a virtue, and it paid off for Dwayne Washington on a short screen pass for the opening touchdown of the preseason. One drive for Andy Dalton, one TD. Hard to complain about that.
━━
MARQUEZ & TRE'QUAN LOOK GOOD
If you're relying on Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith to be your top two receivers, you might be in trouble. But as depth options? It's hard to find a better WR4/5 option out there. That was the case on the first drive, when they both caught a third-down pass to convert for a first down.
Check back for updates throughout the game.