The New Orleans Saints' preseason slate is in the books. Do we have all the answers?
Not quite. Kellen Moore is leaving us on the hook for the QB1 decision until "some point next week," so the debate can rage outside the building as they come to an accord within it. Did Spencer Rattler do enough? Will a TD drive be enough to give rookie Tyler Shough the reins? How about the other roster battles?
We'll dive into all of that and more in today's stock up, stock down column following the Saints' 28-19 loss to the Broncos, and we'll also continue our three points segment on the QBs. Let's get to it.
THREE POINTS (on the QBs)
1. Rattler did enough
I went into this game feeling, despite a host of unhelpful head coach press conference answers, that Spencer Rattler had this job well in hand. Still, without an official announcement the pressure was on.
He didn't need to perform miracles, but I did need him to land the plane, to get the car safely into the garage, to ... you get the idea. He was getting sent out there with the first team offense in what was effectively a dress rehearsal.
I think an extended drive for a touchdown would've just about slammed the door. We didn't get that. What we saw were a pair of quality drive starts followed by negative plays that shut things down ahead of Blake Grupe field goals. The first wasn't on Rattler (Juwan Johnson hold). The second very much was (a ball behind a wide open Rashid Shaheed). Less than perfect, but well above the floor. The key word is "enough." I thought he operated the offense well and as Rattler was saying on the sideline, they were "one play away," multiple times. There were no turnovers. I think the performance is just indicative of an offense that will have a hard time overcoming mistakes.
Related
Rattler's final line was 5-8 for 43 yards on his three drives, which can be compared to Shough's line of 12-20 for 102 yards, TD and fumble lost. The touchdown drive was certainly a big moment for the rookie, but it's worth noting it came on Tyler's fourth drive. If he'd been pulled after three, his line would've been 6-12 for 57 yards with drives resulting in a 52-yard field goal, a 3 and out and a fumble lost. I liked the idea to leave him in to make something happen, but Spencer would probably argue he'd have done the same with one more opportunity.
My goal from the start with Shough was for the Saints to put him in the best position to succeed. In the end it comes down to whether you believe that sitting and waiting at the NFL level can benefit a rookie. I definitely believe it, and I think the team believes it. The question going in, at least as far as I saw it, was whether you had a viable bridge option. I think Spencer has shown that you do, and I think he now gets his opportunity to never give the job back. Let's see what he does with it.
2. STOP ... DROPPING ... THE BALL
One of the valid arguments for Shough to win the job is that with a little help he'd probably have way better numbers. There was the Chris Olave drop on a promising drive against the Jaguars that bogged down for a field goal. Today there were two more awful drops. The first was on his initial field goal drive on a bubble screen look to Kevin Austin that hit him in the hands. Even on the touchdown drive there was an ugly drop by Cedrick Wilson. I'm sure there will be more moments that stick out in film review.
That's not to say the supporting cast has been perfect for Rattler, either, but it just makes for a difficult evaluation of a rookie. All you can look at are decisions and I think both QBs have done well in that regard.
3. BO NIX ENERGY?
One of the things I've seen from Bo Nix in the NFL that I wasn't quite prepared for is just how good he is at extending plays. It's an elite trait that can be tough to project to the pro game, but one that he's used to great success against the Saints in both meetings. Both of Rattler and Shough can move well, but they do it differently. Shough is more straight line speed and doesn't typically look to get upfield when he's extending plays. Rattler, on the other hand, is much quicker to pull the ball down and run.
Both styles are valuable and the best QBs can do both well. At times I sense that Rattler gets a bit frantic when trying to extend behind the line of scrimmage and he's often better off taking the free yards. It doesn't help that everyone seems to be slipping on the turf lately. Conversely, I think Shough is at his best when he's using his legs to extend a play as a passer. We saw that today when he spun out of a tackle on a 3rd and 5 but didn't look to run. Instead he slung a ball sidearm out to Devin Neal at the edge of the field and let the rookie back make a play. They talk about the QB playing like a point guard, that's the vibe I saw there.
We saw Shough's legs on his touchdown, but those runs are going to come more on schedule with the offense. Shough's prototypical QB size doesn't hurt, either. Remember that QB sneak that got nowhere? Something tells me the bigger guy will have an advantage in those situations.
The most interesting part is that I don't know which play style is actually better suited for this version of the Saints.
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STOCK DOWN
OL depth
Man, things are getting ugly on the offensive line and the games haven't even started yet. First it was Will Clapp. He's done for the year with a foot issue. Next was Trevor Penning, who could be seen on the sideline for this game in a walking boot. I wouldn't overreact to the visual, but it seems like a pretty far step from that stage to playing football in two weeks. Hopefully we don't need to add Taliese Fuaga to that list. He's currently dealing with what's been descirbed as a minor knee issue.
But this week it was swing Landon Young who went down with an ankle injury. You never want to guess about this type of thing, but a tough guy was down in a lot of pain and had to be carted to the locker room. That's typically not good.
All that is to say that the Saints are suddenly razor thin at multiple OL spots and I think they've got some work to do when the rest of the NFL's cuts roll through. They did add Luke Fortner as center depth, but if they had to play without either starting OT for any stretch of time they'd be in huge trouble. I don't like that, not one bit.
Short-yardage offense
I asked Kellen Moore if the decision to go for it on 4th down in his team's own territory in this game was a product of trying things in the preseason or simply being aggressive, and his answer led me to believe that won't be a one-off. I expect some bold decision-making in those situations.
The problem is I wasn't impressed one bit with how the Saints ran that play. There was no push whatsoever and Rattler just doesn't have the size to create space on his own. Considering the success the Eagles had with short-yardage plays, I'm not surprised Kellen isn't fond of punting on a 4th and short ... but if he wants to keep doing it, they better find some time in practice to get it right.
Virtual anything
I'm not sure there's an NFL gameday change that I've found less helpful than the new virtual measurements system. It serves no viable purpose other than eliminating the chain gang, takes significantly longer and is far less entertaining.
Remember that short-yardage play above? It took about 10 minutes longer than it should've as we waited for the boring graphic to appear on the screen and signal a first down (yay). The problem? Well, it's that the actual problem wasn't fixed, in that the refs are still incapable of spotting the ball correctly. They have to do that by hand without the assistance of cameras. Sean Payton challenged that part of the equation and won, forcing the to move the ball back a half yard. They then didn't actually use the virtual measurement system to show the distance. The Saints ran a tush-push-looking sneak, which seemed like it should've been another opportunity to measure. They didn't, it was ruled short and the Broncos took over.
At one point I actually heard fans booing the DECISION to measure, not even the ruling. That's where we are.
It's the perfect example of trying to fix something that wasn't broken in the hopes that people might forget the actual, glaring issue that can't be solved. Stop wasting everyone's time.
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STOCK UP
Devin Neal
Missing multiple weeks with injury certainly wasn't how Devin Neal wanted to start his NFL career, but that's been the case for the 6th round pick since he tweaked his hamstring in the team's first scrimmage of the offseason.
He missed two opportunities to make his case in the preseason, all while watching a heated RB competition from afar. He finally got his opportunity today and didn't disappoint, running for a team high 20 yards on five carries, and picking up his QB with a 9-yard scamper on a broken play.
But don't take my word for it, here's his head coach:
"It was great for Devin to get in there," Moore said. "I thought from a protection standpoint, pass-catching, run game, I thought he had a couple on that drive with Tyler late in the game ... he had some big-time plays and you can just tell he's a really smart player, he's a really heady player. He did some good things for us."
Those are the type of things you want your coach to be saying about you publicly as cutdowns loom.
First-team defense
Coverage got a bit sketchy at points, but I couldn't have been happier with what I saw from the first-team defense. The front-seven got after it. They hit, they pursued, they kept Nix off-balance. The SaInts shifted late into a pressure look on the first third down and forced a Broncos delay of game penalty as the young QB tried to adjust.
Chase Young and Carl Granderson look ready to roll, and while Cam Jordan might not be at his peak, he's still an impressive guy to roll in as a third option. Bryan Bresee also got through for a pressure that helped force a 3 and out.
It would've been nice to see the Saints get off the field on 4th down, and there was a weak penalty called on Demario Davis that extended a drive, but considering this was the first real look we got at that group as a whole, I was very impressed.
Oh, and Ugo Amadi blitzes always seem to work. I can't help but wonder if it's because he's small and difficult to spot behind the line. I just need him to wrap up the QB when he gets there.
Depth DBs
I went into this game hoping to see starting-caliber play out of some young defensive backs, and I came away impressed with both Rezjohn Wright and Quincy Riley. Wright led the team in tackles (9) and had a pass defensed. He's just always battling and nothing comes easy.
Riley also had a pass defensed and pulled down an interception on a poorly executed screen in the second half. Some guys just have a gift for being around the ball and I think he's one of them.
I think there could be a point in this season where you have to turn to one or both of those guys and I'm happy with what I saw in this game.
LAGNIAPPE
It feels weird to not have Blake Grupe as a stock up player, but that's only because my stock has been through the roof for a while now. The Saints have one of the NFL's best and most consistent kickers and it's really not a debate. Another three makes today from 56, 49 and 48. The only thing we haven't seen from him is a game-winning type kick, but I have no doubts about that, either. He might set records this season. The most kicks ever made by a Saints player in any season is 32 (Wil Lutz, 2019). My bet is he blows that record out of the water. ... There was only one punt in this game and I wouldn't call it spectacular, but it sure looks like Kai Kroeger is the punter. He got the lone attempt in this one and held on all three of Blake Grupe's kicks. I wouldn't be shocked if the team goes with Mr. Outside Hire once cuts come through, but for now I think Kai is the guy. ... Kendre Miller continued to look solid, even if his teammates refuse to stop holding while he's doing it. He went for 15 yards on 3 carries and is the clear RB2 in this conversation. He's healthy, hopefully he can finally build some momentum as a pro. ... Treyton Welch is clearly a favorite target of Tyler Shough and he was targeted twice today, once on a 21-yard gain where the defense dropped the coverage and another on a jump ball opportunity that he couldn't come down with. I don't know if Welch makes the roster, but being a favorite of the young QB and presumptive future starter isn't a bad thing. ... Charlie Smyth made his lone kick, this time from 52. He's 4-for-4 in the preseason and still has a monster leg. He'll land on the practice squad if no other team decides he's worth a waiver claim.