The Saints showed exactly what they needed to show early on, and despite some shaky moments looked to be the better team. In the end, the meaningless preseason win went to the Texans with a 17-13 result after a go-ahead touchdown inside the final 30 seconds of the preseason opener.
The defense showed out early and dominated the majority of the second half, but came a bit unglued on what turned out to be the Texans' game-winning drive in the final two minutes. But the highlight to remember was the first-team offense methodically driving the field for New Orleans' only touchdown of the day, and some mysteries began to be solved up and down the roster with two preseason contests left to play.
With all that in mind, here are my top-five takeaways after the Saints' preseason opener with a lot more encouragement than disappointment.
1. ANDY DALTON CAN LEAD THIS OFFENSE
Let me start by saying, the ideal scenario is not Andy Dalton serving as the Saints' starting quarterback. But if, like we saw in 2021, that ends up being the case, it won't be the end of the world. Will the offense be as dynamic as it could be with Jameis Winston? Of course not. But it's clear the veteran has the savvy, arm talent and ability to win games across from a stout defense.
That's what we saw in the one drive for Dalton against the Texans. He completed all five of his pass attempts, converted a pair of third downs (Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith) and even scrambled for a 6-yard gain. The drive was capped off by a well-executed screen to Dwayne Washington. Dalton finished with 51 yards passing and a TD.
That drive was bookended by a pair of three-and-outs forced by the Saints defense. As we saw last year, Taysom Hill was able to lead this team to four wins down the stretch with a pared-down offense. If it comes down to it, Dalton can clearly do that as well.
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IAN BOOK HAD A TOUGH GAME
Let's put it this way: This was the second consecutive game that Ian Book began with an interception on his first passing attempt. And while the ball tipping off of Juwan Johnson's hands for an interception is suboptimal, it was a clear miss by Book that caused it. Johnson was wide open, Book had protection and the ball sailed. The athletic TE did his best to go up and get it, but it'd have probably been a challenge for Zion Williamson to make a play on a ball that high.
The next drive ended with another turnover as Book and backup center Nick Martin combined to fumble the snap exchange. It was rough.
Book settled in after that point, aided by some quality running by Tony Jones Jr., and led a drive for a field goal late in the first half. He also showed off his athleticism at points and created some opportunities. He spearheaded a drive that ended with an Abram Smith fumble on the 1-yard line and finished with a line of 15-22 for 121 yards, no TDs and one interception. This felt like an important game for Book to make his case for a spot on the roster. It was shaky at best.
PAULSON ADEBO'S CAMP WAS NOT A MIRAGE
Second-year DB Paulson Adebo's physical and impressive play has been the talk of training camp, but there's always the question of how that translates when it's another team lined up across from you. Adebo did not disappoint.
Starting across from Bradley Roby, he helped torpedo the Texans' initial drive when he blew up a bubble screen as he skirted a block and made an impressive tackle. On the next drive he blanketed a receiver downfield and drew a pushoff that was flagged for offensive pass interference.
The first-team defense, even without stars Marshon Lattimore, Demario Davis, Cam Jordan and several others, looked dominant. It's hard not to be excited about what that group can do with all its pieces.
THE BACKUP OL ... NEEDS WORK
The good news: Even without Ryan Ramczyk, the first-team OL stood tall and protected Andy Dalton as well as could be hoped. James Hurst showed me what I needed to see, and his grip on the starting LT job feels stronger than ever.
The bad news: Two backup tackles struggled mightily as the game wore on. There were multiple reps that saw both LT Trevor Penning and RT Landon Young getting beaten simultaneously as Book ran for his life. Penning was also called for a hold on one of those reps. The Saints offense didn't get much done once the first-team offense left the field, and the protection was a big part of why after the turnovers. The Saints allowed five sacks on the day.
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It's not the end of the world. Landon Young was a 6th-round pick in 2021 and his development is still clearly a work in progress. He drew the start with Ryan Ramczyk inactive. Penning was seeing his first live NFL action, and we knew his learning curve would be a bit steeper considering his FCS roots. He was a bit too antsy to get outside on one rep and got beat inside, and he continued his unhelpful habit of chucking the rusher into his QB’s legs. On another he was beaten clean to the outside. There's still a lot of technique that needs to be cleaned up, and it wasn't all bad for Penning. But it's clear there's some work to do to build the necessary consistency to be a starting NFL tackle.
This will be learning tape for the big rookie, and if there was any question whether he might be on the starting line in Week 1, I think this offered a pretty definitive answer. The real target: If and when he is needed in his rookie season, he'd better have a lot of these issues ironed out.
THE RB3 RACE GETS ITS PECKING ORDER
Dwayne Washington is confident that he can be a traditional rusher in this Saints offense, even with his significant responsibilities on special teams. And it looks like the Saints are ready to give him his chance, at least for one week. He was clearly the featured back in this one, and looked good on the opening drive for a touchdown. He caught two passes and displayed excellent patience to pick his way into the end zone for a 9-yard TD on a screen pass from Andy Dalton.
After that point things got a bit shaky. He managed just 19 yards on his 9 carries, and nearly lost a fumble in the first quarter but was fortunate when the ball bounced back into his hands. It didn't hurt in the game, but it's not something that will get missed on tape. Washington's final carry of the game came on 3rd and short, and he didn't take advantage. It looked like he never really got his feet, and he stumbled into the line and failed to convert. He took some big bites, but left a lot of meat on the bone.
The second back off the bench was Tony Jones Jr., and I'd argue he was the most impressive of the bunch. He ran with power, he broke tackles, he caught a pass, he even returned a kick with a bit more elusiveness than I knew he had in that realm. TJJ finished the game with 27 yards on 7 carries and gave flashbacks to the standout performances that won him a roster spot a year ago. After a rough start to camp I think he's jumped up to the top of my RB3 rankings.
Devine Ozigbo and Abram Smith got their time in the third and fourth quarters but it's always tough to gauge. You're working behind the backup line and going against the backups to the backups on the other side. Neither particularly stood out. Ozigbo finished with 26 yards on 8 carries and started finding his way in the fourth quarter with some quality runs. Smith had some nice moments, with a game-high 30 rushing yards on 7 carries along with 12 yards on his lone catch, but the low point came with a painful fumble as he powered close to the goal line in the 4th quarter. A fumble won't erase the nice moments, but it does leave a sour taste and a clear teaching point heading into the rest of the preseason. He’ll need to show the TOs won’t continue to dog him going forward.
LAGNIAPPE: There were a lot of players with chances to make their statements at positions in need of quality depth, and they did it. Chase Hansen got home on a blitz on the opening play of the game sending Davis Mills into the turf, later came through for an interception and long return, then a TFL in the third quarter. Justin Evans made his presence felt as well, and came down with an interception of his own. Linebacker and safety depth roles are very much up for grabs, and both players are making a very strong case. ... Dai'Jean Dixon and Kirk Merritt each caught passes, but Dixon's 17-yard snag on a third-and-long was one of the top moments of the second half. Dixon ended the game as the team leader in catches (3) and yards (33). ... John Parker Romo handled kickoff duties, while Wil Lutz converted on his lone field goal attempt from 23 yards. Romo converted on an attempt of his own from 36 yards. ... Brian Allen has only been on the roster for a matter of days after being signed out of the USFL, but the cornerback notched a prime highlight with a perfectly played deep ball and interception in the 4th quarter. He had some rough moments on the final drive and got beat for big plays, but hey -- you win some, you lose some ... Ryan Nielsen is calling the defensive plays for the first two preseason games, and it seemed to go well. It'll be interesting to see how that play-calling breaking down as the season goes on.