Preseason openers are always exciting, at least for the first few minutes.
By the time you get out of the first quarter the shine has often worn off, with depth players on both sides competing to catch the eye of the coaching staff. That will be a little different this time around for the Saints, mostly by virtue of a wide-open competition for the backup quarterback job.
But what else should you be watching for on Saturday night in Arizona? We broke it all down on the latest episode of Inside Black & Gold. Listen to the full episode in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
So what's the list? Here are the top five things I'm watching for when the Saints face off with the Cardinals this weekend. We don't know whether we'll see the first team offense, so for now we'll focus on the players that we know will be out there.
1. BACKUP QB BATTLE
As mentioned above, and for the first in quite a while, the New Orleans Saints don't have a clear answer for the backup QB job. That couples with another unfamiliar scenario of the two options for that job being young players in rookie Spencer Rattler and second-year pro Jake Haener.
So who takes the job? It's really too close to call right now. The pair has traded off 2nd and 3rd team reps throughout camp, and both have a claim to be the best option. Haener has the built-in advantage of having played in preseason games a year ago, so he'll be familiar with setting and stage. That said he's a rookie in this offense just like Rattler is.
So what will win the job? It's not all about splash plays or off-schedule success. More important will be how confidently and efficiently these guys can run the scheme. As a backup, you need to be able to come in and execute the plan. It might be tough to spot that in real time, but whoever does that likely comes out on top. I expect this battle to continue at least through Game 2 of the preseason next week, but getting off to a strong start is important.
2. CAN A YOUNG WR STAND OUT?
Due to injuries the Saints find themselves remarkably thin at the WR position, but the depth players looking to make their marks on this roster certainly aren't complaining. So who can stand out? My money is on Samson Nacua, a player whose name will draw some attention on his own.
Yes, Samson is the older brother of Rams star Puka Nacua, but that's not the only reason we'll be talking about him. He's also shown the ability to go up and make plays on the ball, and his frame allows him to be a plus blocker. I expect him to be a player we're talking about for his performance this time next week.
This will also be a big moment for players like A.T. Perry and Kevin Austin Jr. to prove they can be a valuable piece to the roster. This is where he saw Perry stand out last year and he's been coming on lately.
3. THE BIG BOYS
There are two interior linemen that I'm eager to see in this format. One is 6th round defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, and the other is UDFA guard Kyle Hergel.
Both players have found themselves worked into first-team reps throughout camp but probably have some work to do to cement a spot on the roster. Boyd is probably the 4th DT on the depth chart and the only question is whether you keep that many.
For Hergel, this is a chance to prove he's got what it takes to be a solid interior lineman at the NFL level. He got some solid praise from QB Derek Carr this week, who likened him to former NFL lineman Richie Incognito. The QB has even cast out the nickname Richie for his new teammate.
It's tough to say whether there will be a roster spot for Hergel either way, but a spot on the practice squad would still be a win. Saturday will also be Hergel's first NFL game, and as he noted, he's "got pretty good seats" for it.
4. HOLKER OR JACOBSON
I'm pretty confident you're going to keep three tight ends on the roster, the first two being Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau (and I'm not calling Taysom Hill a tight end right now). So who can earn that third spot?
Both Jacobson and Holker have stood out as pass-catchers, but it'll probably come down to blocking in the end. Holker is certainly the fan favorite, but Jacobson's size is a bit more impressive (though he probably still needs to add more bulk before I can say he's ready to really compete at the NFL level). He's a former basketball player and can go up and get the ball with the best of them. Saints fans should be familiar with how basketball skillsets can transfer to the football field.
We'll see if either guy can get a step ahead in that competition.
5. KICKOFFS
They're back, baby. After years of running to the fridge during the kickoff, we should again see action during that part of the game, and that should be especially true in the preseason. Every team in the NFL should be working on getting coverage and return tactics up to speed, so I think the only kicks out of the end zone will be ones that happen by mistake.
So what should you be watching? Well, first, keep an eye on the return tandems. You can throw two players back there now, and we saw a few duos at Thursday's practice that I expect to see on Saturday. Each one had a more traditional return ace-type player, with a plus blocker on the other side. Those groups include:
- CB Kool-Aid McKinstry & Jamaal Williams
- RB Jordan Mims & RB James Robinson
- CB Alontae Taylor & QB Taysom Hill
As you watch, keep in mind that it's the player on the right who gets the call. If you hear someone yelling "me, me, me, me" on the broadcast, that means the player on the right is fielding the kick. If you hear "you, you, you, you," then it'll be the player on the left. The player who doesn't field the kick will then get up field to block (unless there's some form of fancy trick return called).
It'll also be interesting to watch the tactics for the blocking and coverage. Early on I expect to see coverage units be a bit ahead of the curve, since what they're being asked to do is a lot closer to the traditional kickoff.
BONUS: I don't know exactly what the Saints will be doing in terms of the kicker competition, though I'd expect Charlie Smyth to get the first run at these kicks just to get him a bit more acclimated to kicking in an NFL environment, he's never done it before. They could also trade off reps, but I think it's more likely we see he and Grupe trade off entire games, which would probably give a more representative showing of what these two guys can do. I still think it's Grupe's job to lose, but if Smyth can showcase that booming leg in an actual game we might start to have a different conversation.
