Preseason football is a fascinating thing, because oftentimes the final result tells a completely different story than the game itself.
The Saints may have fallen to the Jaguars 24-20, but the quality performances from key players is more than enough to walk away from the game feeling positive on both sides of the ball.
With that in mind I'm going to eschew the built out, stock down portion of this column. We're focusing on the positives and simply noting a few negatives. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time to get angry when the regular season rolls around. Until then, let's take a look at who stepped up and who/what fell flat in the preseason opener.
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A QB2 BATTLE
The Saints made the decision, as did the Jaguars, to rest starters on both sides of the ball. That meant that the 2s were the 1s, and the 3s got as much run as they could handle. It also meant that we got an extended look at Zach Wilson for the first time, and he didn't disappoint.
The game opened with an 86-yard kickoff return and a 9-yard Audric Estime TD run, but things quickly bogged down. The next three drives went:
- 3 and out (0 yards)
- 3 and out (9 yards)
- fumble (-11 yards)
Spencer Rattler then led the offense on a 15-play drive that spanned 57 yards and a short field goal. He finished 8-11 for 42 yards.
From there it was Zach Wilson's turn. It started much the same with a 3 and out, but after a Jayden Price interception Wilson rolled out to his right and found WR Bub Means on the run for what looked like a 28-yard touchdown. He was ultimately ruled down inside the 1, and Wilson found rookie TE Oscar Delp for a touchdown on the next play.
But the most impressive work came in the 2-minute drill before halftime. Taking over at the Saints' own 5 with 1:02 to play, Wilson connection on big plays to Means and Barion Brown to set up the Saints in the red zone. They had a shot at the end zone but a ball up the seam targeting Means fell incomplete and the Saints had to settle for a chip shot and a 20-6 halftime advantage. Wilson's day ended at 11-16 for 145 yards and a touchdown.
That marked the end of the scoring for the game, and something of a statement in the Saints QB room. Neither Kellen Moore or Wilson would feed into the conversation in their postgame, but it's hard not to imagine that the film Wilson put together -- and his resume -- should prompt the Saints to consider ramping up the competition for the backup job. To this point it's been definitively Tyler Shough as the starter and Spencer Rattler as the backup, while Wilson has been a distant third.
It'd be disappointing if this didn't, at the very least, add some pressure to that conversation. Otherwise, why is Wilson here, at all?
FORD, PRICE & HELDMAN
Without starters in the mix, it was fair to wonder where the defensive production was going to come from. The answer was two obvious sources, and one not so obvious.
Jaylan Ford is in Year 3 after being drafted out of Texas and had a role in Brandon Staley's scheme last year, but he's playing with a new level of confidence this time around. That was clear to see early on in this game as he quickly rolled up seven tackles and pulled down an interception on the opening defensive possession to end a promising Jaguars drive into the red zone. The Saints have been a linebacker factory in recent years, and despite coaching changes it sure looks like that factory is still in business.
Between Ford and Danny Stutsman, who got starter treatment and didn't suit up, it sure looks like the linebacker future is in good hands.
Price is a player who didn't have a role last year, but he's fought tooth and nail this time around to claim backup star reps, and he's excelled. Going into the game he talked about the need to turn his frequent PBUs into takeaways, and that's exactly what he did on Saturday, sinking to undercut a Carter Bradley pass in the second quarter.
Price is a hard-worker, an elite mover and he plays a lot bigger than his frame would suggest. He'll be tough to keep off the roster.
And last but not least it was Michael Heldman, the former Central Michigan standout who truly stole the show. He was a constant presence in the Jaguars backfield, logging two sacks, three quarterback hurries and three tackles for loss. He also went with a Dr. Strange portal celebration after both of his sacks. He thought it looked cool, and I'd tend to agree.
The kid also has a great personality, and he let the media behind the curtain after the game, revealing that he was coming off a brutal session in Thursday's practice with some ugly film review. He put it behind him and played the game of his life 48 hours later. If he wasn't in the mix for a roster spot before, he certainly is now.
BUB MEANS ... BALLER
I've noted a few times throughout camp to this point that Bub Means was having his best camp as a pro. The problem is that the Saints brought in three rookie WRs and he was very much being lost in the shuffle.
Still, Bub is one of the more intriguing players on this roster and he showed why on Saturday. Coming off back-to-back seasons cut short by ankle injuries -- both suffered at SoFi stadium, where the Saints will be next week -- he connected early and often with Zach Wilson to the tune of 4 catches for a game-high 77 yards. His 27-yard grab in the second quarter was initially called a touchdown before it was reversed and ruled out of bounds at the half-yard line. He also hauled in a 37-yard catch in a 2-minute drill to help set up a Saints score before halftime.
By no means will Bub ever be labeled a flashy player. But he is consistent, and he seems to be elite at finding space and walling off defenders. I also think he's sneaky fast when he gets into the open field, evidenced by the 60-yard catch-and-run TD in Thursday's joint practice. He's also a player who has worked his tail off to fight back after a pair of hard-luck seasons. Guys like that are easy to root for.
This Saints WR room is as deep as we've seen in a long time, and it's an uphill climb for Bub to make the roster. A few more performances like we saw on Saturday, though, and he'll be tough to deny. Not for nothing, he also seems to be a favorite target of Zach Wilson, so their stocks are rising together.
HONORABLE MENTION
I've talked a few times about how RB Ty Chandler's speed will surprise some folks, and look no further than the 86-yard kickoff return to open the game. I was a bit disappointed he didn't get more run at the RB spot, but the upside is clear to see. ... CB Martin Emerson Jr. didn't have the strongest start to camp, but he's been absolutely balling over the past week. In Tuesday's practice he picked up four PBUs and an interception. He also missed a pick-six in this game by a matter of inches. I wonder a little about his range, but there's no questioning his physicality is elite. He's at his best in press-man situations. ... K Tanner Brown made both of his kicks (49 and 29). He's now 35-40 (87.5%) and seems to be building confidence. To me, he's now definitively ahead in the kicking competition.
STOCK DOWN
As noted above, I'm not invested in being negative after the preseason opener. But I will give some bullet points.
- Shank: Getting paid big punter money is a double-edged sword. It comes with expectations. That expectation is ... there will be no 15-yard punts from Ryan Wright. Hopefully he got that out of his system, because, yikes. In fairness, he had multiple punts over 50 yards including a 50-yard net punt.
- Why?: Speaking of punts ... why did Dalys Beanum plant at the 9 yard line to field a rolling punt? In the stat sheet it'll go down as a solid result, but pinning a team inside their own 5 has game-changing potential. It sounds trivial, but I'm sure it won't be ignored in film review.
- QB fumble: There are a few critiques to make about Spencer Rattler's day, but I'm going to harp on the failure to protect the ball when a play is long dead. Fumbles have been a bugaboo for Spence, and in this case it was on first down and set the Jaguars up at the 9. The sack was absolutely not Rattler's fault, but the fumble can't happen.
- Returner Barion: It was a solid receiver day (4 catches for 28 yards) for Barion Brown, but I need my return ace to ace returns. Instead we saw Brown field a punt at the 15, then run laterally and lose 8 yards. I imagine it's the type of play he's gotten away with his whole career, but there's an NFL speed adjustment that has to happen. I'm sure he'll learn quickly.
- No. more. penalties.: The Saints didn't pick up a ton of penalties on the day, but they did log an astounding four on kick return or coverage. That group included Oscar Delp (holding), Jackson Sirmon (facemask), Beanum (holding) and Zaire Mitchell-Paden (holding). Those are extra damaging because they not only cost 10 yards, but also eliminate significant return potential. I'm sure Phil Galiano is none too pleased about what he saw in that phase.
- Bad misses: It's impossible to not root for Charlie Smyth, but not only have the misses piled up ... but when he's missed, they've been BIG misses. Today it was a kick from 52 that sailed well right. It never had a chance. He's now missed nine kicks in camp and is 6-11 from outside 50. He's got time to turn things around, but he also looks like a player who is rapidly losing confidence.
