Another week of preseason action for the New Orleans Saints, and another game where fans shouldn't be expecting to see many -- if any -- starters when they take on the L.A. Rams.
There are a handful of fringe starters who could see action this time around. LB Danny Stutsman would be the most likely player to see time after not suiting up in the opener. WR Devaughn Vele is another option, but with an injury at the top of the WR room, the Saints could definitely opt to play it safe with their top targets. I expect to see players who dressed out against the Jags but didn't play -- Bryce Lance and Tyree Wilson, to name a few -- will be in action this time around.
With all that in mind, here are the three biggest things I'm watching for -- and a bit of lagniappe -- when the Saints face off with the Rams in Week 2 of the preseason.
THE GAME, PRE-WEEK 2 | Saints (0-1) at Rams (1-0)
- When: 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22
- Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- TV: FOX
- Listen: WWL AM-870; FM-105.3 & the Audacy app
- Pregame: First Take with Steve Geller & Charlie Long, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Countdown to Kickoff with Steve Geller & Bobby Hebert, 1-3 p.m.
Coverage brought to you by Trane: It's Hard To Stop A TraneTrane: It's Hard To Stop A Trane1. QB2 ... who are you?
This time last week I wasn't thinking too much about the backup QB conversation. It felt like that was true for the Saints, as well. Kellen Moore didn't waste any time declaring that Spencer Rattler would start, and to that point we hadn't seen Zach Wilson get any tangible work with the 2s. Then the preseason opener happened.
Rattler looked shaky. There was a one-play touchdown drive that followed a long kickoff return, but the next seven plays resulted in:
- 3 and out
- 3 and out
- Fumble lost
Spencer did salvage his day a bit with a 15-play drive that bogged down for a short field goal. But it was hardly the confident, aggressive looking third-year QB that we'd grown accustomed to seeing throughout camp.
Wilson then took over and looked confident and in control. He, too, started with a 3 and out, but then took advantage of a short field with a 27-yard connection with Bub Means down to the 1, followed by a short TD grab to rookie Oscar Delp. What really cemented his day was as 2-minute drill that began at the Saints' 5 and ran out of time for a field goal at the opposing 11.
There were some statements made in both directions, and that's continued this week. Rattler got the QB2 treatment on Tuesday vs the Cowboys, while Wilson got the QB2 treatment on Thursday vs the Rams. Regardless of who starts, it's clear that this is now being treated as something a lot closer to a competition than it was previously. It's not unlike the scenario in 2024 when Rattler and Jake Haener were competing for the backup job behind Derek Carr.
That means a lot of pressure for both guys to make a case in this game. For Rattler, can he bounce back, attack downfield and run the offense effectively. We won't see any starters, so he'll have to do it with backup pieces in front of him. I still think he's got the inside track in this conversation, but he needs to put his stamp on it somewhere in this preseason slate.
Meanwhile for Wilson, can he back things up with another strong performance? Inconsistency has plagued him throughout a short career after being drafted No. 2 overall by the Jets in 2021. He's still just 27 years old, and it wouldn't be the first time a highly drafted QB flamed out only to find success at a later stop in his career. Could Wilson be the next ... or is it just a fun preseason subplot? We'll find out a lot more today.
2. EDGE DEPTH
I was a bit surprised last week that we didn't see Tyree Wilson or Anfernee Jennings in action. Both guys were in uniform, but did not participate. I don't foresee that happening again.
Neither guy is a starter, and neither guy is a lock to make the roster. Cam Jordan's hamstring injury throws a wrench into the edge rusher rotation, but the jobs still have to be won.
The Saints traded for Wilson in the most recent draft and he's a former top 10 pick. Teams don't like wasting assets and they'll be looking for any reason to keep him on the roster. Jennings is a free agent addition and has seen success in the NFL, but he also seems to have something of a redundant skillset with Jordan. He was signed prior to Jordan's return, and if Cam was healthy he'd have a much more difficult time getting on the right side of the cut line.
Regardless, I feel like this is an important game for both guys -- assuming they play. The Rams won't be rolling out many, if any, starters, either. The established, veteran players should dominate a game like this. If they can't stand out, that's a major red flag, and potentially opens the door for players down the line. A guy like Mike Heldman comes to mind, who picked up two sacks and looked dominant for stretches in the preseason opener. At a certain point you have to look past the names and just see production.
3. RUN IT, RUN IT
Again, here I am talking about two players I EXPECT to see, but won't know for sure until the game starts. That's at the RB position with Kendre Miller and Devin Neal. Both players missed significant time -- including the preseason opener -- with injuries, but returned to action and have been full participants since the action shifted to California.
As long as nothing has changed on the health front, I'd expect we see both in action against the Rams. Not unlike the edge rusher conversation above, it's important for both of these players to look like experienced NFL pros going against depth players. Miller has been battling a back injury and has looked sharp in the two joint practices. You can't help but be enamored by the skillset whenever he is on the field.
Neal has continued to be consistent. He plays under control, is elite in pass protection and rarely seems to go down for negative plays. I think if this team gets its way, both guys make the roster. That would be at the expense of Audric Estime, who is a very solid player but is currently battling an ankle injury.
I also wouldn't sleep on Ty Chandler. His big splash last week came on the opening kickoff return, but he's an explosive play waiting to happen. I'd be surprised if we don't see a 30-plus-yard run from him at least once in this preseason process.
Let's see who can make the biggest statement.
LAGNIAPPE
I expect we'll see the Saints continue to rotate kickers. I still think the competition is wide open between Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown, though we didn't get much data to input this week. There were only five kicks for each during the joint practices and none were outside of 50 yards. Both went 4-for-5. If I had to pick one today, it'd be Brown, but I'd love to see one of these guys start to pull away. ... Bryce Lance turned 24 this week and celebrated with his most productive receiving day in his young career. Lance suited up last week but didn't participate due to a minor injury. I expect he'll participate fully in this one. Can he show that he should be the guy getting the extended run in Jordyn Tyson's absence? ... The Saints still only have one punter, so Ryan Wright will get all the work in this one. I don't think he has a ton to prove, but I would love to see a clean day with no shanks. ... Rookie Jeremiah Wright will continue to pull the lion's share of the reps at right guard and it'll be important for him to prove he can handle the job. Cesar Ruiz went down with an ankle injury during Thursday's practice, and while I don't expect it to be anything that keeps him out for an extended period, it did highlight the now-concerning lack of depth at the position after Dillon Radunz's injury. The final two preseason games will be where the rookie makes his case to get that backup responsibility. If he doesn't look ready, that could force the Saints' hand in terms of a trade or waiver claim toward the end of camp.
