Saints football. Big plays. What more is there to ask for on a Monday night in August?
Well, clarity on whom will be under center in Week 1 against the Packers would be nice. And we might have gotten the information we needed with an impressive performance from Jameis Winston, and a less-than-spectacular night for Taysom Hill, who picked things up after halftime.
The Saints got off the preseason losing skid, shutting down Jacksonville's offense until a late surge brought the game close in the final minutes. With that said, here are my top 5 takeaways from an exciting preseason showdown at the Caesars Superdome.
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1. THE RESULTS ARE THE RESULTS
I've been as ardent a supporter of Taysom Hill getting his shot at the Saints quarterback job as anyone, but what happened Monday night was equivalent to a cannonball into a crowded pool.
We all saw what happened. There's no need to dive in too much further.
But I will, anyway, starting with the stats over two preseason games:
- Winston: 16-of-22, 219 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
- Taysom Hill: 19-of-32, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
In fairness to Hill, he also fared much better when he was targeting Marquez Callaway. But he looked a tick slow and didn't use his feet to create the way you'd hope on Monday against the Jaguars, though he did lead the Saints into field goal range right before the half. He stayed in for the second half and went 72 yards on 8 plays that ended with a touchdown to Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
But there's no denying Hill's performance, even with the second-teamers, was underwhelming. Winston, meanwhile, gashed the Jags' aggressive schemes twice over the top to a scary-good Marquez Callaway for a pair of long scores. The 53 air yards on the first touchdown was the longest on any pass by a Saints quarterback in 5 years. Hill hasn't lost the job, but it feels like Winston has won it.
We'll find out the result in due time, but if this ever truly was a competition, it'll be hard to extend it much longer.
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2. IS MARQUEZ CALLAWAY REALLY FOR REAL?
We've seen this movie before. The Saints bring in an unheralded, under-appreciated wide receiver. They proceed to go supernova.
But is it really as easy at it looks for Marquez Callaway, in just his second season out of Tennessee? The guy has done nothing but not-so-quietly dominate over two preseason games. He did it with Hill. He did it with Winston. He's been targeted nine times and caught eight of those passes for 165 yards and two TDs.
That's absurd. The Saints, of course, will be thrilled whenever they can get Michael Thomas back on the field. But they may have already found the next hidden gem, and he probably won't be hidden for much longer. In other words ... a bummer for anyone hoping to steal him late in fantasy drafts over the next few weeks.
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3. CRAWLEY ISLAND HAS NO RETURN FLIGHT
OK, that title is mostly a joke. But there's nothing funny about how impressive the veteran cornerback has looked throughout training camp, and every time the Jaguars tried to test him in man-to-man coverage on Monday night.
Crawley said this week he's heard all the takes about how the team will be, to use his word, "trash." He doesn't need the motivation, but he takes it personally.
He made sure to show exactly what's wrong with that take, logging a tackle and pass defensed, and showing the same thing we've seen all camp. Sean Payton might see outside cornerback as a "must," but the team might already have the guy in the building.
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4. ROSAS HAS THE LEG, BUT...
Newly signed Saints kicker Aldrick Rosas has never lacked for talent. He's got a cannon for a leg, and shows it often. You can tell just by the sound of his foot hitting the ball that he puts a charge into it every time he sends a kick toward the goalpost.
But it won't be the distance that drives the Saints insane if they're relying on his leg in close games early in the season. Some of that inconsistency was displayed on Monday, as he nailed a 52-yard kick with ease to close out the first half, only to push a PAT to the left after a third-quarter touchdown.
The free points have to be free points. If they aren't, the Saints might be on the market for their fourth kicker of the offseason before the games even begin.
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5. THAT PASS RUSH IS MEAN
If you look at the box score midway through the fourth quarter, it'd have shown that the Saints only logged 3 sacks.
Ignore the box score. The Saints defensive line absolutely pestered the Jaguars quarterbacks all night. Often times it was a race to see which unblocked rusher would get to the QB first.
Jacksonville's quarterbacks, including No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, did an excellent job getting the ball out. But the Saints' defense held their opponent to just 3 points through the first three quarters.
Make no mistake: This is a championship-caliber defense. And it all starts up front.
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Follow Jeff Nowak on Twitter @Jeff_Nowak or contact him by email at jeffrey.nowak@audacy.com