The New Orleans Saints were coming into their second preseason game on Sunday, this time against the San Francisco 49ers. Everybody was anxiously awaiting to see the first-team offense after an abysmal performance against the Arizona Cardinals backups last weekend. What we got this week was a little better, though there is certainly still room for improvement.
The New Orleans Saints Starters Got Something Done
The starters came out for the offense and immediately fell into the same slump they did last week. Their first drive was a rapid three-and-out that made Saints fans across the world groan in unison. However, they remained on the field until they put together a solid drive, which thankfully came shortly afterward. The offense marched down the field and scored a touchdown. Derek Carr ended the night completing seven of his nine pass attempts for 47 yards with no touchdown or interception. Other notable starters were Jamaal Williams in the backfield, who took five carries for 32 yards, Taysom Hill, who took five carries for 21 yards and a touchdown, and Chris Olave, who secured three catches for 26 yards. It was a big relief to see this opening unit put together a strong drive on the heels of great run blocking from this offensive line.
Defensive Takeaways
On the defensive end, we saw some of the starters for a brief stint, and they were just as stifling as they were a week ago. The 49ers didn’t get much done against the top unit, but they weren’t utilizing all of their starters offensively. There were two big takeaways defensively. The first was that their rookie cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry went down with a knee injury and eventually went off to the locker room. It was reported after the game that the injury was thought to be just a scare and that he avoided anything severe. That’s the best news we could have gotten, though his timetable moving forward is still unclear. The other takeaway is positive, which is that Rico Payton could be an absolute stud out there in the future for New Orleans. Payton is a defensive back who flashed on the screen numerous times throughout his time on the field. The team seems to be in a beautiful rhythm of finding solid defensive backs, and Payton could be just another one added to that group. Another defensive player who flashed consistently was Anfernee Orji. Orji was one of the biggest playmakers throughout his time on the field, and it’s not surprising given that he’s been consistently great in training camp. His name was being talked about heavily last offseason as well. It wouldn’t shock me if he stuck around onto the main roster.
The Quarterback Battle
Once the starters exited the field, there was going to be some talk about the quarterback competition. If Carr were to suffer any type of injury, who would step into the game? It’s been a fierce battle between Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler, and it appears that Haener is pulling away. Although, it’s more complicated than that. Neither signal caller did well against the 49ers. Haener completed seven of his 13 passes for 76 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Rattler stepped in later and completed four of his eight pass attempts for 27 yards, also with no touchdowns or interceptions but he did have a fumble lost.
Haener Hasn’t Flashed
If this were the only game that you were to watch, you’d have little faith in either guy being the answer long-term at the position. Coupling this performance with what we saw last weekend, it appears that Haener will be the backup option for the foreseeable future. Haener hasn’t done anything outstanding or excellent out there, but he’s remained a solid quarterback. His completion percentage has been solid, he continues to make the right throws, and just gets the job done. Will he be the franchise quarterback of the Saints moving forward? Probably not. Will he continue to impact winning and provide a spark if he’s out there? Absolutely. The easiest way to describe Haener is that it hasn’t appeared like he has that “it” factor which can’t be defined by stats.
Rattler Has Endless Potential
Flipping over to Rattler, that’s all you see when you watch him. He didn’t perform well this weekend and last week against the Cardinals was mediocre at best. However, that matchup with Arizona came down to the wire with him under center. What did he do? He drove that offense straight down the field and set them up for a game-winning field goal. He has that “it” factor and passes the eye test, but we will eventually have to see whether he can reach his high ceiling, or if it will always be just talk. For now, Haener deserves to be the backup quarterback unless this upcoming third preseason game changes everything on its head. Rattler can be the third string for now and eventually move up the depth chart when he’s ready. Nobody expected him to be an immediate starter anyway coming into the league.