Instant analysis from Saints' preseason win over Cardinals
The New Orleans Saints won their first preseason game of 2024 by a narrow margin, 16-14, and while their performance confirmed some of our suspicions (and a few concerns), it did include some nice surprises. And of course it's always easier to talk about what needs improving after a win.
With that in mind, here are our rapid-fire responses to a couple of key questions:
What went right?
Let's start with the New Orleans Saints defense. They set the tone right away and repeatedly got off the field on fourth down, allowing just 14 points on 11 possessions. And they didn't give up many big plays. Of the 68 plays Arizona ran, just three gained more than 20 yards. The secondary played very competitive football without drawing a ton of penalty flags for holding or pass interference, and the starting defensive line looked the part. They're still vulnerable against the run, having allowed 4.7 yards per carry, but there's time to clean that up.
Offensively, a couple of young playmakers stepped up. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener each threw some nice passes while making plays with their legs. Pass-catchers A.T. Perry and Dallin Holker were both impressive. They didn't drop any of the passes sent their way while finding ways to fight and get open against physical coverage. It's especially good to see that from Perry after his up-and-down training camp experience.
And we'd be remiss to not mention the kicking. Rookie place kicker Charlie Smyth won the game with his last-second field goal, which was his first kick in an American football. The former Gaelic footballer from Northern Ireland answered the call. He just needs to keep it up and earn more opportunities to push Blake Grupe.
What went wrong?
The starting offense was disappointing, but we didn't really learn anything. Trevor Penning is a problem at right tackle. Olisaemeka Udoh isn't a viable option at left guard, or at least a better option than Lucas Patrick. Both of those notes were known before they hit the field. The Saints need better depth up and down the offensive line. That's hardly news to anyone, but it's worrying to see that concern validated. Seventh-round draft pick Josiah Ezirim struggled at left tackle. He only played right tackle for two years at Eastern Kentucky after initially lining up on the other side of the ball.
When the Saints didn't have the ball, the backups at defensive end aren't living up to their draft slots. Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey were both top-45 draft picks and neither of them really made a play even deep into the third quarter, when they were working against guys who will be on Arizona's roster bubble. Chase Young has given the unit a nice shot in the arm but the depth behind him and Carl Granderson is suspect.
We also need to talk about the penalties. The Saints were fouled seven times in the first half for 45 yards but they cut that count down to just two infractions for 18 yards in the second half. That's encouraging, but it's a deep hole to have to climb up out of.
What's the bottom line?
If you've been keeping tabs on the Saints this summer, this game probably didn't surprise you. We knew the offensive line had some issues and the depth chart at defensive end was uninspiring. That doesn't mean everything went according to plan. Even a stripped-down version of Klint Kubiak's offense was plagued by penalties and unforced errors. We'll need to see the real thing before casting judgment but there's no scenario where Derek Carr going 2-for-6 to gain a dozen yards is acceptable.
The Saints have work to do. It's a good thing they've got time.
And what comes next?
The Saints will return to Irvine for the next week, where they will host the San Francisco 49ers for two days of joint practices. Like their training camp practices, these sessions will be closed to the public. It all leads up to next week's preseason game with the 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara -- which will be nationally broadcast on FOX. These should be competitive practices that give us a good idea of how the Saints stack up against a Super Bowl contender.
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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Instant analysis from Saints' preseason win over Cardinals
