The New Orleans Saints opened live action Sunday at the Caesars Superdome, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 26-24 in a game that came down to the wire. As expected, the majority of the starters on both teams rose to the occasion, but a number of backups and those simply looking to make the cut at all turned some heads as well.
Here’s a look into three players who stood out and could make good cases for themselves moving forward:
1
QB Jake Haener
Jake Haener saw very limited action in this one, and there’s only so much to make of preseason action, but shined in the time that he was on the field.
He completed 10 of his 17 passing attempts for 105 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Well on display for Haener in addition to his ball placement and general accuracy was his ability to make plays in the clutch when it mattered the most in a close one — that’s something Fresno State fans are no stranger to.
It didn’t all start off great for Haener as he threw an interception on just his third passing attempt, but he shook it off and was able to bounce back on the next play, helping secure what looked like an unlikely win at one point with a rollout touchdown pass to running back Ellis Merriweather.
2
WR A.T. Perry
We said earlier in the offseason that A.T. Perry could prove to be one of the biggest steals in the 2023 NFL draft down the line, and while it is still early on, he certainly made a good impression when he took the field against Kansas City despite some ups and downs during camp.
The Wake Forest product led the team’s pass-catchers statistically in the victory, reeling in 6 receptions for 70 yards (an impressive average of 11.7 yards per catch) with a receiving touchdown for 29 yards.
How Perry continues to progress as a target for Haener and Carr will be something to watch, and this game helped his case, also showing the ability to adjust and get into open space when quarterback Jameis Winston was having some struggles under pressure.
3
DB Ugo Amadi
It wasn’t all the work of Haener and Merriweather to get the job done when the Chiefs pulled ahead in the second half and threatened to take the contest on the right side of the win column.
Amadi showed the potential to help give a boost to the Saints’ takeaways through the air in the future — something the team has struggled with — with a game-changing interception in the final minutes.
He finished the contest with a modest stat line of one solo tackle to pair with the one pick, but also showed some flashes on special teams as a player who could continue to get better as a defensive back and perhaps take on a more immediate role on special teams.
