We’re hours away from the second New Orleans Saints preseason game of the summer, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CT against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. It follows a few days of joint practices between the two teams that got heated at times, but ultimately left both squads with a better understanding of how their rosters are constructed. Friday night’s exhibition game is another opportunity to test their mettle. It’s also another chance to gauge the progress players are making – not just young rookies, but also veterans who are picking up new skills. So with all of this in mind, let’s explore four key questions we need answered:
1
Can the offensive line hold up against pressure?
This was a problem last week, with the New Orleans offense yielding five sacks – all of them against Ian Book playing behind backups. That context is important, but it doesn’t look better the further you look into it. Rookie draft pick Trevor Penning was charged with allowing four pressures by Pro Football Focus, with all of his teammates up front combining for five pressures themselves. He struggled to set his feet and keep up with NFL-quality athletes. Penning also played more snaps than anyone else on the team (well, except for Book), and that should continue against Green Bay. He needs a lot of development and every rep is a learning opportunity. Elsewhere, look for top backups Calvin Throckmorton and Forrest Lamp to get an extended look at guard. And there’s a competition brewing for the backup center job between NFL veterans Nick Martin and Josh Andrews.
2
Which wide receiver separates from the pack?
Speaking of competition: there will be a lot on the line even late in this game, especially at wide receiver. The top four or five spots are set in stone. After that, things could go in any number of directions. We’ll be looking for guys who are running hard and fighting for receptions and making life easy for their quarterbacks. Established pros like Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith lead the pack, but don’t sleep on Kirk Merritt and Dai’Jean Dixon, who each caught multiple passes last week. And second-year draft pick Kawaan Baker ran more routes than anyone on the team in Houston. He’s got to keep it up to make his case for a roster spot, even if a six-game PEDs suspension is going to sideline him to start the season.
3
Who makes an impact in the kicking game?
Special teams is the route many of these players will take to get through roster cuts, and we already have an idea of who the Saints are watching closely. Kevin White has gotten looks as the top gunner across from All-Pro ace J.T. Gray, which does create an opportunity for him. But the players who can get into the most special teams units possible may have the best chances of making the cut. Last week we saw linebackers Andrew Dowell and Nephi Sewell, safety Justin Evans, and running back Tony Jones Jr. each get on the field with five of the six kicking teams (punt and kick returns and coverage, and field goal blocking or protection). Can they repeat that heavy workload, or will the Saints try someone else out in that role? Also, watch out for Rashid Shaheed to make his debut on punt and kick returns, taking over for the since-released Easop Winston Jr. We haven’t seen much of Shaheed over the summer with him recovering from ACL surgery, so this is a huge moment for him.
4
Will Ian Book finally find his footing?
Look, it’s been hard for Book. He’s never gotten a chance to hit the field with the starting lineup and enjoy the benefits of throwing to Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas (and Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave) while being protected by Pro Bowlers. We get it. But he’s not the only quarterback to step into a less-than-ideal situation. He’s struggled at every turn. After one regular season start and two preseason games, he’s logged a combined 75 dropbacks to attempt 58 passes, completing 36 of them while taking 14 sacks with 6 throwaways. He’s fumbled twice and seen four of his throws intercepted by the defense. The passes he did complete gained 382 yards, an average of 6.6 yards per attempt (which would rank between Jared Goff and Case Keenum among the quarterbacks who notched at least 75 dropbacks last season). And he still hasn’t scored a touchdown across those three games. At some point Book needs to start swimming, because so far he’s only been sinking. Can he turn it around in Green Bay?
